UTEP Miners

THE OPENING TIP
The UTEP women's basketball team (2-2) will wrap up play at its Thanksgiving Classic by facing undefeated Abilene Christian (5-0) at 7 p.m. MT Saturday. Nicholls State will face Texas Southern at 5 p.m. MT Saturday. One ticket serves as admission for both games. They are $5 for adults and $3 for kids, and may be purchased by calling (915) 747-5234. The Miners dropped their second straight game after being edged by Nicholls State, 58-56, on Friday. The Wildcats pushed their mark to 5-0 on the year by throttling Texas Southern, 81-39, on Friday. The contest will be broadcast locally on 600 ESPN El Paso with Duke Keith and Traci Miller on the call. There will also be a live stream on CUSAtv.com (subscription based). 
 
GAME FORMAT
NCAA women's basketball games are played in four 10-minute quarters. Teams reach the bonus and shoot two free throws on the fifth team foul in each quarter. In the four-quarter format, team fouls reset to zero at the start of each frame. Teams have four timeouts (three 30s, one 60), three of which carry over to the second half. They will be able to advance the ball to the frontcourt after a timeout with less than 59.9 seconds in 4Q. There are seven media timeouts (four under five minutes in quarter/first called), two intermission media timeouts (after first and third quarters) and the first team-called timeout during the second half. Bands or amplified music may play during any dead ball.
 
GET TO KNOW ABILENE CHRISTIAN (5-0 OVERALL; 3-0 HOME; 1-0 ROAD, 1-0 NEUTRAL)
The mission of ACU Athletics is to honor Christ through excellence in academics and athletics, and its vision is to win at the highest level by providing the most Christ-centered student-athlete experience in collegiate athletics. This year the Wildcats have surged out to a 5-0 start on the season, with all of the victories by double digits. They opened up play at the UTEP Thanksgiving Classic by trouncing Texas Southern, 81-39, which was aided by leading by 25 (40-15) at the half. Another victory of note was besting four-time defending WAC regular-season champion NM State on the road, 58-46. ACU is led offensively by Breanna Wright (14.8 ppg) and Sara Williamson (11.2 ppg) and Dominique Golightly (10.6 ppg), while Lexie Ducat is the top rebounder (8.0 rpg). It is putting up 81.0 ppg (2nd SLC/34th NCAA) while yielding just 44.2 ppg (first SLC/third NCAA). Foes have been held to 27.7 percent from the floor (first SLC/fifth NCAA), including 16.7 percent on 3-point tosses (first SLC/fourth NCAA). It has controlled the boards with a +16.8 margin (first SLC/ninth NCAA) while also forcing 21.8 turnovers per contest (sixth SLC/48th NCAA).  It makes 8.6 treys per game (third SLC/44th NCAA). ACU was tabbed to finish sixth in the Southland Conference. It won a combined 16 Lone Star Conference Championships from 1983-2013 before the transition to DI. Notable alumni include Lance Barrow (Emmy Award-winning producer for football and golf on CBS Sports), Max Lucado (best-selling Christian author and minister) and Bobby Morrow (three-time Olympic Gold Medalist).
 
HE SAID IT (COACH BAKER ON ABILENE CHRISTIAN)
"Any team coached by Julie Goodenough will be a tough team to beat.  Her team's are always well coached.  They are led by an outstanding guard in Breanna Wright who is one of the top scoring threats in the Southland Conference last season.  They also have a tough and gritty power forward in Alyssa Adams.  They are off to a great start this season and should contend for the title in their conference this year.  This is a match up that will definitely get us ready for Conference USA play."
 
THE SERIES (UTEP LEADS, 3-0 OVERALL; UTEP LEADS, 2-0 IN EL PASO)
UTEP has claimed all three meetings between Abilene Christian, including most recently a 66-62 triumph in the opening round of the WNIT on March 17, 2016. 
 
LAST MEETING WITH ACU (AT UTEP 66, ABILENE CHRISTIAN 62, MARCH 18, 2016)
UTEP forced 18 turnovers and held Abilene Christian to 27.6 percent shooting on the way to a 66-62 victory in the first round of the WNIT in front of 4,517 fans at the Don Haskins Center on March 17, 2016. The Wildcats put up quite a fight,  using a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter to grab their first lead of the contest at 52-49 with 5:18 to play. But UTEP, which extended its school-record home winning streak to 17 games, had an answer. The Miners, spurred on by the roaring 4,500+ fans, struck back with a 9-1 surge over the next three minutes to regain control.  ACU, which had an eight-game unbeaten streak snapped, continued to battle down the stretch but UTEP hit 8-9 at the free throw line late to hold on for the victory. Starr Breedlove tallied nine of her team-high 16 points in the final frame to lead the way but she had some help as well. Tamara Seda posted her first career double-double (10 points, career-high 11 rebounds) to provide a big lift off the bench while senior Cameasha Turner nearly duplicated the feat (12 points, seven boards)Jenzel Nash dished out six assists to tie for the second most in a game in UTEP postseason history while her four steals earned a share for fourth. The Miners tied for the second-most blocked shots (five) and steals (12) in postseason annals.
 
GOING BACK IN TIME (NICHOLLS STATE 58, AT UTEP 56, 11/23/18)
Ariona Gill (14 points) and Jordan Alexander (season-high 12 points) hit double figures in scoring as UTEP rallied back from a 17-point second-quarter deficit to regain the lead several occasions in the fourth quarter only to have visiting Nicholls State pull out a 58-56 win as part of the UTEP Thanksgiving Classic at the Don Haskins Center Friday afternoon. The Miners (2-2) trailed 28-11 with 2:56 to play in the second period but they refused to quit against the Colonels (1-4). The home side used a huge third quarter (23-12) to get back within striking distance heading to the final frame. UTEP continued its push in the fourth quarter, going up by three (45-42) with 7:44 left. Nicholls State countered with eight straight points to vault out by five (50-45) before the Miners tallied the next six points to jump ahead by one (51-50). It was a seesaw battle the rest of the way, with a pair of free throws from Cassidy Barrios providing the seventh and final lead change with 52 seconds left. UTEP had a chance to tie or win it with two seconds left, but was unable to get a shot off.  Barrios produced a game-high 22 points to go along with eight rebounds and seven assists to lead the way for Nicholls State. She was supported by a nine-point effort from Kinzie Heineman. UTEP connected 42.6 percent (20-47) from the floor, including 8-20 on 3-pointers, while also committing a season-low 13 turnovers but issues elsewhere doomed the home side. The Miners were 8-17 on free throws and were outrebounded, 34-27.
 
CONTINUED PROGRESS IN TURNOVERS
After committing a combined 46 turnovers in the first two games, the Miners have made a total of 27 in the past two contests. UTEP had 14 giveaways vs. NM State (11/17) before making a season-low 13 turnovers in the setback vs. Nicholls State (11/23).
 
BOMBS AWAY
The Miners nailed a season-high eight 3-pointers in the setback vs. Nicholls State (11/23). Leading the charge was senior Jordan Alexander, who drilled a career-best four treys on five attempts on the way to a season-best 12 points. 
 
DEFENDING WITHOUT FOULING
The Miners have been tagged for a total of 57 fouls (14.3 fpg), a stark contrast to the 96 infractions (24.0 fpg) called on the opposition. One direct impact has been UTEP having more makes at the free throw line than opponent attempts. The Miners are 63-97 from the charity stripe compared to their foes standing 34-46 
 
BALANCED ATTACK
Three different Miners are in double figures for scoring average. Zuzanna Puc paces the team at 13.8 ppg, followed by Ariona Gill (12.0 ppg) and Katarina Zec (10.5 ppg).
 
TALKING PLAYING TIME
All six Miners who have started at least one game this year are earning at least 20.0 minutes per game, with Zuzanna Puc (31.3 mpg), Ariona Gill (30.0) and Katarina Zec (28.0 mpg) carrying the heaviest workload. Overall all 11 active Miners are logging at least 10.0 minutes per contest.
 
WORTH THE WAIT
Ariona Gill, who sat out last year as a redshirt, has established herself as an impact player through four contests on the year for the Miners. She is second on the team in scoring (12.0 ppg), minutes played (30.0 mpg) and offensive boards (eight) while ranking third in rebounding (4.5 rpg). Gill has proven to be effective at getting to the line. She leads the team in free throws made (17) and attempts (25).
 
PUC POWER
Zuzanna Puc enters Saturday's game vs. Abilene Christian leading the Miners in scoring (13.8 ppg), rebounding (8.3 rpg), minutes played (31.3 mpg) and double-doubles (two). She shares the team lead in double-digit scoring efforts (three) with redshirt-junior Ariona Gill.
 
UTEP IN THE RANKINGS
UTEP is in the upper echelon of C-USA and among the top-100 nationally for fewest fouls per game (14.3, first/21st), rebound margin (+8.8, third/56th), scoring defense (56.3, third/72nd), assists per game (16.3, fourth/78th) and 3-point field-goal percentage defense (.264, seventh/91st).
 
INDIVIDUALS IN THE RANKINGS
Zuzanna Puc is C-USA/NCAA rankings in field-goal percentage (63.9, third/28th), double-doubles (two, tied second/tied 47th) and rebounds per game (8.3, fifth/139th). She is also third in the league in offensive rebounds per game (3.3), tied for seventh in defensive boards per game (5.0) and is 10th for minutes per game (31.3). Katarina Zec is seventh in C-USA and 87th nationally for free-throw percentage (87.5). She is also tied for third in the conference for defensive rebounds per game (6.0). Jordan Jenkins checks in third in C-USA and 85th nationally for assist-to-turnover ratio (2.40). Ariona Gill is among the C-USA/NCAA rankings for free throws attempted (25, 11th/109th) and free throws made (17, 10th/138th).
 
THE BAKER FILE (OVERALL: 363-147, COLLEGE: 141-46, UTEP: 19-16)
Kevin Baker is in his second year (19-16) at the helm of the UTEP women's basketball team. He is in his 17th year overall (363-147) as a head coach, including his seventh season (141-46) as a college head coach. He has a unique background which has seen him rise through the coaching ranks from the high school level, to NCAA Division III, then NCAA Division II and now his NCAA Division I position at UTEP. He has set school records for wins at every previous stop of his career, and has taken every prior school to the postseason with a total of five district championships. He is an eight-time Coach of the Year. In his most-recent posts prior to UTEP, Baker's teams captured back-to-back conference championships at UT-Tyler and Angelo State. Baker led both a Division II (Angelo State) and Division III (UT-Tyler) school to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
 
BAKER'S FIRST-YEAR SUCCESS
Kevin Baker set the school record for most wins (17-14) by a first-year Miner head coach in 2017-18, but that doesn't even begin to tell the whole story. The seven previous first-year head coaches had an average combined record of 8-17. Carol Ammermann (11-5, 1974-75) and Janet Wood (11-16, 1979-80) shared the school mark for wins (11). Baker obliterated that figure while also joining Ammermann as the lone individuals to experience a winning season in year one at UTEP. Furthermore, Baker became the initial first-year Miner head coach to taste victory at the league tournament.
 
CHANCE AT MORE HISTORY
It's still very early, but if the Miners can finish above .500 (currently 2-2) Kevin Baker would become the first coach in program history to post winning records in each of their opening two seasons. Carol Ammermann went 11-5 in 1974-75, but slipped to 6-11 the ensuing year. Baker is the eighth head coach in program history.
 
WINNING NUMBERS UNDER BAKER
The Miners are 8-0 under Kevin Baker ( 1-0 this year) when shooting at least 50 percent from the floor. Other notable records in the Baker era include being 14-4 (1-0 in '18-19) when tied or leading after three quarters, 9-1 (1-0 this year) when scoring 70+ points, 8-2 (1-1 this season) when drilling better than 40 percent from 3-point range (min. four makes) and 6-3 in November (2-2 in '18'19).
 
45 YEARS AND COUNTING
The 2018-19 season marks the 45th in program history. The 1974-75 squad, the inaugural one at UTEP, will be honored in the Miners' game against WKU on Feb. 2, 2019. The 1974-75 finished 11-5, including 8-1 in El Paso.
 
GETTING TO KNOW THE 2018-19 MINERS
UTEP returned four letter winners (Jordan Alexander-8.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg, Jordan Jenkins-2.0 ppg, 1.4 apg, Zuzanna Puc-9.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg and Katarina Zec-9.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg) from last year's squad (17-14, 7-9 C-USA). Also back are a pair of players (Ariona Gill and Neidy Ocuane) who sat out last year as redshirts. The Miners also added six newcomers (Eliana Cabral, freshman guard, Alexa Hoy, sophomore guard, Sabine Lipe, freshman guard, Jade Rochelle, junior guard/forward, Conchi Satorre, freshman point guard and Ariana Taylor, freshman forward), but Cabral is slated to take a redshirt year in 2018-19. The squad is under the direction of second-year head coach Kevin Baker, who is assisted by Lori Morris, Michael Madrid and Kayla Weaver.  
 
INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
Half (6-12) of the Miners' roster in 2018-19 is comprised of international players. It is the largest such ratio (50 percent) in program history Eliana Cabral (Portugal), Sabine Lipe (Latvia), Neidy Ocuane (Mozambique), Zuzanna Puc (Poland), Conchi Satorre (Spain) and Katarina Zec (Serbia) give UTEP a distinct international flavor this season. 
 
TEXAS STRONG
The Miners feature five native Texans (Jordan Alexander, Dallas, Alexa Hoy, Rockwall, Jordan Jenkins, Tennessee Colony, Jade Rochelle, Grandview and Ariana Taylor, Houston) on the roster. The only other American on the team (Ariona Gill) hails from Las Vegas, Nev.
 
SHARING THE LEADERSHIP
For the third straight season the Miners features a squad with just one senior (Jordan Alexander). She is far from alone in terms of leadership, with five juniors (Ariona Gill, Neidy Ocuane, Zuzanna Puc, Jade Rochelle and Katarina Zec) on the roster. Puc and Zec have earned a pair of letters for the Miners. Gill and Ocuane sat out last season as redshirts, while Rochelle is a transfer from Blinn College. 
 
FOURTH BEST IN TEXAS SINCE 2006-07
The Miners have the fourth-highest winning percentage and fourth-most victories among all DI programs in the state of Texas since 2006-07. Power conference members Baylor (386-53, 87.9%), Texas A&M (312-109, 74.1%) and Texas (265-140, 65.4%) lead the way followed by the Miners (248-136, 64.8%). Lamar (236-143, 62.3%), Stephen F. Austin (229-147, 60.9%), TCU (225-164, 57.8%), Prairie View A&M (205-179, 53.4), SMU (198-176, 52.9%), and Texas Tech (188-196, 48.8%-10th) round out the top 10. 
 
SPECIAL RUN
The Miners are 148-82 since the start of the 2011-12 season (2-2 this year), with 86 double-digit victories in that time frame. UTEP has played postseason basketball three times during the stretch, making two deep runs in the WNIT (2014 runner-up, 2016 quarterfinals) and earning the C-USA automatic bid to the 2012 NCAA Tournament (lost, first round). The Orange and Blue have enjoyed 15 separate winning streaks of at least three games during that time frame. 
 
HOME SWEET HOME
UTEP has an all-time home record of 362-221, including standing 2-2 in the Don Haskins Center in 2018-19. The Miners have amassed a record of 162-45 at home since 2006-07, including 95-28 since 2011-12. Aiding that 95-28 mark was a school-record (winning percentage) 19-1 home record in 2015-16. UTEP has been particularly strong in nonconference play, standing 82-12 in the Sun City in such contests since 2006-07. 
 
TRAVEL TIME
UTEP is 144-363 all time on the road, including finishing 5-8 in 2017-18. When playing at a neutral site the Miners stand 60-79, including 3-1 last year. Since the start of the 2006-07 season UTEP is 60-68 on the road, including 36-37 since 2011-12. The first road trip in 2018-19 is at Weber State on Nov. 28. 
 
CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS
UTEP juniors Zuzanna Puc and Katarina Zec are starting to sprinkle their names in the UTEP career records. Zec sits in 20th for 3-pointers made (62), is 22nd in career games started (54) and is 24th in 3-pointers attempted (192). Puc is 15th in blocked shots (37) and 49th in points (517).
 
BASIC FACTS ON UTEP
UTEP is 566-664 in its 45th season as a women's basketball program, including standing 2-2 in 2018-19. The Miners have made four postseason bids (2016,-WNIT quarterfinals; 2014-WNIT runner-up, 2012-NCAA first round and 2008-NCAA second round), sporting a combined record of 9-4 (8-2 WNIT, 1-2 NCAA). UTEP has claimed four league championships (2016 C-USA regular season, 2012 C-USA regular season and conference tournament and 2008 C-USA regular season). It has a 1-1 record all time in league tournament title games, cutting down the nets in 2012 and falling in 2008. There have been six 20+ win seasons (all since 2006-07), UTEP has cracked the top-25 poll in two seasons (2015-16, 2007-08), including being ranked in the final six weeks in '07-08, while receiving votes in seven campaigns total ('15-16, '13-14, '12-13, '11-12, '08-09, '07-08 and '06-07). The Miners have been mentioned in the AP Preseason Poll four times (most recent 2016-17). In 2008 UTEP became the first C-USA women's team to finish undefeated in league play (16-0) while claiming the program's initial league title. The Miners finished 15-1 in C-USA in 2012 in addition to also winning the program's first conference tournament championship. UTEP owns the C-USA single-season record for winning streak at 23, which was set in 2007-08. The University of Texas at El Paso was founded in 1914. Notable alumni include former ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Sam Donaldson, well-respected and former NFL referee Ed Hochuli, former NASA astronaut Danny Olivas engineer & Dennis Poon, who designed Taipei 101 & some of the tallest buildings in the world.
 
QUICK 2017-18 YEAR IN REVIEW
The Miners compiled an overall record of 17-14 (7-9 in C-USA play, 9-4 in nonconference action) to surge past the 2016-17 team's overall victory total (8-23) by nine wins while also exceeding the number of league victories (5-13 C-USA). UTEP also won a game at the C-USA tournament, and it even led top-seed UAB by five points late in the third quarter before ultimately succumbing, 75-66, on March 8, 2018.
 
CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to connect with the Miners on Facebook (UTEP Women's Basketball), Instagram (@utepwbb) and Twitter (@UTEPWBB). 
 
NEXT UP
The Miners will hit the road for the first time of 2018-19 when they play at Weber State at 7 p.m. MT Wednesday. Fans can follow the action through live stats or on the @UTEPWBB twitter feed.
 
CLIFF NOTES ON THE 2018-19 SEASON
UTEP RALLY FALLS SHOT TO NM STATE (NM STATE 69, AT UTEP 65, 11/17/18)
Zuzanna Puc registered her second straight double-double (17 points, 10 rebounds) and UTEP battled valiantly but its comeback bid came up short in a 69-65 defeat to NM State in the FirstLight Federal Credit Union Battle of I-10 at the Don Haskins Center on Nov. 17. The Miners dug themselves an 18-5 hole nine minutes into the game, allowing the four-time defending WAC regular-season champion Aggies a much greater cushion than they needed. UTEP went to work, reducing the deficit to eight (30-22) at the break. The margin remained eight (53-45) with 7:14 remaining in regulation before the Miners uncorked an 11-3 surge to finally pull even at 56 with 3:03 left. NM State didn't flinch, countering with 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to extend its advantage back to six (62-56). UTEP inched within three (64-61) with 1:08 left but the Aggies put the game away by nailing their eighth and final triple of the contest. Katarina Zec (14 points), Ariona Gill (14 points) and Alexa Hoy (career-high 13 points) joined Puc in double figures for scoring. Neidy Ocuane got involved as well, setting career bests for points (five), rebounds (five) and assists (three).
 
UTEP GRINDS OUT WIN VS. CSUB (AT UTEP 53, CSU BAKERSFIELD 47, 11/14/18)
Zuzanna Puc registered her fifth career double-double (12 points, personal-best tying 12 rebounds), and the defense did the rest in UTEP's 53-47 win against CSU Bakersfield at the Don Haskins Center on Nov. 14. The Miners held the Roadrunners to 28.8 percent (17-59) from the field, while also winning the rebounding battle (46-34) in the tightly-contested ballgame. UTEP outscored CSUB, 19-9, in the final frame to rally back from a four-point deficit (38-34) through 30 minutes of action. There were six ties and eight lead changes, with the final with coming during a 9-0 Miner run in the fourth quarter. The surge, which spanned roughly five minutes, turned a 41-36 deficit into a 45-41 advantage. UTEP never relinquished the lead from that point. The biggest shot was a 3-pointer by Neidy Ocuane, which proved to be the lone triple (1-20) of the game for the Orange and Blue. CSUB did fight back to tie the contest, 47-47, but the Miners pitched a shutout over the final 2:18. Katarina Zec connected on 6-8 at the charity stripe in that sequence to give the home side just enough to pull out the win. Zec finished with nine points and eight boards to support Puc, while Jordan Alexander contributed eight points and a quartet of rebounds. Sophomore Jordan Jenkins added six points and a career-high tying five boards. The Roadrunners were led by 13 points and 12 boards from Malayasia McHenry. CSUB's Alexxus Gilbert and Jazmine Johnson were held to a total of 14 points on a combined 4-16 shooting. The duo entered the contest contributing 29.5 ppg on a combined 22-49 from the floor. 
 
UTEP DOWNS ALCORN STATE IN OPENER (AT UTEP 77, ALCORN STATE 51, 11/10/18)
Zuzanna Puc poured in 18 points to pace a quartet of players in double figures as the UTEP women's basketball team cruised to a 77-51 season-opening win vs. Alcorn State on Nov. 10. Ariona Gill (15 points), Jordan Jenkins (career-high 11 points, six assists) and Katarina Zec (11 points, personal-best tying nine rebounds) also got after it for the Miners. UTEP connected on 52.6 percent (30-57) from the floor, tied for the sixth-best rebounding margin (+27, 48-21) in program history and racked up 23 assists on 30 made field goals. They held ASU to 30.2 percent (16-53) shooting and forced 20 turnovers. Conchi Satorre pitched in five points and a trio of boards in 10 minutes of action to lead the reserves in scoring. The Lady Braves scored the first two points of the contest on a jumper, but UTEP punched back with a 12-0 surge over the next five minutes. The home side never trailed again.
 
BIGGEST WIN UNDER COACH BAKER
UTEP's 26-point romp against Alcorn State served as its largest margin of victory under head coach Kevin Baker. The previous high was a 20-point differential (69-49) vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Nov. 18, 2017.
 
START IT UP
UTEP improved to 25-20 all time in season openers, including 21-7 when doing so in El Paso. The Miners are now 2-0 under Kevin Baker in season lidlifters.
 
EXHIBITION REWIND
UTEP tuned up for the 2018-19 season with a pair of exhibition games against NCAA Division II programs. The Miners downed Western New Mexico, 66-45, on Oct. 27, and dispatched St. Mary's (Texas), 70-51, on Nov. 4. Jordan Alexander (17 points, six rebounds) and Ariona Gill (14 points, rebounds) set the tone in the win vs. WNMU. Zuzanna Puc pitched in nine points and six boards while Jordan Jenkins added seven points and three assists. The Miners led by 15 (20-5) after the first quarter, and they were never truly threatened the rest of the way. Puc (15 points), Alexander (13 points, six rebounds) and Katarina Zec (10 points, four assists) set the tone in the victory vs. St. Mary's. Once again the Orange and Blue started strong, racing out to a 22-8 lead on the way to the 19-point win. UTEP drilled better than 44.0 percent from the floor in both contests while holding each of its foes to less than 31 percent shooting. It also forced 18+ turnovers in each tilt. All 10 Miners earned at least seven minutes of playing time in both games, but no one played more than 30 minutes.