UTEP Hoops to Close Season at Middle Tennessee Saturday Night

UTEP Miners

UTEP at MT Game Notes

EL PASO, Texas – The UTEP Miners will close out the 2018-19 campaign at Middle Tennessee Saturday night. The Miners (8-20, 3-14 Conference USA) and Blue Raiders (10-20, 7-10 C-USA) are set to tip off at 6:30 p.m. MT/7:30 CT in the Murphy Center.

Fans can listen on KOFX 92.3 with "The Voice of the Miners" Jon Teicher. The Spanish broadcast can be heard on ESPN Deportes 1650 AM with Omar Ropele. The contest will also be streamed on CUSA.TV.

The Miners and Blue Raiders will meet for a second consecutive game.

"There's not going to be one thing they do that we don't know, and there's not going to be one tendency from a personnel standpoint that a guy's going to do that we don't know about," first-year UTEP head coach Rodney Terry said. "It's going to come down to who's excited about competing. We still want to do some things that we haven't done all year – we haven't won on the road. You want to try to win the last game and use it as a springboard to what we have to work on this spring."

Senior Paul Thomas will suit up in a UTEP uniform for the final time and will play in his 114^th game. Thomas led the Miners with 13 points during "Senior Night" on Wednesday against MT. The Houston product also snagged a career-high four steals and pulled down seven rebounds.

Freshman Kaosi Ezeagu, who made his sixth consecutive start in the absence of the injured Efe Odigie, scored a career-high 12 points and tied his career best with nine boards against Middle Tennessee.

Freshmen guards Jordan Lathon (11 points) and Nigel Hawkins (10 points) each hit double figures in scoring on Wednesday night. Lathon chipped in with six rebounds and led the Miners with three assists, while Hawkins tallied four rebounds and two assists.

UTEP allowed season highs in offensive rebounds (19) and total rebounds (51) as MT was able to keep its distance and maintain a double-digit lead throughout the contest.

MT outscored UTEP, 144-125, in the two previous contests this season. The Miners were edged in Murfreesboro, 75-72, on Jan. 19. Lathon's last-second halfcourt shot fell short. Hawkins led the Miners with 16 points, while going a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line. Lathon registered his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while leading the Orange and Blue with four assists.

The Blue Raiders have combined for 83 rebounds, including 32 on the offensive glass, during the two games this season.

The Miners commenced the C-USA slate with back-to-back games against UTSA and will conclude the season with consecutive contests against Middle Tennessee.

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