EL PASO, Texas – UTEP women's basketball (8-5, 5-3 C-USA) returns home this week to host UTSA (2-11, 0-8 C-USA) in Conference USA play on Thursday, Jan. 28 at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso.
 
The Miners will open the series on Thursday with tipoff set for 7 p.m. at the Don Haskins Center. The Miners will then hit the road for the series finale against UTSA on Saturday, Jan. 30 in San Antonio. Saturday's tipoff is set for 12 p.m. MT in San Antonio.


GAME INFORMATION
Dates: Jan. 28 (Home) | Jan. 30 (Away)
Location: El Paso, Texas (Thursday) | San Antonio, Texas (Saturday)
Tipoff: 7 p.m. MT (Thursday) | 12 p.m. MT (Saturday)
Video Stream: CUSA.TV (Thursday) | ESPN+ (Saturday)
Audio Stream: UTEP Miners App (Thursday/Saturday) | ESPN 600 El Paso (Saturday)
Radio Talent: Tim Hagerty


BAKER'S BREAKDOWN
"UTSA has not really been healthy all year, but they are a dangerous team. Their style of play is dangerous. They are just an athletic team that causes a lot of problems for you defensively because they play so hard. They really get the ball to the rim and attack you in transition. They are probably one of the better transition basketball teams we will see this year. They are a very dangerous team because their coach has them playing so hard. I anticipate the same thing. It is going to be two really good games on Thursday and Saturday. Their record is not great, but if you look at what they have really done, they have been in games each time. They are just not a team that you can take lightly."


MINER NOTABLES

• UTEP enters the weekend looking to build on a three-game winning streak with previous wins coming over North Texas and Louisiana Tech (2x).
• The Miners are also looking to build on a 4-game win streak over UTSA that dates back to the 2018-19 season.
• Katia Gallegos leads the Miners offensively with a team-best 15.5 points per game and 4.8 assists per game (Ranks second in C-USA) on the season.
• Avery Crouse and Isis Lopes are scoring 9.5 and 8.8 points per game, respectively.
• UTEP ranks third In C-USA in field goal percentage (42.3), while the Miners also rank third in the league in steals (103) and fourth in turnovers forced (17.9) entering the weekend.

SCOUTING THE ROADRUNNERS
UTSA enters this weekend's C-USA series looking to snap a 9-game losing streak, while the Roadrunners are in search of their first win in conference play and first road win on the season (0-6). Adryana Quezada is UTSA's leading scorer with an average of 15.3 ppg to go along with 10.0 rebounds per game. Karrington Donald leads the team with 53 assists and is averaging 11.8 points. As a team, the Roadrunners are shooting 36 pct. from the field and 23 pct. from behind the arc.


LAST TIME OUT
UTEP recently completed a road sweep over Louisiana Tech with back-to-back wins over the Lady Techsters in Ruston. In the opener, UTEP edged LA Tech, 61-58, while the Miners came back on Saturday to notch a 75-67 win on the road to sweep the series.


FANS ALLOWED!
A limited number of fans will be permitted in the Don Haskins Center for UTEP basketball games until further notice.
 
Tickets are still available for women's basketball and this includes both five-game flex plans and single-game options. For ticket information and sales, fans can call (915) 747-UTEP, email tickets@utep.edu or visit www.UTEPMiners.com/tickets.
 
Fans are reminded that masks/face coverings are required while in the Haskins Center and on the UTEP campus. Additional COVID-19 protocols for basketball can be found at www.utepminers.com/bbfanprotocols. All fans are highly encouraged to read and be aware of these policies to ensure a safe and enjoyable game day experience.
  For complete coverage of UTEP women's basketball, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @UTEPWBB (Twitter), @utepwbb (Instagram) and on Facebook or visit the official home of UTEP Athletics at UTEPMiners.com.