Game Notes In PDF Format

OPENING TIP
Fresh off its 85-57 season-opening win against Division II foe Western New Mexico, the UTEP men's basketball team (1-0) will head up the road to play at I-10 rival NM State (1-0) at 7 p.m. MT Saturday (Nov. 13). It's the 220th meeting between the schools, which first squared off in 1914. Steve Kaplowitz and former Miner Hooper Vint will be on the call, which can be followed on 600 ESPN El Paso and the UTEP Miners App. The game will also be streamed on ESPN+. It marks the third time in the past four years that the programs will be locking up in UTEP's second contest of the campaign. It is the first of two meetings on the season between the schools, with the Aggies set to make the return visit to El Paso in the "Stripe Out The Don" game on Dec. 3. It is the first meeting between the programs since the 2019-20 season, with Covid protocols preventing the teams from locking up last year. It's also the initial match-up between the foes since it was announced NM State would join the Miners in Conference USA beginning in 2023.
 
SERIES HISTORY: NM STATE Leads, 115-104: LAST MEETING: at NM STATE 59, UTEP 56 (12/3/2019)
NM State leads the all time series with UTEP, 115-104. It is the Miners' oldest series, while rating as the second oldest for the Aggies. It began in 1914 and the two squads squared off at least twice annually every year since 1944-45 before Covid interrupted that last season. NM State has a 63-40 margin in Las Cruces, aided by peeling off nine straight at home. UTEP's last road win in the series was 11 years ago, 74-72, on Nov. 30, 2010, which was Tim Floyd's first year at the helm. Most recently in 2019-20, the two sides split with both squads successfully defending their home court. This will be head coach Joe Golding's first match-up against NM State, while Aggies' head coach Chris Jans is 5-1 against the Miners. NM State has won 10 of the last 11.

LAST MEETING WITH NM STATE
C.J. Bobbitt scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half, leading NM State to a 59-56 win over UTEP in the Battle of I-10 on Dec. 3, 2019, at the Pan American Center. Bobbitt was 3-for-4 from the field, 2-for-3 from three-point range and 4-for-4 from the line over the final 20 minutes as the Aggies (5-4) handed the Miners (5-1) their first loss of the season and salvaged a split in the season series. NM State outscored the Miners in the paint (32-22) and controlled the glass (36-28), overcoming a dominant performance by UTEP's Bryson Williams, who scored 19 of his 27 points in the second half. Williams finished 9-for-13 from the floor, 4-for-6 from three-point range and 5-for-6 from the line while adding nine rebounds for the Miners.  Williams, Souley Boum (11 points) and Daryl Edwards (nine) accounted for 47 of UTEP's 56 points.
 
GET TO KNOW NM STATE (1-0)
NM State returned four starters and five lettermen total from last year's team that finished 12-8 during a heavily Covid-affected campaign that prevented the Aggies from even playing a game in Las Cruces throughout the entire season. They were one of two teams in the nation without a home game. NM State went 7-6 in WAC action and advanced to the 2021 tournament championship game. The Aggies also brought in 13 newcomers. NM State opened the 2021-22 season with a come-from-behind 62-51 win against UC Irvine on Nov. 9, its first home game in 615 days. The Aggies closed the contest on an 11-3 run. Five different players reached double figures in scoring, with transfer Teddy Allen leading the way at 14 points. They were picked first in the Western Athletic Conference preseason poll, with Allen, Johnny McCants, Jabari Rice and Donnie Tillman being named to an All-Preseason team. NM State is under the direction of fifth-year head coach Chris Jans, who is 96-25 in that timeframe. Overall Jans is 117-37. He is 5-1 against the Miners. New Mexico State is a major university in Las Cruces, N.M., which was founded in 1888 under the name of Las Cruces College. Notable alumni include actor Scott Bailey, who is best known for his playing the role of Sandy Foster on the CBS soap opera Guiding Light, and former Olympic basketball player Chito Reyes. Additionally, Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered the planet Pluto (since reclassified to a dwarf planet), taught astronomy at the school from 1955 until his retirement in 1973.
 
GOING BACK IN TIME (AT UTEP 85, WESTERN NEW MEXICO 57, Nov. 9, 2021)
Jamal Bieniemy poured in 23 points (one shy of career high), including a career-high tying five 3-pointers, and UTEP played with plenty of energy in a season-opening 85-57 vanquishing of Division II Western New Mexico in front of 6,751 fans at the Don Haskins Center on Nov. 9. It marked the largest crowd in a season opener in six years. Keonte Kennedy flirted with a double-double (11 points, six rebounds) to join Bieniemy in double figures for scoring. It marked Kennedy's 25th consecutive contest with points. Jorell Saterfield tallied a bench-high nine points, all in the second half. Bonke Maring added eight points (3-5 FG) and three boards. Emmanuel White (seven points), Jamari Sibley (six points) and Christian Agnew (six points). UTEP dished out 19 assists, with Bieniemy leading the way while at four while Alfred Hollins and Kezza Giffa each had three.  The Miners connected on 50.0 percent from the floor (31-62), including 42.2 percent from downtown (12-28). UTEP's pressure defense caused WNMU fits. The Mustangs were forced into 26 turnovers that the Orange and Blue turned into 28 points.
 
TIP-INS VS. WNMU
-     UTEP nailed 12 triples, two shy of cracking into the Miners' single-game records.
-     Eleven different Miners scored in the game while all 14 who suited up played.
-     UTEP had advantages for points off turnovers (28-13), points in the paint (28-14), second-chance points (8-4), fast break points (13-2) and bench scoring (34-27).
-     Jamal Bieniemy was one point (23) shy of his career high while matching his career bests for 3-pointers made (five) and field goals attempted (15). He set it for 3-pointers attempted (nine).
-     Keonte Kennedy had a career-best six 3-pointers attempted, while matching his personal high for free throws made (three).
-     Ze'Rik Onyema pulled down a career-best two rebounds and registered his third block of his career.
 
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
UTEP dispatched Division II foe Western New Mexico, 85-57, to win its season opener on Nov. 9. The Miners led for all but 42 seconds in the contest, and the 28-point differential was the largest for the first game of the year since they blasted Louisiana College, 100-50, (50 points) on Nov. 10, 2017. It marked the seventh straight season that the Orange and Blue scored 80+ points in their campaign lid lifter. UTEP has now won 10 straight season-opening contests and 56 of the past 61. It also improved to 75-26 all time in season openers, including 38-4 when doing so in the Don Haskins Center.
STREAKING AT HOME IN NON CONFERENCE
UTEP has won 13 consecutive home games in nonconference action, including standing at 1-0 in the situation this year. Seven straight and nine of the 13 during the surge have come by double figures. The last non league home loss came at the hands of Norfolk State, 75-62, on Dec. 21, 2018.
 
THE BASIC FACTS ON The 2021-22 SEASON
-    This is the 101st season of UTEP men's basketball, with the Miners sporting an all time record of 1423-1094 (1-0 in 2021-22). There are 17 home games (1-0 currently) and 13 road contests (0-0 currently) prior to the C-USA Championships (March 8-12, 2022).
-    The Miners returned four starters (Jamal Bieniemy, Souley Boum, Keonte Kennedy and Tydus Verhoeven) and eight lettermen overall. Other returning lettermen are Christian Agnew, Cam Clardy, Gilles Dekoninck and Ze'Rik Onyema. Emmanuel White, who redshirted, is came back
-    UTEP has six newcomers in the fold in the form of Kezza Giffa, Alfred Hollins, Kevin Kalu, Bonke Maring, Jorell Saterfield and Jamari Sibley.
 -   The Miners brought back four of their five leading scorers from 2020-21 in the form of Souley Boum (18.8 ppg), Keonte Kennedy (8.6 ppg), Jamal Bieniemy (8.6 ppg) and Christian Agnew (6.1 ppg).
 
COMING SOON TO EL PASO
JUCO standout Jon Dos Anjos (nationally-ranked Florida SouthWestern State) has signed a national letter intent to enroll at UTEP and play for the men's basketball team beginning in 2022-23. Dos Anjos will have two years of eligibility for the Miners. He was a first-team all-league performer for the Bucs in 2020-21, helping them go 18-5 and advance to the semifinals of the FCSAA State Tournament. He averaged 10.3 points and 5.7 rebounds while playing in all 23 games, including 20 starts.
 
GOLDING ERA UNDERWAY
Joe Golding has embarked on his first season with UTEP, and as the 20th head coach in program history. He is the eighth head coach for the Miners since legendary Hall of Fame Coach Don Haskins retired following the 1998-99 season. Golding is 159-144 in his 11th season as a collegiate head coach, with the first 10 years at Abilene Christian. He led the Wildcats to the past two NCAA Tournaments played, including a stunning upset as a 14-seed of third-seeded Texas in the first round of the 2021 Big Dance.
 
LOOKING TO JOIN AN EXCLUSIVE GROUP
First-year head coach Joe Golding is looking to be part of an exclusive group at UTEP as heads into the 2021-22 campaign. Of the previous 19 head coaches at UTEP, only three have put together a winning season in their first year on the sidelines in the Sun City. Don Haskins became the first when he directed the Miners to a mark of 18-6 in 1961-62. Doc Sadler (27-8, 2004-05) and Tim Floyd (25-10, 2010-11) also achieved the feat. Overall the prior 19 head coaches have combined to forge an average record of 9-13 in their first year with UTEP.
 
EXPERIENCED STAFF
The Miners have an experienced staff on the sidelines for the 2021-22 season, each of whom are in their first year in the Sun City. Between head coach Joe Golding (22 years), associate head coach Jeremy Cox (30 years) and assistant coaches Butch Pierre (37 years) and Earl Boykins (eight years), the Miner coaching staff has a combined 97 years of experience at coaches at 26 different stops along the ways at varying levels of competition. Boykins is the least experienced in terms of coaching, but he's the most accomplished on the court after playing 12 seasons in the NBA.
 
PRESEASON HONORS
Souley Boum was tabbed a Preseason All-Conference honoree, it was announced before the season by the Conference USA office. A 2021 All C-USA third team member, Boum ranked third in C-USA in scoring (18.8 ppg) and fifth in the league in total points (450). He also paced the conference and was 15th in the country with 130 made free throws. Boum knocked down his free throws at a rate of 81.2 percent, which was good enough for eighth in C-USA. He also led UTEP in steals (34) and dished out 60 assists. Boum set career highs in points (34) and assists (11) versus Sul Ross State. He scored 24 points and pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds in a win against LA Tech. The explosive scorer poured in 28 points, aided by a career-best 15 made free throws, in a win against FIU. He scored 20-plus points in five consecutive games from Jan. 22-Feb. 5, averaging 22.6 ppg during the hot streak. Boum buried a career-high six 3-pointers to help him finish with 23 points in a victory Charlotte.
 
PRESEASON PREMONITIONS
UTEP was predicted to finish 10th in Conference USA, according to the preseason poll that was announced prior to the season by the league office. UAB (190 points) was slated first, followed by LA Tech (second-184 points), WKU (third-162 points), Marshall (fourth-147 points), Old Dominion (fifth-130 points), North Texas (sixth-124 points), Charlotte (seventh-110 points), Rice (eighth-104 points), Florida Atlantic (ninth-84 points), UTEP (10th-82 points), UTSA (11th-48 points), Southern Miss (12th-42 points), FIU (13th-36 points) and Middle Tennessee (14th-28 points).
 
LOOKING TO REGAIN WINNING WAYS IN C-USA
UTEP enters the 2021-22 season in search of its first winning record in Conference USA play since 2017 when the Miners went 12-6 in the league to finish tied for third. That year capped a run of five straight seasons with winning marks in conference action, the longest since 11 straight such efforts under Don Haskins from 1980-90.
 
UP NEXT
UTEP returns home to host NAIA foe Northern New Mexico College at 7 p.m. MT Tuesday (Nov. 16). Jon Teicher (41st year) and Steve Yellen (19th year) will be on the call, which can be followed on 600 ESPN El Paso, the UTEP Miners App and CUSA TV (subscription required). For tickets, fans may call the Eisenberg Family Ticket Office at (915) 747-UTEP, email tickets@utep.edu, or visit www.UTEPMiners.com/tickets or in person (Brumbelow Building on UTEP campus, 201 Glory Road) Monday thru Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.