Ruben R. Ramirez

UTEP WBB Set to Play Seattle & Kansas at the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout Nov. 26-27

11/25/2021 10:24:00 AM

UTEP Game Notes

EL PASO – The UTEP women's basketball team (4-0) will take its undefeated record to Las Vegas, Nev., to compete at the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout. The Miners will face Seattle U. (2-2) on Friday, Nov. 26 at 7 p.m. MT/6 PT and the Big 12's Kansas on Saturday at 7 p.m. MT at the South Point Arena.

Fans can tune into "The Home of UTEP Basketball" 600 ESPN El Paso or the UTEP Miners App to hear Mando Medina call the action.

UTEP vs. Seattle U.
Date: Friday, Nov. 26
Time: 7:00 p.m. MT/6 PT
Twitter Updates: @UTEPWBB
Watch Link: FloSports
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=378306
Series Record: UTEP and Seattle U. will meet for the first time ever on Nov. 26

UTEP vs. Kansas
Date: Saturday, Nov. 27
Time: 7:00 p.m. MT/6 PT
Twitter Updates: @UTEPWBB
Watch Link: FloSports
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=378309
Series Record: Kansas leads the all-time series 2-0 (last meeting came on Dec. 7, 2003 in Lawrence)

UTEP TO THIS POINT
The Miners have won their first four games of the 2021-22 season, making it the first 4-0 start since the 2017-18 season, UTEP Head Coach Kevin Baker's first season at the helm. UTEP most recently defeated a tough NAU team, 72-72, on Nov. 20 in the Haskins Center. Katia Gallegos scored a season-high 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field and dished out five assists in the victory over the Lumberjacks.

UTEP has won all four games by double figures, something that hasn't happened to begin the year since the Miners' last Conference USA Championship team did so during the 2015-16 campaign. UTEP defeated rival NM State, 76-61, on Nov. 17, North Dakota, 89-69, on Nov. 13, and opened the campaign with an 81-47 victory over Incarnate Word.

The Miners are shooting 48.2 percent from the field, ranking no. 1 in C-USA and 25^th nationally. UTEP ranks second in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.00). The Miners' 16.0 assists per game rank second in C-USA and 72^ndnationally.

Gallegos leads the team at 15.2 points per game, while Destiny Thurman ranks second at 14.5. Gallegos also leads C-USA, averaging 5.5 assists per contest. Elina Arike averages a team-best 8.8 rebound per game, while ranking third in the league in that department.

ABOUT SEATTLE
The Red Hawks have split their first four games, winning the most recent 71-67 against at Sacramento State on Nov. 20. Seattle U. opened the season with a 89-32 thrashing of Northwest. SU then fell to UC San Diego 60-44, and Long Beach State 86-63. Courtney Murphy leads the team in scoring at 12.3 point per game and rebounding (7.3 rpg). McKenzi Williams ranks second at 9.3 points per game. Bree Calhoun averages 8.4 points per game and leads the team with 24 assists (6.0 apg). Seattle averages 66.8 points per game and is giving up 61.3. SU is shooting 40.2 percent and is yielding 35.9 points per game.

ABOUT KANSAS
The Jayhawks are off to a 4-0 start. KU defeated SIU-Edwardsville 98-62 to open the season. The Jayhawks followed with wins over Tennessee State (83-60), Omaha (81-56) and Saint Louis (79050). Aniya Thomas leads KU in scoring at 14.8 points per game, while Ionna Chatzileonti (11.5 ppg) and Zakiyah Fanklin (11.5) also average double figures. Chatzileontil leads the team in rebounding (7.0 rpg), while Franklins paces the squad with 19 assists. KU is shooting over 50 percent from the field, averaging 85.3 points per game. The Jayhawks are giving up 57.0 points per game, while yielding 31.8 percent from the field.

OTHER MINER NOTABLES

STREAKING START
UTEP is off to a 4-0 start for the first time since 2017-18, head coach Kevin Baker's initial season on the sidelines in the Sun City. All four wins have been by double figures, something that hasn't happened to begin the year since the Miners' last Conference USA Championship team did so during the 2015-16 campaign.

SCORING STREAK
Katia Gallegos scored a campaign-best 19 points against NAU on Nov. 20. She has reached double figures in scoring for the fourth consecutive contest, one game shy of matching the longest in-season streak of her career.

REBOUNDING MACHINE
Elina Arike has been a beast on the boards thus far in 2021-22. She has secured 10+ rebounds in two of the past three contests, including a career-high 15 rebounds (seven offensive, eight defensive) against North Dakota State on Nov. 13. Overall on the year she is pulling down 8.8 rpg to place third in C-USA and 90th in the nation

SHARING IS CARING
UTEP leads Conference USA in assists (16.0 apg), which is also good enough for 75th nationally. Katia Gallegos is keying the charge at a league-leading 5.5 apg (46th NCAA). The Miners' assist-to-turnover ratio (1.0) is good enough for third in the league, with Gallegos's personal ratio at 2.8 also placing third.

NOT MANY MISSES
The Miners are connecting on 48.2 percent of their shots (121-251), which is second in the league behind LA Tech (48.4 percent) and 25th in the county. UTEP has made at least 47.0 percent from the floor in all four games, matching the longest such stretch in what is now year five of the Kevin Baker era.

CONTROLLING THE BOARDS
UTEP has won the rebounding battle in three of the first four games this year, boasting a +7.2 differential (sixth C-USA/72nd NCAA). Elina Arike's 8.8 rpg (third C-USA/90th NCAA) have set the tone, but five other players are grabbing at least 3.0 rpg.

WIN BIG
All four of UTEP's wins have been by double digits, the longest such streak to start the season in six years. Overall the Miners have a stout 19.8 scoring margin (fourth C-USA/57th NCAA). The biggest differential was 34 (81-47) against Incarnate Word on Nov. 11, which marked the second-largest margin of victory against a Division I opponent in a season opener in program history.

PUT UP THOSE POINTS
UTEP has tallied better than 70 points in each of the first four games of the season, matching the longest such streak out of the gates since the 2013-14 team. That squad went on to appear in the finals of the WNIT. The last time the Orange and Blue had a longer surge to begin the year was in 2010-11 (five straight). Overall UTEP is accounting for 79.5 points per game (third C-USA/45th NCAA).

GIVE ME THAT BALL
UTEP has simply hounded the opposition with its pressure deference, forcing 23.3 turnovers per game (fourth C-USA/34th NCAA). Every opponent has committed at least 19 giveaways, including two with better than 25. The Miners have 9.8 steals per game (fifth C-USA). That means on average almost 14 turnovers per game by the opposition come between offensive fouls, 10-second violations traveling and balls or players going out of bounds due to pressure.

CONSISTENCY IN THE STARTING FIVE
UTEP has played four games this season, using the same starting line-up each time out. Elina Arika, Teal Battle, Avery Crouse, Katia Gallegos and Teal Battle have comprised the starting five in every contest thus far, with each earning at least 20 minutes per game of playing time.

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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.

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