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UTEP Miners

UTEP Miners
Thurman
Ruben R. Ramirez
81
Winner Kansas KU 5-1,0-0 Big 12
55
UTEP UTEP 5-1,0-0 C-USA
Winner
Kansas KU
5-1,0-0 Big 12
81
Final
55
UTEP UTEP
5-1,0-0 C-USA
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Kansas KU 21 23 15 22 81
UTEP UTEP 17 12 11 15 55

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Shorthanded Miners Suffer First Loss of Season, Fall to Kansas 81-55

Game Book

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The UTEP women's basketball team lost its first game of the season with a 81-55 setback against Kansas on the final day at the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout in South Point Arena Saturday night.
 
The Miners (5-1) shot only 29.4 percent (15-51) from the field, while the Jayhawks (5-1) hit over 54 percent (25-46), including 45.0 percent (9-20) from beyond the arc.
 
Destiny Thurman led the way with 18 points on 5-of-6 shooting from downtown, while Eliana Cabral tallied 10 points (6-8 FT). Teal Battle also hit double figures (10 points) and led the way with eight boards. Masha Vasileuka came off the bench and scored five points. Erin Wilson grabbed six boards off the bench. Katia Gallegos struggled, only scoring one point with no assists. She finished 0-for-5 from the field.
 
Kansas jumped out to a 7-0 lead and even took a 10-point lead (11-1) at the 5:22 mark after a Holly Kersgieter layup. But Thurman answered with the Miners' first field goal on a jumper that started an 11-0 run. Thurman tallied eight points during the run that put UTEP up 12-11 with 2:47 to play in the quarter. 
 
However, Kansas' Mia Vuksic answered with a 3-point basket to go up 14-12. The Jayhawks never looked back, jumping out to a 40-22 advantage at the 2:24 mark in the second quarter.
 
The Miners made a mini spurt to try and close the gap.
 
Battle grabbed an offensive board and converted a second-chance bucket. Cabral followed with a layup to make the count 40-26. Thurman, who scored 14 first-half points, hit her fourth 3-pointer to get the Miners within 13 (42-29), but Yaiyanna Jackson's layup with 18 seconds left in the half gave KU a 15-point lead going into locker room. 
 
Kersgieter led all scorers with 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while Vuksic tallied 14 on 4-of-5 shooting from 3-point distance. Zakiyah Franklin added 14 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the foul line.
 
KU tallied 16 assists and forced 19 UTEP turnovers. However, the Miners outrebounded the tall and lengthy Jayhawks, 34-28.
 
The Miners were without the services of starters Elina Arike (8.0 ppg, 8.8 rpg) and Avery Crouse (10.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and reserves Mahri Petree (5.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg) and Adhel Tac (2.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg).
 
UP NEXT
The Miners will play at rival NM State in game two of this season's Battle of I-10 on Wednesday, Dec. 1 with tip set for 6 p.m. at the PanAm Center in Las Cruces. UTEP defeated the Aggies in the first contest, 76-61, on Nov. 17 in the Haskins Center. Miner fans can listen live on 600 ESPN El Paso and the UTEP Miners with Mando Medina calling the action. Clickhere for tickets. 
 
NEXT HOME GAME
UTEP will host Utah State on Saturday, Dec. 4 in the Haskins Center. The Miners and Aggies are set to tip off at 1 p.m. The Miners were edged out by the Aggies, 68-65, last season (Dec. 13) in Logan.
 
TICKET INFO
Tickets start at $8 while groups of 10 can purchase tickets for $5 a piece. Fans can buy single-game tickets and season tickets (starting as low as $65) for the new campaign at the Eisenberg Family Ticket Office by calling (915) 747-UTEP, visiting www.UTEPMiners.com/tickets, emailing tickets@utep.edu, or in person at 500 W. University Ave., 79968-0579 (Monday thru Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
 
 
Help support UTEP student-athletes by making a gift to the Miner Athletic Club.
Visit givingto.utep.edu/mac today!
 
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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