Ruben R. Ramirez

Miners Host C-USA Preseason Favorite Charlotte Thursday

1/12/2022 1:38:00 PM

UTEP Game Notes

EL PASO, Texas – After having both games postponed due to COVID-19 last week, the UTEP women's basketball team (9-3, 1-1 Conference USA) returns to the floor inside the Don Haskins Center this weekend for a pair of games, starting with a 7 p.m. tilt on Thursday against Charlotte (4-6, 0-0 Conference USA).

The 49ers, the preseason pick by the coaches to win the conference, have yet to play a league game this season.

On the other side of things, the Miners knocked off a tough Middle Tennessee team 56-55 the last time out on New Year's Day.

WHERE TO WATCH & LISTEN
The Miners and 49ers can be heard on the UTEP Miners app and online with Mando Medina calling the action. The contest will also be streamed on ESPN+.

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.).

SERIES VS. CHARLOTTE
Thursday will mark the 10th meeting all-time between UTEP and the 49ers, with the Miners staking claim to five of the first nine games. The first meeting took place on Jan. 18, 2014 in El Paso and saw Charlotte win 92-86. On Feb. 12, 2015 the Miners returned the favor with a 75-72 triumph on the road. UTEP holds a 3-1 edge over Charlotte in El Paso, winning three straight since that first meeting in 2014, highlighted by a 94-91 victory in double-overtime on Feb. 27, 2016 and another overtime win of 82-76 on Feb. 6, 2020. Both games last season between the two sides were played in Charlotte, with the 49ers winning 62-53 on Feb. 26, 2021 and UTEP coming out on top 71-68 on Feb. 27, 2021.

SCOUTING CHARLOTTE
The 49ers have had three straight games postponed and will be taking the floor for the first time since Dec. 22 when they lost 79-65 at home against Davidson. Charlotte and Old Dominion are the only two teams in C-USA who have yet to play a conference game this season. Mikayla Boykin had a big game the last time out, racking up a career-high 24 points. The offense for Charlotte is paced by Octavia Jett-Wilson, who averages 17.4 points per game to go along with 4.6 rebounds. She has tallied 20 or more points on four occasions through 10 games. Boykin joins Jett-Wilson in double figures, averaging 12.8 per contest while also bringing down 5.4 boards and contributing 2.3 steals per game. KeKe McKinney is the leading rebounder for the 49ers, hauling down 7.1 per game to pair with 7.4 points per game. McKinney is a fifth-year transfer from Kentucky. Charlotte distributes the ball well as a team, ranking fourth in the conference with 13.8 assists per contest and third in assist to turnover ratio at 0.87. They do not turn the ball over often with just 158 on the campaign, the second-best mark in C-USA and 31st in the country. Jada McMillian has been the primary distributor so far this season and is second in C-USA with 4.9 assists per game, including a season-high 13 in a 79-57 handling of Gardner Webb back on Dec. 3. The 49ers have committed the least fouls of any team in the league with just 142, which is ninth in the nation.

CONQUERING THE RAIDERS
UTEP picked up an important conference win over Middle Tennessee State to start the New Year, coming out on top by a 56-55 final inside the Don Haskins Center on New Year's Day. A back-and-forth affair throughout, the game featured seven ties and 15 lead changes. Teal Battle secured the win by sinking a pair of free throws with 1:02 left to give the Miners the lead for good. The win was the first over the Raiders since Jan. 7, 2016 as part of a season which would see UTEP claim the C-USA title.

STEPPING UP DEFENSIVELY
Facing off with a talented offensive team, the Miners held Middle Tennessee to a 20-of-61 shooting day from the floor. The 32.8 percent field goal percentage is the lowest for a UTEP opponent this season.

NO FREEBIES
Middle Tennessee made only six trips to the line, the lowest total of the season for an opponent of the Miners. The Raiders went 4-of-6 at the stripe.

FOUR AVERAGING DOUBLE FIGURES
A balanced scoring attack has featured four players averaging double-digit point outputs this season, led by the 14 points per game of Katia Gallegos. Joining Gallegos is the trio of Destiny Thurman (13.9 ppg), Teal Battle (11.2 ppg) and Elina Arike (10.2 ppg). The four players are combining to score 68 percent of the UTEP points this year.

GALLEGOS GETS TEAMMATES INVOLVED
Katia Gallegos has dished out 45 assists this season (3.8 apg). The El Paso product has moved into a tie for fourth on the school's all-time list with 324 assists. Ana Valtierra (2002-07) also has 324 and Terri Pedregon (1991-95) ranks third with 326. Kellie Willingham (2010-14) ranks second with 373, and Jareica Hughes (2006-10) leads the list with 599.

BATTLE A SOURCE OF CONSISTENCY
Teal Battle has posted double-digit scoring outputs in eight of the last nine games, led by a season-high 20 in a 93-85 double-overtime win over Air Force on Dec. 21.

KATIA DRAINING TRIPLES
Katia Gallegos has hit 82 3-pointers in 65 career games. Gallegos ranks 14th on the school's all-time list, and needs 15 to crack the program's top-10 list.

ARIKE MAKING HER MARK
Elina Arike is averaging 10.2 points per game while her team-high 8.4 rebounds per game ranks sixth in C-USA and 97th nationally. Earlier in the season, Arike pulled down a career-high 15 boards against North Dakota on Nov. 13. She registered 14 rebounds most recently against Air Force, and tallied 13 rebounds against NAU on Nov. 20. She's added 19 assists, five blocks and 11 steals in 10 games played this season. Last season, Arike averaged 4.3 points and 2.3 rebounds per game to go along with 23 assists, six blocked shots and eight steals in 25 games.

SCORING STREAK
Elina Arike has contributed 10 or more points in five straight games dating back to tallying 16 in an 82-78 overtime win at New Mexico State on Dec. 15. Over that time period, Arike is averaging 13.6 points per game.

SIMILAR STARTING LINEUPS
UTEP has started the same five of Katia Gallegos, Destiny Thurman, Teal Battle, Elina Arike and Avery Crouse for 10 of the 12 games this season, with Gallegos and Battle starting all 12. The same five has started each of the last three contests.

MOST OT GAMES IN A SEASON
UTEP has played in three overtime games so far in 2021-22, matching the school record. UTEP won at NM State, 82-78 in OT on Dec. 15, against Air Force 93-85 in 2OT, and fell against UAB 76-74 in OT on Dec. 30. The Miners also played three OT games during the 2007-08 season (W 72-66 OT at NM State, W 67-64 OT at SMU, W 73-72 OT at Southern Miss); the 2017-18 season (W 93-79 OT vs. ECU, W 92-91 2OT at Cal State Fullerton, L 56-52 OT at ODU); and the 2020-21 season (W 80-76 OT vs. NM State, W 81-73 OT at NM State, W 68-64 OT vs. UAB).

PUTTING UP THOSE POINTS
UTEP is averaging 72.9 points per game, helped by a pair of 80+ point efforts and a 93-point outing. The 80+ point scoring outbursts occurred in the first two games of the season, something that hadn't happened in two decades. The scoring average is second in C-USA and 64th nationally. The 2013-14 Miners averaged a program-best 76.4 points per game (2,825 total points).

GETTING TO THE LINE
With 276 free throws attempted this season, UTEP ranks second in C-USA. The Miners have made 72.1 percent of their attempts at the line, knocking down 199 at the stripe.

SUCCESS OVER 70
The Miners are 6-1 this season when scoring 70 or more points in a game.

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