Ruben R. Ramirez

Miners Meet Monarchs for Saturday Matinee

1/14/2022 2:13:00 PM

UTEP Game Notes

EL PASO, Texas – UTEP (9-4, 1-2 Conference USA) will host Old Dominion (11-2, 1-0 Conference USA) on Saturday at 1 p.m. for the middle game of three contests in five days for the program. The Monarchs have won nine straight after handling UTSA on the road Thursday.

WHERE TO WATCH & LISTEN
The Miners and Monarchs 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. OLD DOMINION
The Monarchs have won the previous six meetings dating back to a 70-64 UTEP home win on Feb. 25, 2016. Three of the last four meetings have been decided by 10 points or fewer, including a 56-52 ODU win in Norfolk on Feb. 17, 2018.

SCOUTING OLD DOMINION
The Monarchs boast one of the stingiest defensive units in the country, limiting opponents to just 50.3 points per game, which ranks seventh in NCAA Division I and first in C-USA. Old Dominion blocks 4.5 shots per game and averages 12.6 steals per contest, both totals that rank the team in the top-50 nationally. On the offensive side of the floor, Iggy Allen leads the scoring punch with 14.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Ajah Wayne is another key piece for ODU and averages 14.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest. Allen, Wayne and Amari Young have each started all 13 games this season. Allen has scored in double figures four games in a row, highlighted by a 23-point showing at Appalachian State on Dec. 18. The coaching staff for the Monarchs features former WNBA star Delisha Milton-Jones as the head coach and former North Carolina standout and NBA player Shammond Williams as an assistant. ODU has won nine straight games dating back to a 71-48 loss at VCU on Nov. 21. Over that stretch, the Monarchs have picked up wins over Saint Joseph's, Texas Tech, Temple and UTSA. ODU played their first conference game of the campaign on Thursday at UTSA, coming out on top 57-46 while forcing 25 turnovers and limiting the Roadrunners to 23.6 percent shooting from the floor. The Monarchs have limited four opponents to sub-30 percent field goal percentages on the year while also causing six foes to turn the ball over 25 or more times.

BIG GAME FOR BATTLE
Teal Battle posted her first double-double in a Miner uniform with 14 points and a season-high 13 rebounds on Thursday against Charlotte. The graduate transfer from Arkansas Little Rock has contributed 10 or more points 10 times this season as a consistent piece in the UTEP starting lineup. Battle is averaging 11.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

SCHEDULE UPDATE
Earlier this week, C-USA rescheduled the previously postponed UTEP at Southern Miss game that was originally scheduled for Jan. 8. The game will now be played on Jan. 17 at 12 p.m. MT/1 p.m. CT in Hattiesburg. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and will also be covered live on 600 ESPN El Paso with Mando Medina on the call. Following the contest at Southern Miss, UTEP will head to San Antonio to play UTSA on Thursday at 6 p.m. MT/7 p.m. CT.

BRENDA IN THE LINEUP
Brenda Fontana picked up her third start of the season on Thursday against Charlotte, scoring seven points with four rebounds in 23 minutes of action.

40 PERCENT EQUALS WINS
UTEP is 7-0 this season when hitting at a greater than 40 percent clip from the field.

ON THE BOARDS
The Miners are 6-3 on the campaign when outrebounding the opposition.

CLOSE GAMES A TREND
Of the 13 games that the Miners have played this season, six have been decided by 10 points or less, including three of the last four.

HISPANIC HERITAGE NIGHT
UTEP women's basketball will host Hispanic Heritage Day on Sunday, Jan. 23 with folklorico dancers, a mariachi band, $6 tacos and $6 margaritas. The Miners take on UTSA at 1 p.m.

FOUR AVERAGING DOUBLE FIGURES
A balanced scoring attack has featured four players averaging double-digit point outputs this season, led by the 13.7 points per game of Destiny Thurman. Joining Thurman is the trio of Katia Gallegos (13.4 ppg), Teal Battle (11.4 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 47 assists this season (3.6 apg). The El Paso product has moved into a tie for third on the school's all-time list with 326 assists. Terri Pedregon (1991-95) also had 326 in her career. Kellie Willingham (2010-14) ranks second with 373, and Jareica Hughes (2006-10) leads the list with 599.

REBOUND MARGIN
With a +4.7 rebound margin, UTEP ranks fifth in C-USA and 82nd in the nation.

ROAD STRETCH
Following the game against Old Dominion, the Miners will play four of their next five games away from home, starting with a trip to Southern Miss next Monday.

BATTLE A SOURCE OF CONSISTENCY
Teal Battle has posted double-digit scoring outputs in nine of the last 10 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 66 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 she has played in 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 13 games this season, with Gallegos and Battle starting all 13.

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).

SCORING UPDATE
UTEP is averaging 71.8 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 third in C-USA and 71st nationally. The 2013-14 Miners averaged a program-best 76.4 points per game (2,825 total points).

GETTING TO THE LINE
With 296 free throws attempted this season, UTEP ranks second in C-USA. The Miners have made 71.6 percent of their attempts at the line, knocking down 212 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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