Ruben R. Ramirez

Miners Ready for Thursday Night Tilt at UTSA

1/19/2022 10:18:00 AM

UTEP Game Notes

EL PASO, Texas – The Miners (10-5, 2-3 Conference USA) take to the road on Thursday for the first of two meetings this week against UTSA (4-12, 1-4 Conference USA). Opening tip from the Convocation Center is scheduled for 6 p.m. MT/7 p.m. CT.

UTEP has won six in a row against UTSA, though the Roadrunners have a new head coach with Karen Aston taking over this season after eight years as the head coach at the University of Texas. Following the Thursday game in San Antonio, both teams will then travel to El Paso for a 1 p.m. MT game on Sunday.

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

SERIES VS. UTSA
UTSA holds a 22-17 edge in the overall series despite the Miners posting six straight wins head-to-head. Last season UTEP went 34-of-60 (57 percent) from the floor in an 82-56 victory in the first game against the Roadrunners. The Miners followed that up by holding UTSA to an opponent season-low 51 points and a 31 percent field goal percentage in a 67-51 win two days later. Only one of the last six meetings between the two sides has been decided by single-digits, a 77-73 UTEP win on Feb. 23, 2019. The Miners have won four straight in the series in San Antonio.

SCOUTING UTSA
Since topping UAB 68-60 on New Year's Day, UTSA has lost three straight by an average of 17 points per game. The Roadrunners will be looking to get their offense going after being held to below 50 points in two of those last three contests. UTSA averages 53.8 points per game and is shooting 31.7 percent from the field, both the lowest marks in C-USA. A strength of the team is rebounding, where they average 43 boards per game, a mark that is good enough for second in the conference and 23rd nationally. LaPraisjah Johnson is the leading scorer with 9.6 points per game to go along with 5.1 rebounds. Jadyn Pimentel is an opportunistic player on the defensive end who averages 8.8 points per game while also adding 2.8 steals. Offensively, the turnover bug has hurt the Roadrunners this season, with the team averaging 20.9 per contest.

BACK TO THE NORMAL STARTING FIVE
With the return of Elina Arike from COVID-19 protocols on on Monday, UTEP was able to start the five of Arike, Teal Battle, Katia Gallegos, Destiny Thurman and Avery Crouse for the ninth time this season, the most of any starting lineup combination for the Miners. UTEP is 7-2 when the regular starting five takes the floor, including wins over Middle Tennessee, Air Force, Texas State and New Mexico State at home.

RAMPING UP THE DEFENSIVE INTENSITY
The Miners have held three of the last four opponents below 60 points, including limiting Old Dominion to just 48 on Jan. 15. Southern Miss and Old Dominion were both held to 20 percent or lower shooting from beyond the 3-point line, with the Golden Eagles also being forced into 20 turnovers. Each team that UTEP has held below 60 points since flipping the calendar to the New Year has a winning record in C-USA play.

RAISING THE BLOOD PRESSURE
Of the 15 games that the Miners have played this season, eight have been decided by 10 points or less, including five of the last six.

TRIPLES FOR THURMAN
Destiny Thurman ranks seventh in C-USA with 25 made 3-pointers on the season. She has connected on at least one triple in all but one game for the campaign. Thurman is 10 made 3-pointers away from reaching the top-10 of the UTEP single-season record book.

40 PERCENT EQUALS WINS
UTEP is 8-0 this season when hitting at a greater than 40 percent clip from the field.

ON THE BOARDS
The Miners are 7-3 on the campaign when outrebounding the opposition.

GETTING TO THE LINE
With 321 free throws attempted this season, UTEP ranks second in C-USA and 27th in Division I. The Miners have made 71 percent of their attempts at the line, knocking down 228 at the stripe.

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.

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

SHIFT IN THE SCHEDULE
After facing a gauntlet to start league play, squaring off with five teams that have a combined 14-6 mark in C-USA action, UTEP will face three opponents over the next two weeks who have a combined 2-10 record to this point in C-USA action.

FONTANA CAREER HIGH FOR STEALS
Brenda Fontana had three steals at Southern Miss on Monday to equal a career high.

THURMAN CAREER HIGH FOR ASSISTS
Destiny Thurman had five assists at Southern Miss on Monday for a new career high. Thurman is averaging 2.3 assists per game this season.

FOUR AVERAGING DOUBLE FIGURES
A balanced scoring attack has featured four players averaging double-digit point outputs this season, led by the 12.8 points per game of Katia Gallegos. Joining Gallegos is the trio of Destiny Thurman (12.5 ppg), Teal Battle (11.3 ppg) and Elina Arike (10.3 ppg). The four players are combining to score 68 percent of the UTEP points this year.

ARIKE SCORING STREAK
Elina Arike has contributed 10 or more points in six 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 13.2 points per game.

GALLEGOS DISTRIBUTING THE BALL WELL
Katia Gallegos has dished out 52 assists this season (3.5 apg). The El Paso product sits in third on the school's all-time list with 331 assists after dishing out four in the win against Old Dominion last Saturday. 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 10 of the last 12 games, led by a season-high 20 in a 93-85 double-overtime win over Air Force on Dec. 21.

KATIA ON THE PERIMETER
Katia Gallegos has hit 83 3-pointers in 68 career games. Gallegos ranks 14th on the school's all-time list, and needs 14 to crack the program's top-10 list.

ARIKE HAVING BREAKOUT SEASON
Elina Arike is averaging 10.3 points per game with a team-high 8.1 rebounds per contest. 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 22 assists, five blocks and 12 steals in 11 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. Arike returned against Southern Miss with 11 points and four rebounds after missing the prior two games due to COVID-19 protocols.

DOWN TO TWO C-USA UNBEATENS
Just Western Kentucky (5-0) and Charlotte (2-0) remain undefeated in conference play. All but three C-USA teams have .500 overall or better records for the season.

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