Jamal Cooley/UTSA Athletics

Miners and Roadrunners Set for Round Two on Sunday

1/22/2022 2:48:00 PM

UTEP Game Notes

EL PASO, Texas – After UTEP (11-5, 3-3 Conference USA) went in to San Antonio and picked up a 69-52 win over UTSA (4-13, 1-5 Conference USA) on Thursday, the two teams are set to meet again on Sunday in El Paso for a 1 p.m. start. Fans can enjoy Hispanic Heritage Day with folklorico dancers, a mariachi band, $6 tacos and $6 margaritas.

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 C-USA TV.

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. UTSA
UTSA holds a 22-18 edge in the overall series despite the Miners posting seven 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 seven meetings between the two sides has been decided by single-digits, a 77-73 UTEP win on Feb. 23, 2019.

SCOUTING UTSA
Since topping UAB 68-60 on New Year's Day, UTSA has lost four straight by an average of 17 points per game. The Roadrunners will be looking to get their offense going after being held to below 55 points in three of those last four contests, including 52 on Thursday against UTEP. UTSA averages 53.6 points per game and is shooting 32 percent from the field, both the lowest marks in C-USA. A strength of the team is rebounding, where they average 42.2 boards per game, a mark that is good enough for third in the conference and 32nd nationally. LaPraisjah Johnson is the leading scorer with 9.6 points per game to go along with 4.9 rebounds. Jadyn Pimentel is an opportunistic player on the defensive end who averages 8.7 points per game while also adding 2.7 steals. Offensively, the turnover bug has hurt the Roadrunners this season, with the team averaging 21 per contest.

8-2 WITH REGULAR STARTING FIVE
With the return of Elina Arike from COVID-19 protocols on Monday, UTEP has now been able to start the five of Arike, Teal Battle, Katia Gallegos, Destiny Thurman and Avery Crouse 10 times this season, the most of any starting lineup combination for the Miners. UTEP improved to 8-2 when that lineup combination takes the floor with the defeat of UTSA on the road, including wins over Middle Tennessee, Air Force, Texas State and New Mexico State at home.

CONSISTENTLY ATTACKING
UTEP has went to the free throw line with regularity this season, taking 20 or more free throw attempts in 10 of 16 games, going 7-3 over the course of those contests.

STAYING STRONG DEFENSIVELY
The Miners have held four of the last five 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.

WINNING CLOSE GAMES
UTEP is 6-2 this season in games decided by 10 points or less. The Miners went 10-6 a year ago in contests within the same margin.

SINKING 3-POINTERS
The Miners went 9-of-19 (47 percent) from beyond the 3-point line in the game earlier this week at UTSA, the best perimeter field goal percentage of the season for UTEP to this point. Thursday marked the fifth time on the campaign that the Miners have connected on nine or more triples, led by the 11 on Nov. 13 against North Dakota.

POINTS FOR ALL
UTEP had all 12 players who played in the game on Thursday at UTSA score at least a point, with Adhel Tac finishing in the paint with two minutes left to finish off the feat in the 69-52 win.

PETREE PUTS ON SHOW
Needing a spark from the bench at UTSA on Thursday, Mahri Petree delivered with 10 points and a season-high eight rebounds. The transfer from Bradley has scored seven or more points in three of the last four games.

CABRAL CANS PAIR OF TRIPLES
Eliana Cabral connected on a career-high two 3-pointers on Thursday at UTSA, hitting 3-of-4 shots from the floor and both attempts from beyond the arc to finish with eight points. Cabral has been efficient from the floor throughout the season, knocking down shots at an impressive 50 percent clip from the field, connecting on 26-of-52 attempts.

ROAD TO THE BASKET CLOSED FOR UTSA
The Roadrunners made just 19 field goals in the first meeting between the two sides this week, tied for the second fewest by a UTEPopponent on the year. Incarnate Word was held to 18 on Nov. 11.

RAISING THE BLOOD PRESSURE
Of the 16 games that the Miners have played this season, eight have been decided by 10 points or less, including five of the last seven.

TRIPLES FOR THURMAN
Destiny Thurman ranks seventh in C-USA with 27 made 3-pointers on the season. She has connected on at least one triple in all but one game for the campaign. Thurman is eight made 3-pointers away from reaching the top-10 of the UTEP single-season record book.

40 PERCENT EQUALS WINS
UTEP is 9-0 this season when hitting at a greater than 40 percent clip from the field. The 40 percent rule has applied to the 3-point field goal percentage as well, with the Miners 4-0 when shooting 40 percent or better from outside.

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

BEST IN C-USA AT GETTING TO THE LINE
With 342 free throws attempted this season, UTEP ranks first in C-USA and 23rd in Division I. The Miners have made 71.3 percent of their attempts at the line, knocking down 244 at the stripe.

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

FOUR AVERAGING DOUBLE FIGURES
A balanced scoring attack has featured four players averaging double-digit point outputs this season, led by the 12.5 points per game of Destiny Thurman. Joining Thurman is the trio of Katia Gallegos (12.4 ppg), Teal Battle (10.8 ppg) and Elina Arike (10.1 ppg). The four players are combining to score 66 percent of the UTEP points this year.

GALLEGOS CLIMBING ASSISTS LIST
Katia Gallegos has dished out 53 assists this season (3.3 apg). The El Paso product sits in third on the school's all-time list with 332 assists. Kellie Willingham (2010-14) ranks second with 373, and Jareica Hughes (2006-10) leads the list with 599.

KATIA ON THE PERIMETER
Katia Gallegos has hit 84 3-pointers in 69 career games. Gallegos ranks 14th on the school's all-time list, and needs 13 to crack the program's top-10 list.

ARIKE HAVING BREAKOUT SEASON
Elina Arike is averaging 10.1 points per game with a team-high 7.8 rebounds per contest. Her rebounds per game total is tied for sixth in C-USA and her 3.3 offensive rebounds per game is fourth. 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 25 assists, five blocks and 13 steals in 12 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.

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