Ruben R. Ramirez

UTEP Looks to Ground Owls on Thursday

1/25/2022 5:32:00 PM

UTEP Game Notes

EL PASO, Texas – Fresh off a sweep of UTSA last week, the Miners (12-5, 4-3 Conference USA) head to the Sunshine State for a pair of games, starting with a trip to Florida Atlantic (4-13, 0-6 Conference USA) on Thursday at 4 p.m. MT/6 p.m. ET.

WHERE TO WATCH & LISTEN
The Miners and Owls can be heard on 600 ESPN El Paso and the UTEP Miners app with Mando Medina calling the action. The contest will also be streamed on C-USA TV.

SERIES VS. FLORIDA ATLANTIC
UTEP leads the head-to-head series 10-4, including back-to-back wins in the most recent meetings last season. After winning 92-62 in the final regular season meeting between the two sides a year ago, the Miners would follow that up by handing the Owls a 74-67 loss to start the Conference USA Championships. Dating back to Jan. 18, 2018, UTEP has won six of the last seven games in the series, including a 70-44 win the last time the two met in Boca Raton on Feb. 7, 2019. UTEP leads the series 3-2 at FAU.

SCOUTING FLORIDA ATLANTIC
FAU has lost eight straight games dating back to a 71-63 defeat of Florida Memorial on Dec. 7. Two of those losses have come by five points or less. Last time out, the Owls dropped a 57-44 overtime contest at Marshall on Saturday in which the Thundering Herd scored all 13 points in the extra period. Four players average double figure scoring outputs for FAU led by Amber Gaston with 13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Rita Pleskevich is the only player on the roster who has started all 17 games this season, averaging 10.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. The duo of Janeta Rozentale and Sofia Galeron combines for close to 16 rebounds per game, with Rozentale bringing in 8.1 per contest to rank fourth in C-USA and Galeron 7.8 to rank sixth. The Owls are coached by Jennifer Sullivan, who is in her first season on the sideline in Boca Raton.

THURMAN SETS CAREER HIGHS
Destiny Thurman went to the line 14 times against UTSA on Sunday, converting on 11 of the attempts and shattering personal highs for each total in the process. Entering the game, Thurman had previously posted individual game highs of five free throw attempts and four free throws made.

DUO RACKING UP STEALS
Over the course of the last eight games that she has played in, Destiny Thurman has had at least one steal in each one. In total, 13 of her 17 assists for the season have come over the course of that stretch, led by a season-high three steals the last time out against UTSA. Katia Gallegos has had at least one steal in nine straight games, including two or more six times during that stretch. Her 33 steals for the season leads the Miners and is eighth in the conference.

DEFENSE MAKING AN IMPACT
The Miners have held five of the last six 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.

STARTERS SETTLING IN
UTEP has started the five of Elina Arike, Teal Battle, Katia Gallegos, Destiny Thurman and Avery Crouse 11 times this season, the most of any starting lineup combination for the Miners. UTEP improved to 9-2 when that lineup combination takes the floor with the sweep of UTSA last week, including wins over Middle Tennessee, Air Force, Texas State and New Mexico State at home.

GETTING TO THE LINE
UTEP has went to the free throw line with regularity this season, taking 20 or more free throw attempts in 11 of 17 games, going 8-3 over the course of those contests.

I'LL HAVE A DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Teal Battle contributed her second double-double of the season on Sunday against UTSA, scoring 15 points with 11 rebounds. Battle has scored 10 or more points in seven of the last nine games.

BRENDA BRINGING THE RANGE
Brenda Fontana has buried a 3-pointer in three straight home games and in four of the last five contests inside the Don Haskins Center.

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.

SUCCESS OVER 70
The Miners are 7-1 this season when scoring 70 or more points in a game.

LOUISIANA TECH GAME RESCHEDULED
C-USA announced last week that the UTEP at Louisiana Tech game that was previously postponed on Jan. 8 due to COVID-19 has been rescheduled for Feb. 7 at 5:30 p.m. MT/6:30 p.m. CT in Ruston. The rescheduled contest will be aired live on 600 ESPN El Paso and the UTEP Miners app, with the live video broadcast covered on C-USA TV.

TRIPLES FOR THURMAN
Destiny Thurman ranks eighth in C-USA with 27 made 3-pointers on the season. She has connected on at least one triple in all but two games 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 375 free throws attempted this season, UTEP ranks first in C-USA and 15th in Division I. The Miners have made 72.3 percent of their attempts at the line, knocking down 271 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 12.9 points per game of Destiny Thurman. Joining Thurman is the trio of Katia Gallegos (11.9 ppg), Teal Battle (11.0 ppg) and Elina Arike (10.3 ppg). Gallegos was the only player for the Miners a year ago to average more than 10 points per game, scoring at a 13.8 point average. The four players are combining to score 67 percent of the UTEP points this year.

KATIA FROM THE PERIMETER
Katia Gallegos has hit 85 3-pointers in 70 career games. Gallegos ranks 14th on the school's all-time list, and needs 12 to crack the program's top-10 list.

EQUALING A HIGH FOR ASSISTS
Katia Gallegos tallied eight assists in an impressive effort against UTSA last Sunday, equaling her season high that she previously set in the win over North Dakota. Gallegos has dished out 61 assists this season (3.6 apg). The El Paso product sits in third on the school's all-time list with 340 assists. Kellie Willingham (2010-14) ranks second with 373, and Jareica Hughes (2006-10) leads the list with 599.

ARIKE HAVING BREAKOUT SEASON
Elina Arike is averaging 10.3 points per game with a team-high 7.5 rebounds per contest. Her rebounds per game total is ninth in C-USA and her 3.1 offensive rebounds per game is sixth. 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. 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.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
UTEP plays seven of the final 11 games of the season on the road this year, including three straight to cap off the regular season.

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