Game Notes In PDF Format
 

OPENING TIP

After knocking off Conference USA East Division leader Florida Atlantic on a buzzer beater tip-in from Alfred Hollins, the UTEP men's basketball team (12-8, 5-3 C-USA) will take aim at its fifth consecutive victory when it plays host to FIU (12-8, 2-5 C-USA) at 7 p.m. MT Saturday (Jan. 29). The Miners are now 8-4 at home following the 70-68 thrilling triumph against the Owls, including four consecutive wins. The Panthers had a two-game winning streak snapped last time out at UTSA, after being clipped 73-66, on Jan. 27. It is the lone match-up on the year between the programs, with the Miners looking to extend their season-long winning streak. Jon Teicher (41st year) and Steve Yellen (19th year) will be on the call, which can be followed on "The Home of UTEP Basketball" 600 ESPN El Paso, the UTEP Miners App and C-USA.TV. For tickets, fans may call the Eisenberg Family Ticket Office at (915) 747-UTEP, email tickets@utep.edu, visit www.UTEPMiners.com/tickets or in person (Brumbelow Building on UTEP campus, 201 Glory Road).

 

SERIES HISTORY: UTEP LEADS, 13-2

UTEP leads the series with Florida Atlantic, 13-2, aided by a mark of 7-1 in El Paso. The Miners have won five straight at home. Since the Panthers joined the league, UTEP is 11-2 (including the C-USA tournament. The Miners swept both meetings in the Don Haskins Center a year ago, including most recently toppling them, 77-68, on Feb. 13, 2021.

 

THIS & THAT

-   Thanks to winning four straight and five of six, the Miners are now 5-3 in Conference USA action. It's their best start to league since rolling out at 6-3 in 2017 (finish 12-6). The three losses are to teams a combined 18-3 in league action.

-   UTEP's four consecutive wins in C-USA action are the longest since also peeling off four in a row in 2020. The last time the Miners won five straight conference contests was in 2017.

-   The Miners had a +19.7 scoring difference in their first eight wins, with each by at least nine points. The four ensuing victories have come by 20 combined points, proving UTEP's mettle.

-    UTEP has used the same starting line-up in seven straight games, by far the longest  stretch of the season. It has used 12 total line-up combos, fifth in the nation.

-    The Miners are 71-93 on free throws in C-USA play. Opponents are 115-168.

-   UTEP is 11-2 on the season when drilling at least eight 3-point shots. That record includes a school-recording tying 15 makes from distance against Southern Miss in the win on Jan. 8. 

-   The Miners stand at 9-1 when scoring 70+ points (4-0 getting into the 80's).

-   UTEP sports a mark of 11-3 on the campaign when limiting foes to 72 points or less, including 5-1 when keeping them in the 50's.

-   UTEP is 10-2 when making at least 40 percent of its shots and 6-0 when the opponent falls shy of that figure. It is also 8-0 when shooting better than foes.

-   The Miners are 10-1 when leading with five minutes to play.

-   Ten of UTEP's 12 wins of the year have been the come-from-behind variety, including the season-best 13 points overcome against UTSA on Jan. 11. There have been rallies of at least seven points five times total this season.

-   UTEP is 4-4 on the road, including back-to-back victories in league play. That hadn't happened since the end of the 2020 C-USA campaign. The four road triumphs are already the most such victories since the 2016-17 season (5-6 mark).

-   The Miners have secured a win in all four mainland timezones in the US.

-   UTEP's 12 total wins matches the effort from last year's Covid-affected season when it finished at 12-12. The Miners were 17-15 in 2019-20.

-   UTEP has had its top three scorers (Souley Boum-18.6 ppg, Jamal Bieniemy-14.6 and Keonte Kennedy-13.3) on the court in the same game just six times out of 19 total games this season.

 

GET TO KNOW FIU

FIU enters the match-up with the Miners at 12-8 on the season, aided by its best start in program history (8-1). It is 2-1 in the past three contests, but was clipped by UTSA, 73-66, on Jan. 27. The Panthers put up 72.3 points per games, and they love to shoot the 3-ball. Of their 1218 total field-goal attempts, 586 (first C-USA/11th NCAA) have come from beyond-the-arc. They are also among the league and national leaders for 3-pointers per game (10.1-first/16th), 3-point field-goal percentage defense (30.2-second/48th) and field-goal percentage defense (40.4-third/51st). Tevin Brewer tops the team in scoring at 15.7 points per game (sixth C-USA), assists per game (5.7 and steals per game (0.9), while Denver Jones (12.2 ppg) is also in double figures (15.7 ppg). Clevon Brown is the top rebounder (4.8 rpg). Notable school alumni include Andy Garcia (actor) and Dennis Lehane (author of Mystic River).

 

GOING BACK IN TIME (AT UTEP 70, FAU 68, JAN. 27 2022)

Senior Alfred Hollins tipped in a shot at the buzzer to lift the UTEP men's basketball team to an exhilarating 70-68 win over Conference USA East Division leader Florida Atlantic at the Don Haskins Center on Jan. 27. Souley Boum poured in 28 points, Jamal Bieniemy fought through early foul trouble to add 16 points and Tydus Verhoevencontributed a season-high 12 points to go along with a team-leading five big rebounds, but Hollins set off a celebration for nearly 4,500 Miner faithful when his tip-in off a 3-pointer from Bieniemy was ruled good after a brief review. Christian Agnew added seven points, four rebounds, two helpers and two steals off the bench while Hollins finished with five points and +14 in 20 minutes of action.

 

TIP-INS FROM THE FAU GAME

-   UTEP improved to 7-0 when Tydus Verhoeven reaches double figures in scoring during his Miner career. He was 6-10 (career high attempts)

-   The Miners bolted out to an 18-7 lead over the first nine minutes of the contest, aided by shooting 8-10 to begin the game while forcing FAU to misfire on eight consecutive shots at one point. 

-   Souley Boum had a four-point play, the Miners first of the season. It was his fourth at UTEP all time. He had one in 2020-21 and two in 2019-20.He made a career-high 10 field goals.

-   UTEP won for the first time this season when trailing with five minutes to play.

 

THE COMEBACK AT CHARTWAY

UTEP trailed Old Dominion by seven points (63-56), with 77 seconds remaining before tallying the final seven points in regulation to force OT. The Miners went on to claim the 78-70 triumph for one of their most memorable comebacks. Here's the breakdown to force OT beforeSouley Boum tallied 13 of UTEP's 15 points in the extra session for the notable win.

Team Play                                                                                        Time       UTEP       ODU

UTEP Tydus Verhoeven free throw made                            1:08         57                 63

ODU   C. Smith missed 3-pointer                                                 00:57      57                 63

UTEP Tydus Verhoeven defensive rebound                        00:57      57                 63

UTEP Jamari Sibley 3-pointer (Souley Boum assist)         00:39      60                 63

ODU   A.J. Oliver two missed free throws                                  00:32      60                 63

UTEP Tydus Verhoeven defensive rebound                        00:32      60                 63

UTEP J. Bieniemy 3-pointer made (Souley Boum assist) 00:13      63                 63

 

 

 

 

GOING BACK IN THE ARCHIVES

After research from local media, members of the athletic department and even the Miners' passionate fan base (via Twitter), the closest comeback that can be found similar to that was in the 1987 NCAA Tournament at Arizona on March 13, 1987. In that tilt, UTEP trailed by five with 50 seconds left (78-53) before forcing OT on the way to the 98-91 OT win.

 

MEMORABLE WIN VS SOUTHERN MISS

UTEP blasted Southern Miss, 87-54, on Jan. 8. The 33-point victory was UTEP's biggest in league play in seven years when it waxed USM by 34 (74-40) on Jan. 10, 2015. The Miners nailed a school-record tying 15 triples, the most by the Miners at home 12 years when they also had 15 against East Carolina on Feb. 13, 2012.  UTEP set season highs for field-goal percentage (56.1 percent), aided by a campaign-best 24 assists on 32 field goals made. The Orange and Blue also established DI opponent season highs for points in the first half (44) and total points (87).

 

CAN'T CATCH A BREAK

Due to injury or illness, the Miners have lost 29 man games this year (Keonte Kennedy-eight, Christian Agnew-six, Souley Boum-four, Cam Clardy-three, Tydus Verhoeven-three, Jamal Bieniemy-two, Alfred Hollins-one, Bonke Maring-one and Ze'Rik Onyema-one). No individual has started in every single contest, and UTEP is tied for second in the country (according to recent NCAA report) with 12 different line-up combinations. At least one starter has missed a game in 12 straight games and 15contests total this season. Additionally, no one on the roster has appeared in every contest.

 

LOCK DOWN ON DEFENSE

UTEP has kept 12 of its past 17 opponents to at least five points below their scoring average entering the contest, including most recently FAU on Jan. 25. Those 12 foes have been held to a total of 132 points combined under the expected output, which works out to 11.0 fewer points per game by the opposition across the board. The overall affect has been a scoring defense of 64.9 to rank third in C-USA and 69th nationally.

 

ON THIS DATE IN UTEP HISTORY

Miner legend and USA Olympian Jim Forbes recorded his second double-double in as many days with 23 points and 12 rebounds in a 70-49 win vs. Arizona St. in 1972.

 

ALL ABOUT THE FANS

UTEP is averaging 4,655 fans per home game in 2021-22, which trails only the seasonal home average of 5,157 for ODU among C-USA programs.

 

SCORING STREAK

Souley Boum (72), Keonte Kennedy (36) and Jamal Bieniemy (20) and Alfred Hollins (11) all have scoring streaks of at least 10 games Furthermore, Kennedy is at a career-long five for double-digit streaks while Bieniemy stands at seven in a row, matching his longest streak of the season earlier in the year before an injury during the setback at No. 8 Kansas on Dec. 7

 

MIX AND MATCH

UTEP has used 12 starting line-ups in 19 games, placing fifth in the nation according to a report compiled by the NCAA. Overall, 11 different Miners (out of 15 on the roster) have started. Injuries, illnesses and Covid-19 protocols have played a big factor in the mix and match this season. It's a huge change from a year ago when the Miners utilized two starting line-ups with a total of six different players starting on the season. In 2019-20 there were eight, seven in 2018-19, 17 in 2017-18, eight in 2016-17 and 14 in 2015-16.

 

ALL ABOUT THOSE POINTS

UTEP poured in a DI season-high 87 points in the rout of Southern Miss, its fourth game with at least 80 points this year. That is the most such efforts in a campaign by a UTEP team since 2018-19 when it also had four in the entire season. The Miners also eclipsed 70 points in each of the first four contests for the first time in six years. GuardsSouley Boum (19.2 ppg), Jamal Bieniemy (14.7 ppg) and Keonte Kennedy (13.3 ppg) and are all in double figures for scoring average while Jorell Saterfield is now up to 8.4 ppg thanks to his 33 points combined in the victories against UTSA on Jan. 20 and Jan. 23.  The last time UTEP had a player account for at least 20.0 ppg was in 2008-09 (Stephon Jackson), something Boum is 0.8 ppg shy of currently doing. Tydus Verhoeven (5.2 ppg), Jamari Sibley (5.1 ppg) and Christian Agnew (5.0 ppg) are also above 5.0 ppg. 

 

TURN IT OVER

UTEP is third in Conference USA and 47th in the country by forcing 15.6 turnovers per game, which is aided by coming up with 7.8 steals per game (fourth C-USA/72nd NCAA). Keonte Kennedy (2.1 spg), Jamal Bieniemy (1.8 spg-fifth C-USA/93rd NCAA) and Souley Boum (1.6-eighth C-USA) have all been key to leading the charge. 

 

THAT'S A GOOD MARGIN

UTEP has caused 17+ turnovers nine times on the year while committing 14 or less 14 times. Furthermore, the Miners have made the same or fewer amount of turnovers compared to the opposition in 16 of the 20 games this year. The result is a +3.9 turnover margin (second C-USA/27th NCAA). UTEP is making 11.8 turnovers per game (fifth C-USA/80th NCAA) while forcing 15.7 (third C-USA/47th).

 

THEY ARE CALLED FREE THROWS FOR A REASON

UTEP is taking care of business at the charity stripe, connecting on 75.7 percentage at the line (second C-USA/40th NCAA). Three different Miners have hit at least 80 percent from the charity stripe this year (min. 20 attempts). They are Souley Boum setting the tone at 87.6 percent (fourth C-USA/45th NCAA) followed by Jamal Bieniemy (84.8 percent) and Christian Agnew (80.6 percent). Boum is 99 (second C-USA/10th NCAA) for 113 (second C-USA/28thNCAA).

 

WIN BIG

The first nine victories on the season were all by at least eight points, including six by double figures. The Miners even managed that feat at Old Dominion despite only having five minutes in OT (W, 78-70 on Jan. 15). 

 

NOTHING STOPS SOULEY

Souley Boum has dealt with both a broken finger on his non-shooting hand (missed one game), Covid-19 protocols (missed two games) and illness (missed one game) but he continues to produce. He is pouring in 19.2 ppg (second C-USA/37th NCAA), aided by 20+ point-outings in three of the past four contests. He has 15 double-digit scoring efforts (in 16 appearances), with eight efforts of at least 20 points. He also has produced three other contests with 17+ points. Boum has also come up with 1.7 steals per game (eighth C-USA) and 3.0 assists per game (17th C-USA).

 

JB'S WORLD

Jamal Bieniemy has played big across the board this season. He put up double figures in scoring in the first seven games (prior long four) before sustaining an injury at No. 8 Kansas that caused him to miss the ensuing two tilts. After getting back into the line-up for the WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational, he has since regained his early season form, matching that seven-contest streak from earlier in the season. He is second on the team for scoring (14.7 ppg-ninth C-USA) and steals (1.6 spg-eighth C-USA) while topping the team in assists per game (3.6-10th C-USA). He has led the Miners in scoring in eight games (three times in '20-21).

 

KEONTE DOES IT ALL

Keonte Kennedy was having a career year before sustaining an injury against Bradley that has forced him to miss eight consecutive contests. He leads the team in rebounding (5.9 rebounds per game) and steals (2.1 steals per game- while rating third on the squad in scoring (13.3 points per game). He has started all but one game he has appeared in (11 of 12), and is playing 34.0 mpg (second on team).

 

SATERFIELD FROM DOWNTOWN

Jorell Saterfield is proving to be a big-time threat whether he's starting or is coming off the bench. That is especially true from 3-point range. The Ranger College transfer is leading the team in 3-point percentage (min. 30 3FGA), nailing 49.4 percent (40-81) in 19 games played. That figure was helped by going a ridiculous 11-16 in two games last week and 31-58 (53.4 percent) the past 12 contests total. There's plenty of basketball left, but he is on pace to  break UTEP's single-season record for 3-point percentage (min. 1.0 3/game) that is held by Roy Smallwood (1999-00, 28-61, 45.9 percent, in 28 GP). He also leads C-USA in league-only games (53.7). Overall, he is putting up 8.4 points per game (fourth on team) in only 22.6 minutes per contest. He has come on strong of late with seven double-digit scoring efforts in the past 11 games.

 

TYDUS DOING THE DIRTY WORK

Post Tydus Verhoeven is doing a little bit of everything down low for the Miners. He leads the team in blocked shots (1.3 blocks per game-eighth C-USA) and is second in rebounding (4.6 rpg), field-goal percentage (50.0 percent). Following his season-high 12 point output in the win against FAU, he is now up to 5.2 ppg. 

 

KALU NETS FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK

UTEP forward Kevin Kalu was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Week, the league office announced Dec. 20. He became the first Miner to claim the honor since Jordan Lathon did during the 2018-19 season (Feb. 25, 2019). The Baltimore, Md., product came alive with career highs in points (eight) and assists (two) while adding four rebounds to help hold off upset-minded McNeese, 82-72, on Dec. 16. Kalu played 25 minutes and didn't miss a shot from the field (2-2) or at the charity stripe (4-4).

 

TALKING 20+ POINT GAMES

Souley Boum has eight 20+ point games this season and 34 in his career between San Francisco (seven-2017-18) and UTEP (27). Jamal Bieniemy has surpassed 20 points four times in 2021-22, doubling his total (two) from 23 contests played a year ago.

 

MILESTONE TRACKER

Souley Boum (started at San Francisco) has surpassed 1,000 points in a UTEP uniform, the first Miner to join the club in five years and fifth overall. He is now up to 1,169 points (23rd all time at UTEP). For his career he boasts a total of 1,563 points while appearing in 108 games (72 at UTEP). He has also made 193 3-pointers, with 146 at UTEP (fifth all time at school). Christian Agnew (started at North Alabama) has gone past 900 points for his collegiate career (902). Jamal Bieniemy(started at Oklahoma) has moved past 750 career points (791) for his college career, including 462 at UTEP. He's also eclipsed 350 assists (363) for his college career, including 157 helpers at UTEP. He has appeared in more than 100 collegiate games (106), including 41 (all starts) at UTEP. Alfred Hollins (started at Oregon State) has moved beyond 500 career points (579) and surpassed 100 career games played (115). Tydus Verhoeven (started at Duquesne) has more than 350 rebounds (359) for his collegiate career, with the majority at UTEP (253). He has also topped 100 career blocks (128), with 57 at UTEP. Verhoeven is past

100 games played (103), with 77 at UTEP.

 

THE BASIC FACTS ON UTEP

-   This is the 101st season of UTEP men's basketball. The Miners made history by starting five African-Americans to defeat Kentucky, 72-65, and win the 1966 NCAA Championship on the way to inspiring the Disney hit movie Glory Road. Overall, UTEP has 17 NCAA Tournament appearances (last in 2010), 11 NIT bids (last in 2015), 12 conference championships (last in 2010) and 26 seasons with at least 20+ victories (last in 2015).

-   UTEP is 12-8 in 2021-22, which equals its win total from the 12-12 Covid-19 affected season a year ago. There are 17 home games (8-4 thus far) and 13 road contests (4-4 thus far) prior to the C-USA Championships (March 8-12, 2022).

-   The Miners returned four starters (Jamal Bieniemy, Souley Boum, Keonte Kennedy and Tydus Verhoeven) and eight lettermen overall. Other returning lettermen are Christian Agnew, Cam Clardy, Gilles Dekoninck and Ze'Rik Onyema. Emmanuel White, who redshirted, also came back.

-   UTEP has six newcomers: Kezza Giffa, Alfred Hollins, Kevin Kalu, Bonke Maring, Jorell Saterfield and Jamari Sibley.

-  The Miners brought back four of their five leading scorers from 2020-21 in the form of Souley Boum (18.8 ppg), Keonte Kennedy (8.6 ppg),Jamal Bieniemy (8.6 ppg) and Christian Agnew (6.1 ppg).

 

COMING SOON TO EL PASO

JUCO standout Jon Dos Anjos (nationally-ranked Florida SouthWestern State) has signed a national letter of intent to enroll at UTEP and play for the men's basketball team beginning in 2022-23. Dos Anjos will have two years of eligibility for the Miners. He was a first-team all-league performer for the Bucs in 2020-21, helping them go 18-5 and advance to the semifinals of the FCSAA State Tournament. He averaged 10.3 points and 5.7 rebounds while playing in all 23 games, including 20 starts.

 

GOLDING ERA UNDERWAY

Joe Golding has embarked on his first season with UTEP, and as the 20th head coach in program history. He is the eighth head coach for the Miners since legendary Hall of Fame Coach Don Haskins retired following the 1998-99 season. Golding is 170-152 in his 11th season as a collegiate head coach, including 12-8 at UTEP. He spent 10 years at ACU (158-144), helping it transition from a Division II to a Division I program. Golding led the Wildcats to the past two NCAA Tournaments played, including a stunning upset as a 14-seed of third-seeded Texas in the first round of the 2021 Big Dance.

 

LOOKING TO JOIN AN EXCLUSIVE GROUP

First-year head coach Joe Golding (12-8 thus far) is hoping to be part of an exclusive group at UTEP. Of the previous 19 head coaches at UTEP, only three have put together a winning season in their first year on the sidelines in the Sun City. Don Haskins became the first when he directed the Miners to a mark of 18-6 in 1961-62. Doc Sadler (27-8, 2004-05) and Tim Floyd (25-10, 2010-11) also achieved the feat. Overall, the prior 19 head coaches have combined to forge an average record of 9-13 in their first year with UTEP.

 

EXPERIENCED STAFF

The Miners have an experienced staff on the sidelines for the 2021-22 season, each of whom are in their first year in the Sun City. Between head coach Joe Golding (22 years), associate head coach Jeremy Cox(30 years) and assistant coaches Butch Pierre (37 years) and Earl Boykins (eight years), the Miner coaching staff has a combined 97 years of coaching experience  at 26 different stops along the way at varying levels of competition. Boykins is the least experienced in terms of coaching, but he's the most accomplished on the court after playing 12 seasons in the NBA.

 

PRESEASON HONORS

Souley Boum was tabbed a Preseason All-Conference honoree, it was announced before the season by the Conference USA office. A 2021 All C-USA third team member, Boum ranked third in C-USA in scoring (18.8 ppg) and fifth in the league in total points (450). He also paced the conference and was 15th in the country with 130 made free throws. Boum knocked down his free throws at a rate of 81.2 percent, which was good enough for eighth in C-USA. He also led UTEP in steals (34) and dished out 60 assists.

 

PRESEASON PREMONITIONS

UTEP was predicted to finish 10th in Conference USA, according to the preseason poll that was announced prior to the season by the league office. UAB (190 points) was slated first, followed by LA Tech (second-184 points), WKU (third-162 points), Marshall (fourth-147 points), Old Dominion (fifth-130 points), North Texas (sixth-124 points), Charlotte (seventh-110 points), Rice (eighth-104 points), Florida Atlantic (ninth-84 points), UTEP (10th-82 points), UTSA (11th-48 points), Southern Miss (12th-42 points), FIU (13th-36 points) and Middle Tennessee (14th-28 points).

 

LOOKING TO REGAIN WINNING WAYS IN C-USA

UTEP (5-3) thus far in C-USA play) entered the 2022 league slate in search of its first winning record in Conference USA play since 2017 when the Miners went 12-6 in the league to finish tied for third. That year capped a run of five straight seasons with winning marks in conference action, the longest since 11 straight such efforts under Don Haskins from 1980-90.

 

UP NEXT

UTEP hits the road to play at North Texas at 6 p.m. MT on Thursday (Feb. 3).  Jon Teicher (41st year) will be on the call for, which can be followed on the "Home of UTEP Basketball" 600 ESPN El Paso, the UTEP Miners App and ESPN+.