Game Notes In PDF Format

OPENING TIP
The UTEP men's basketball team (5-2) will square off against NAIA foe Northern New Mexico College (3-10) at 2 p.m. MT Saturday. Mattress Firm is the Presenting Sponsor of UTEP Men's Basketball. The Miners will look to regain their winning ways after falling at I-10 rival NM State, 95-70, on Nov. 30. The Eagles have dropped four in a row, including most recently being dispatched, 75-64, at Western Colorado University on Nov. 26. After playing seven times over a span of 23 days, the Miners will now have just three games over the next two weeks. The stretch starts Saturday against NNMC, followed with a nationally-televised road match at DePaul (Dec. 10) before concluding with the Conference USA opener at home against LA Tech (Dec. 17). The contest against NNMC is the second on the year against non-DI opposition, with UTEP having previously blasted Sul Ross State, 99-59, on Nov. 15. The Orange and Blue enter the game boasting an RPI of 57 according to CBSSports.com. The game will be broadcast on "The Home of UTEP Basketball" 600 ESPN El Paso with Jon Teicher (42nd year) and Steve Yellen (20th year) on the call. It will also be streamed on CUSATV. Tickets are available by visiting www.UTEPMiners.com/Tickets or by calling (915) 747-UTEP.
 
SERIES HISTORY: UTEP LEADS, 1-0
UTEP and Northern New Mexico College are locking up for the second straight season. It is also the second meeting overall between the programs. Last year, the Miners bested the Eagles, 88-53, on Nov. 16, 2021.
 
GET TO KNOW NORTHERN NEW MEXICO COLLEGE
Northern New Mexico College competes at the NAIA level and is in Espanola, N.M. It is 3-10 on the year, having lost four straight games. The Eagles are led by first-year head coach/athletics director Jesus Aragon, who assumed both posts 12 days prior to the season starting. The Eagles produce 70.2 points per game but allow 81.9 at the other end of the court. Foes make 46.4 from the floor. They shoot 41.2 percent from the floor overall. From 3-point range they make 31.3 percent but attempt almost 19 per contest. Northern New Mexico College was founded in 1909 as the Spanish American Normal School, with a goal of providing teacher training for the area's Spanish speakers. It has since grown to an enrollment of 1,200. The late Panama Red, a musician, attended the school and studied radiography.
 
LAST TIME OUT: AT NM State 95, UTEP 75, (11/30/22)
Tae Hardy (season-high 24 points, three rebounds) and Mario McKinney Jr. (career-high 22 points, seven rebounds) both had big nights, but the UTEP men's basketball team was upended at NM State, 95-70, inside the Pan American Center on Nov. 30. The setback halts the Miners' five-game winning streak, with the Aggies relying on a hot-shooting night to topple the Orange and Blue. NM State connected on 57.7 percent from the field, including going 12-24 from 3-point range. The Miners shot 41.7 percent from the floor and set season highs for free throws made (27) and free-throw percentage (75.0 percent), but it wasn't enough to propel them to victory. Shamar Givance tallied nine points (9-10 FTs) while dishing out a season-high eight assists. Carlos Solomon added seven points and three rebounds. No other Miner finished with more than five points.
 
A STEP FORWARD AT THE CHARITY STRIPE
UTEP entered the game at NM State with a readout of 58.4 percent at the charity stripe, but it made some strides despite the setback to the Aggies. The Miners were 27-36 (75.0 percent) at the free-throw line, with the makes (27) and percentage (75.0) both setting season highs in the process. As result, the Orange and Blue are now up to 61.4 percent on the campaign at the line.
 
SHARP SHOOTING SECOND HALF
After connecting on 32.0 percent from the floor (8-25) in the opening half at NM State on Nov. 30, the Miners heated up after the break. They nailed 52.2 percent (12-23) from the field, including going a remarkable 12-13 on 2-point shots over the final 20 minutes of action.
 
TAKING DOWN 2022 POSTSEASON TEAMS
Three of the Miners' five wins this year have come against teams that played postseason basketball a year ago, including two that went to the NCAA tournament. UTEP knocked off NM State (2022 NCAA second round) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (2022 NCAA first four), in addition to Alcorn State (2022 NIT). All three of those teams won their conference.
 
WIN CLOSE
Three of the Miners' victories this year have been by five points or less, demonstrating their toughness and grit. UTEP toppled NM State by three (67-64, Nov. 12), CSU Bakersfield by one (68-67, OT, Nov. 23) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi by five (72-67, Nov. 25).
 
ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END
UTEP's five-game win streak came to an end at NM State on Nov. 30. It marked the second time that the Miners had won at least five in a row under second-year head coach Joe Golding. They enjoyed a six-contest surge in the middle of Conference USA play last year. The five-tilt surge was also the longest in the month of November since UTEP peeled off five-in-a-row to start the 2019-20 season.
 
REFOCUSING on DEFENSE
After holding three straight foes to below 40 percent from the floor for the first time since a six-game stretch to wrap up the 2019-20 campaign, the Miners allowed NM State to connect on 57.7 percent from the field in the setback on Nov. 30.  The Aggies joined then No. 12 Texas (54.8 percent, Nov. 7) as the only UTEP opponents to drill better than 50 percent from the floor. Overall, opponents are now shooting 43.0 percent from the floor but UTEP has compensated for that by nailing 47.2 percent of its attempts.
 
LOCK THEM DOWN
Five of UTEP's seven opponents have been held to below 70 points, with only NM State (95 points, Nov. 30) and then No. 12 Texas (72 points, Nov. 7) managing to do so. Overall, UTEP has a +3.0 scoring margin (72.3-69.3). The Miners had been in the top-100 nationally for scoring defense at 65.0 ppga prior to allowing 95 on the road to the Aggies.
 
CLOSING OUT GAMES
Even though the Miners have had some close calls this year, they are 5-0 on the season when they have a lead with 5:00 to play in the contest. UTEP is also perfect on the season (5-0) when up at the half.
 
C-USA GETTING IT DONE OUT OF CONFERENCE
All 11 Conference USA schools sport a winning record (through Dec. 1), with WKU (7-1), Florida Atlantic (6-1) and UAB (6-1) each having just one loss to this point in the year. Overall, league teams have combined to forge a record of 58-22.
 
GETTING TO THE LINE
UTEP has been aggressive offensively, which has resulted in it going to the line early and often. The Miners are attempting 28.1 tosses per contest (first C-USA/3rd NCAA), aiding by piling up 43 attempts against Alcorn State on Nov. 22. It marked the most free throw attempts by UTEP since taking 47 in a season-opening victory against Loyola on Nov. 14, 2016. UTEP's 17.3 free throws made per contest is second in the conference and 20th in the nation. Overall, UTEP has attempted 197 free throws compared to 151 by the opposition. Tae Hardy (27-38), Calvin Solomon (14-31) and Shamar Givance (22-30) all have 30+ attempts thus far.
 
HARDY DOING IT ALL
Southern Miss transfer Tae Hardy is doing a little bit of everything this year, pacing the Miners in scoring (13.6 ppg), sharing the team lead in blocks per game (0.9 bpg) while rating second in assists per game (2.0). He's also shown tremendous endurance, leading C-USA and rating 95th in the country with 34.1 minutes per game. Hardy has been a consistent scorer, tallying at least eight points in all seven contests of the season, including a pair of 20+ point efforts.
 
GIVANCE PICKING UP SCORING
After combining for a total of 13 points the first three contests of the campaign, Evansville transfer Shamar Givance is picking up his scoring. He has notched at least eight points in four straight games, including a pair of double-digit efforts. He has also gotten his teammates involved with a team-leading 3.7 assists per game (8th C-USA). Givance has come up clutch as well, making two free throws with 3.0 seconds left to help lift UTEP to a 68-67 OT win against CSUB on Nov. 23. The tallies were part of his season-high scoring output of 14 points.
 
ONYEMA STEPPING UP
After failing to reach double figures in scoring over his first two seasons with the Orange and Blue, forward Ze'Rik Onyema did so in the first five games his year. He also recorded his first career double-double (10 points, career-high 10 rebounds in the win vs. Alcorn State on Nov. 22. He tops the squad in rebounding (5.7 rpg), is second in field-goal percentage (70.6) and third for scoring (8.7 ppg). He put up 2.0 ppg and 1.6 rpg in 2021-22.
 
KALU FINISHING AT THE RIM
Kevin Kalu has done good work inside, making 14-of-18 for a team-leading 77.8 field-goal percentage on the season. Overall, he is putting up 5.0 ppg (1.5 ppg as a freshman last year).
 
POINTS ACROSS THE BOARD
Seven different players are scoring between 7.0 and 14.0 points per game thus far. Tae Hardy (13.6 ppg) and Mario McKinney Jr. (12.2 ppg) are in double figures to lead the way while Ze'Rik Onyema (8.7 ppg), Otis Frazier III (8.5 ppg), Shamar Givance (7.7 ppg), Jamari Sibley (7.3 ppg) and Calvin Solomon (7.1 ppg) round out the group. It's early in the year, but the last time the Orange and Blue had at least seven players contribute 7.0 or more ppg in a season was in 2017-18.
 
GIVE ME THAT BALL
UTEP's pressure defense has resulted in 8.9 steals per game to rate fourth in Conference USA and 64th in the country. Aiding that figure was a school-record 24 steals in the victory against Sul Ross State on Nov. 15. Six different Miners had at least three steals in the contest to help them surge past the prior school standard of 21 which had stood since 1994 (against Cardinal Stich on Dec. 20, 1994). Several of those thefts were the result of UTEP players hitting the deck in pursuit of loose balls, even with the game well in hand.
 
THE BENCH BUNCH
The Miners' bench has provided at least 15 points in all seven games this year (five with 24+ points), including going off for a season-high 51 against Sul Ross State on Nov. 15. Overall, UTEP reserves are contributing 26.6 points per game to place sixth in Conference USA and 85th nationally.
 
GET OUT AND RUN
The Miners have used the opponent's 19.0 turnovers per game to help them get out into transition for easy baskets. The Orange and Blue are accounting for 13.6 fastbreak points per game, which is fifth in Conference USA and 75th in the country.
 
DON'T TRY THE 3
UTEP has been stingy at shutting down opponents from 3-point range, with foes shooting 29.9 from beyond-the-arc. That effort is third in Conference USA and 89th in the nation. Making those ratings more impressive is the fact that NM State was 12-24 last time out on Nov. 30, but the opposition for the year is still below 30 percent.
 
TURNOVER MACHINES
The opposition has had a hard time of taking care of the ball against UTEP, with foes averaging 19.0 turnovers per game (second Conference USA/16th NCAA). That figure was aided by forcing the most turnovers (32) by a Miner opponent in nine years in the win against Sul Ross State on Nov. 15. All seven foes have recorded at least 16 giveaways, with a pair making 20+.
 
KNOCKING DOWN SHOTS
UTEP has connected on 47.2 percent from the floor, which is fifth in Conference USA and 86th nationally. The Miners have hit at least 40.0 of their shots in all seven games, including better than 49.0 percent in three of the past five contests. UTEP has been particularly accurate with 2-point attempts, making 58.7 percent inside the arc.
 
TALKING OVERTIME
UTEP went to overtime in back-to-back contests at the Jim Forbes Classic presented by Speaking Rock, defeating Alcorn State, 73-61, in double OT on Nov. 22 before besting CSUB, 68-67, in OT the ensuing day. It marked the first time since the 2016-17 season that the Miners posted consecutive wins in OT. That year UTEP knocked off FIU (88-87, 2OT, 1/14/17) and Florida Atlantic (66-65, OT, 1/16/17) in back-to-back contests during the 2016-17 season. Overall, UTEP is now 69-46 all time in overtime contests, including 3-1 under head coach Joe Golding.
 
THERE WAS PLENTY OF PRODUCTION TO REPLACE
Between Jamari Sibley, Kevin Kalu and Ze'Rik Onyema, the Miners returned just 20.8 percent of their rebounding, 11.1 percent of their scoring and 9.0 percent of their assists from the 2021-22 squad. In total, the Miners lost four starters and 12 letter winners from last year's squad, including a pair of All-Conference USA performers in Souley Boum (second team) and Jamal Bieniemy (third team).
 
WHAT A CROWD
UTEP played in front of an almost capacity crowd of 11,315 fans in the win against NM State on Nov. 12. It marked the largest home attendance for the Miners since an actual sellout (12,000) of the Don Haskins Center when they beat WKU, 93-89, in a game commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1966 Texas Western NCAA Champions.
 
NEW-LOOK TEAM
UTEP lost four starters and 12 letter winners from last year's team, giving the Miners a new look in year two under head coach Joe Golding. UTEP brought in six Division I transfers (Otis Frazier III, George Mason, Shamar Givance, Evansville, Tae Hardy, Southern Miss, Garrett Levesque, Tarleton State, Mario McKinney Jr., NM State and Calvin Solomon, Stephen F. Austin) while adding four junior-college transfers (Jon Dos Anjos, Florida SouthWestern College), Derick Hamilton, Bossier Parish CC, Carlos Lemus, Chipola College and Malik Zachery, South Plains) and two true freshmen (Antwonne Holmes, Chapin HS, El Paso, Texas, and Jamal Sumlin, Rhodes HS, Cleveland, Ohio). It should be noted that Dos Anjos spent his freshman campaign at Loyola Marymount (Calif.) before going the junior-college route.
 
EXPERIENCED D1 TRANSFERS
The Miners' six DI transfers combined to play in 379 contests, including making 165 starts, prior to their arrival in the Sun City. Shamar Givance (Evansville, 118 GP, 63 GS) and Calvin Solomon (Stephen F. Austin, 82 GP, 56 GS) are the most experienced of the bunch, but Otis Frazier III, George Mason, 35 GP), Mario McKinney Jr. (NM State, 38 GP, 5 GS) and Tae Hardy (Southern Miss, 30 GP, 26 GS) also have 30+ appearances.
 
HOME COOKING
UTEP is 5-0 at home thus far, matching the best start in three years. The 2019-20 edition shot out to a 9-0 start in El Paso before ultimately concluding the season with a mark of 13-4 at the Don Haskins Center. The Miners are scheduled ot play 18 total times in the Don Haskins Center, including 10 Conference USA tilts. UTEP will also play host to the 61st-annual WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational (Dec. 21-22). The Miners entered the 2022-23 campaign having registered three straight seasons with 10+ wins at home, including compiling 12 victories inside the Don Haskins a year ago. Aiding in that effort was UTEP leading C-USA in total attendance (88,125) with nearly 90,000 fans passing through the turnstiles.
 
LIFE ON THE ROAD
UTEP is 0-2 on the road, including falling at No. 12 Texas, 72-57, in its season opener on Nov. 7. It marked the first time to begin the season with a true road game since a 73-61 victory at Pac-12 foe Washington on Nov. 21, 2000. Overall, the Miners will have 13 road games (0-2 thus far) on the year (three nonconference, 10 C-USA). UTEP went 7-6 in 2021-22 on the road, its first winning road record since forging a mark of 8-2 in 2013-14.
 
NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
The Miners will have 17 contests (0-2 thus far in situation) to be broadcast/streamed on nationwide platforms, with 13 on ESPN+, and one each on ESPNU, FS1, the Longhorn Network and Stadium. The next opportunity to shine comes at DePaul on Dec. 10, with it being broadcast nationally by FS1.
 
A YEAR IN REVIEW
-    UTEP (20-14) posted its first 20+ win season since going 22-11 in 2014-15. It marked the 27th 20+ win campaign in program history.
-    The Miners notched their first postseason appearance since 2015 and first postseason win since 2009.
-    The Miners finished 11-7 in league play to secure their first winning conference record since forging a mark of 12-6 in 2016-17. That was aided by winning 10 of 14 down the stretch, including halting back-to-back C-USA West Division Champion North Texas' 15-game winning streak, 70-68, on "Senior Day" on March 5.
-    UTEP downed Old Dominion, 74-64, on March 9 for its first victory at the C-USA Championships in five years.
-    UTEP's seven road wins were the most since going 8-2 in 2013-14.
-    The Miners had their first winning road record (5-4) in league play since 2016-17.
-    UTEP's five league road wins surpassed its total (four) of such games from the prior three seasons combined.
-    UTEP had a six-game conference USA winning streak (Jan. 15 to Feb. 5), which was its longest since also posting six straight wins  in 2016 (2/4-20/16). It marked the fifth winning streak of at least six C-USA games since the Miners joined the league in 2005-06.
 
THE BASIC FACTS ON UTEP
-    This is the 102nd 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 27 seasons with at least 20+ victories (last in 2022). The Miners have won five league tournaments (last in 2005).
-    The Miners have a strong presence in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame with Don Haskins, Nate Archibald, Nolan Richardson, the 1966 team and Tim Hardaway all representing UTEP.
-    UTEP finished 20-14 in 2021-22, which was its most wins since going 22-11 in 2014-15.
-    The Miners returned one starter (Jamari Sibley), and eight letter winners overall. The two other returning letter winners are Kevin Kalu and Ze'Rik Onyema.
-    UTEP has 12 newcomers: Jon Dos Anjos, Otis Frazier III, Shamar Givance, Derick Hamilton, Tae Hardy, Antwonne Holmes, Carlos Lemus, Garrett Levesque, Mario McKinney Jr., Calvin Solomon, Jamal Sumlin and Malik Zachery.
 
GET TO KNOW COACH GOLDING
Joe Golding is in his second year at UTEP and is 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 183-160 in his 12th season as a collegiate head coach, including 25-16 at UTEP. Last year he became the fourth head coach (20 total) in program history to have a winning season in their first year on the sideline. Don Haskins was 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 combined to forge an average record of 9-13 in their first year with UTEP. Previously Golding spent 10 years at Abilene Christian (158-144), helping it transition from a Division II to a Division I program. Golding led the Wildcats to the 2019 and 2021 NCAA Tournaments, including a stunning upset as a 14-seed of third-seeded Texas in the first round of the 2021 Big Dance.
 
PRESEASON PREMONITIONS
UTEP was predicted to finish eighth out of 11 teams in Conference USA for the 2022-23 season, but keep in mind that last year's edition of the Miners was underestimated. The Orange and Blue were tabbed to finish in 10th place a year ago before tying for the fifth-most wins in league play by forging a mark of 11-7 in 18 C-USA tilts. Overall UAB was predicted to finish first, followed by WKU and North Texas at second and third, respectively.
 
UP NEXT
UTEP is off for a week before hitting the road to play perennial power DePaul at 4:30 p.m. MT/5:30 p.m. CT in its final nonconference road tilt on Dec. 10. The game will be broadcast nationally on FS1. It will also air on 600 ESPN El Paso.
 
 
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