Game Notes In PDF Format
 

OPENING TIP

The UTEP men's basketball team (17-12, 10-7) will wrap up the regular season against back-to-back C-USA West Division champion North Texas (23-4, 16-1) at 1 p.m. MT Saturday. It is the second meeting of the season between the programs with the Miners vying to avenge a hard-fought 66-58 setback to the Mean Green on Feb. 3. North Texas is riding a 15-game winning streak, including most recently toppling UTSA on the road, 59-48. UTEP halted a two-game skid by besting Rice, 70-67, to lock up the No. 4 seed in the C-USA West Division in the upcoming 2022 Heritage Landscape Supply Group Conference USA Men's Basketball Championships. There will be $10 tickets in four (Bronze, Copper, Green, Navy) sections for the game as part of "Fan Appreciation Day. UTEP is 10-6 at home (5-3 C-USA) and the Mean Green are the only team in the country to be undefeated on the road at 9-0 (8-0 C-USA).Jon Teicher (41st year) and Steve Yellen (19th year) will be on the call on "The Home of UTEP Basketball" 600 ESPN El Paso. It will also be streamed on ESPN+ with Erik Elken and Leonard Owensdescribing the action.  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, 10-8

UTEP leads the series 10-8, with it tied at 6-6 since the Mean Green joined Conference USA. The two programs met six times from 1951-52 through 1974-75 before not locking up again until North Texas joined Conference USA. North Texas has claimed the past five tilts between the programs, including a 66-58 outcome on Feb. 3 in Denton earlier this season. The Miners last won, 68-66, on March 3, 2018, in Denton. The last home triumph for UTEP was an 84-75 vanquishing of UNT on Jan. 3, 2016. This is North Texas' first appearance in El Paso since March 3, 2018.

 

THIS & THAT

-    Souley Boum (19.8 ppg) leads Conference USA in scoring while Jamal Bieniemy (15.2 ppg) is eighth. The only time a Miner has paced C-USA in ppg was Stefon Jackson (23.6 ppg) in 2007-08. The last occasion UTEP had a 20.0 ppg scorer was Jackson (24.5 ppg) in 2008-09. Bieniemy is also eighth in assists per game (3.9).

-    Souley Boum has had nine 20+ point outputs the past 13 games.

-    Souley Boum tops C-USA in free throws made (147-16th NCAA) and attempted (172-31st). He has made at least five free throws in 17 different games. He also has attempted at least 10 free throws in seven contests, including four of the past six

-    Souley Boum (36.2 mpg-second C-USA/19th NCAA) and Jamal Bieniemy (34.3 mpg-sixth C-USA) both find themselves in the top 10 in Conference USA for playing time.

-   Keonte Kennedy missed the first 15 games of C-USA play with an injury but he has a pair of double-digit scoring efforts since his return against UAB (Feb. 26).

-   Tydus Verhoeven (1.04-10th) and Jamari Sibley (1.0-12th) are both in the top 15 of the league for blocked shots per contest.

-   Jamal Bieniemy (2.3/game-ninth C-USA) and Souley Boum (2.1/game-16th C-USA) are both in the league leaders for 3-pointers per contests.

-   UTEP has committed 10 or fewer turnovers in four straight games for the first time of the season. The Miners have gone 10/eight/eight/nine the past four tilts.

-    The Miners have won nine of 13 and stand at 10-7 in C-USA play to guarantee their first winning record in conference since going 12-6 in 2016-17.

-    UTEP finished the regular season at 7-6 on the road, its first winning road record since 2013-14 (8-2). That's also the most wins on the road since 2013-14.

-    The Miners went 5-4 away from home in league play for their first road winning mark in C-USA action since also going 5-4 in 2016-17.

-    UTEP's five league road wins surpassed its total (four) of such games from the prior three seasons combined.

-    The Miners secured their first road win at LA Tech since 2004, at New Mexico since 2009, at ODU since 2015 and at UTSA since 2015. They also secured the first road sweep of the LA Tech and Southern Miss trip in six tries.

-    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 Miners are 14-2 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 87-54 win on Jan. 8. UTEP nearly matched that with 14 at USM on Feb. 19.

-   The Miners stand at 13-2 when scoring 70+ points (5-0 getting into the 80's).

-   UTEP sports a mark of 16-4 on the campaign when limiting foes to 72 points or less, including 5-1 when keeping them in the 50's.

-   The Miners are 6-2 in games decided by five points or less.

-   UTEP is 16-5 when making at least 40 percent of its shots and 7-0 when the opponent falls shy of that figure. It is also 11-2 when shooting better than foes. 

-   The Miners are 13-1 when leading with five minutes to play.

-   Fifteen of UTEP's 17 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 seven times total this season.

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

-   UTEP's 17 total wins surpasses the effort from last year's Covid-affected season when it finished at 12-12. The Miners were 17-15 in 2019-20. The last time they had more than 17 wins was 2015-16 (19-14).

-   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 eight times out of 29 total games this season. It has had the trio together for consecutive contests, though.

 

GET TO KNOW NORTH TEXAS

North Texas is 23-4 on the year, including 16-1 in Conference USA play. It has won 15 straight games and 21 of the past 22 since a 2-3 start to the season. It is one win of breaking the C-USA single-season record for most victories in league play. The Mean Green have won a conference championship in three straight seasons, and they are the only team in the country without a road loss. Its scoring defense of 55.1 is on track to be the best in C-USA history, and it tops the nation. They are also in the league and national leaders for 3-point percentage defense (27.5-first/fourth), scoring margin (10.7-second/24th), 3-point percentage (36.9-third/40th), rebounding margin (5.7-second/51st) and field-goal percentage defense (41.4-second/73rd). Tylor Perry comes off the bench to lead the team in scoring (13.7 ppg), followed by Thomas Bell (12.4 ppg), Mardrez McBride (10.4 ppg) and Abou Ousmane (10.4 ppg). Bell secures a team-leading 6.7 rebounds per game (10th C-USA), while JJ Murray comes up with 1.7 steals per game (seven C-USA). The Mean Green find a way in tight games, evidenced by a record of 11-3 in games decided by single digits. Nine of its wins during the 15-game surge have been of that nature. Notable North Texas alumni include "Stone Cold" Steve Austin (professional wrestler), Jeff Coffin (Jazz saxophones member of Dave Matthews band) and "Mean" Joe Green (NFL Hall of Famer).

 

GOING BACK IN TIME (AT UTEP 70, RICE 67  MARCH 3, 2022)

Keonte Kennedy came off the bench to score 16 points while Jamal Bieniemy registered a double-double (12 points, career-high 10 assists) to help lead UTEP to a 70-67 victory against Rice on March 3. The Miners completed the season sweep of the Owls (15-14, 7-10), which was aided by holding the visitors to without a field goal for the final 7:28 of the game. The defensive effort helped UTEP close the contest on a 12-4 run to turn a 63-58 deficit with 6:12 to play into the three-point win. The four points for the visitors during that time came at the free throw line. Souley Boum (12 points) joined Bieniemy and Kennedy in double figures for scoring.

 

TIP-INS FROM THE RICE GAME

-   Jamal Bieniemy became the first Miner with a double-double on points and assists since Boum did so against Sul Ross State on Dec. 5, 2020.

-   UTEP shot 53.7 percent from the floor, including 43.8 percent from 3-point range.

-   The Miners trailed by as many as 11 (56-45, 12:01 2H) before rallying back for the win.

-   UTEP's bench provided 32 points, its most in league play and third-highest total on the season.

-   The Miners equaled their most points in the paint in conference play with 32.

 

    

LOCK DOWN ON DEFENSE

UTEP has kept 16 of its past 26 opponents to at least five points below their scoring average entering the contest, including most recently against Rice on March 3. Those 16 foes have been held to a total of 173 points combined under the expected output, which works out to 10.8 fewer points per game by the opposition across the board. Furthermore, UTEP has only allowed 11 teams to reach the 70's and just one into the 80's. The overall affect has been a scoring defense of 66.6 to rank fourth in C-USA and 98th in the nation.

 

ON THIS DATE IN UTEP HISTORY

UTEP nailed 64.7 percent (11-16) from 3-point range in an 81-74 win against UTSA on March 5, 2016.

 

ALL ABOUT THE FANS

UTEP  has averaged 4,725 fans per home game in 2021-22, which trails only the seasonal home average of 4,962 for ODU among C-USA programs. 

 

TALKING STARTING LINE-UP COMBINATIONS

UTEP has used 12 starting line-ups in 29 games, but has found stability of late with the same starting five for 16 straight contests. 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 has posted 80+ points in five different contests this year, including most recently tallying 84 at Southern Miss on Feb. 19. That equals the most such games since 2017-18. The Miners also eclipsed 70 points in each of the first four contests for the first time in six years. Guards Souley Boum (19.2 ppg), Jamal Bieniemy (15.1 ppg) and Keonte Kennedy (13.2 ppg) and are all in double figures for scoring average while Jorell Saterfield is at 6.8 ppg. Tydus Verhoeven (6.4 ppg) and Alfred Hollins (5.0 ppg) are also above 5.0 ppg. As a squad the Miners are accounting for 69.0 ppg.

 

THAT'S A GOOD MARGIN

UTEP has caused 17+ turnovers 12 times on the year while committing 14 or less on 23 occasions (14 games with 10 or less). Furthermore, the Miners have made the same or fewer amount of turnovers compared to the opposition in 24 of the 29 games this year. The result is a +3.5 turnover margin (second C-USA/21st NCAA). UTEP is making 11.8 turnovers per game (fifth C-USA/75th NCAA) while forcing 15.1 (third C-USA/42nd NCAA). 

 

TURN IT OVER

UTEP is third in Conference USA and 42nd in the country by forcing 15.2 turnovers per game, which is aided by coming up with 7.7 steals per game (fourth C-USA/75th NCAA). Keonte Kennedy (2.1 spg-DNQ C-USA due to not enough games played),  Jamal Bieniemy (1.70 spg-fifth C-USA) and Souley Boum (1.68-sixth C-USA) have all been key to leading the charge.

 

SCORING STREAK

Souley Boum (80), Keonte Kennedy (38) and Jamal Bieniemy (28), Tydus Verhoeven (21) and Alfred Hollins(19) all have scoring streaks of at least 15 games.

 

CALLED FREE THROWS FOR A REASON

UTEP is taking care of business at the charity stripe, connecting on 75.9 percentage at the line (second C-USA/35th NCAA). Three different Miners have hit at least 80 percent from the charity stripe this year (min. 20 attempts). They are Jamal Bieniemy (86.3 percent), Souley Boum (85.5) and Christian Agnew (81.1 percent).

 

WIN BIG

The Miners have 11 wins by at least eight points, including six double-digit efforts. UTEP even managed that feat at Old Dominion despite having only having five minutes of action in overtime (W, 78-70 on Jan. 15).

 

WIN SMALL

UTEP is 6-2 on the year in games decided by five points or less.

 

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 contest) and illness (missed one game) but he has produced all year long. He is pouring in 19.8 ppg (first C-USA/26th NCAA), aided by 20+ point-outings in nine of the last 13 contests and 14 times total on the season. He has 23 double-digit scoring efforts (in 25 appearances). Boum has done plenty of damage at the free-throw line, making 147 (first C-USA/16th NCAA) of 172 (first C-USA/31st NCAA). He has seven games with at least 10 free-throws attempted. Boum also has come up with 1.7 steals per game (fifth C-USA) and dishes out 2.8 assists per game. He adds 4.1 rebounds per game (tied third on squad).

 

JB'S WORLD

Jamal Bieniemy has played big across the board this season. He leads the team in assists per game (3.9-eighth C-USA) and 3-pointers made (63-ninth C-USA) while rating second in points per game (15.1-eighth C-USA) and steals per contest (1.7-fifth C-USA). He has 20 double-digit scoring games (in 27 appearances), including a career-high 36-point effort at Rice (Feb. 5) that was the most points by a Miner in 12 years. He has had double-digit scoring streaks of seven (out of the gates) and 11 games, both of which eclipsed his prior best of five. Bieniemy suffered an injury at No. 8 Kansas that caused him to miss the ensuing two tilts, before returning to play for the final two nonconference contests.

 

KEONTE DOES IT ALL

Keonte Kennedy was having a career year before sustaining an injury against Bradley on Dec. 22 that forced him to miss the first 15 league games. Kennedy returned to action against UAB and has put up double figures in scoring while coming off the bench the past two contests. He now has a career-long seven-game streak with 10+ points. On the year he leads the team in rebounding (5.7 rebounds per game) and steals (2.1 steals per game- while rating third on the squad in scoring (13.2 points per game) and minutes per game (33.1 mpg).

 

SATERFIELD FROM DOWNTOWN

Jorell Saterfield has proved to be a threat in his first year as a transfer from Ranger College. That is especially true from 3-point range. He is leading the team in 3-point percentage (min. 30 3FGA), nailing 45.8 percent (49-107). He has a chance 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). Overall, he is putting up 6.8 points per game (fourth on team) in 23.1 minutes per game. 

 

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 (1.04 blocks per game-10th C-USA) and offensive rebounds (38). He is also second on the team in rebounding (4.5 rpg). His scoring output has also gone up lately with at least eight points in seven of the past 10 contests, putting him at 6.4 ppg.

 

TALKING 30+ POINT GAMES

Souley Boum (32-Marshall, Feb. 13, 32-FIU, Jan. 23) has a pair of 30+ scoring efforts this year. He now has three such scoring bursts in his career, making him one of 11 Miners all time with at least that many. Jamal Bieniemy(36- at Rice, Feb. 2) also has a 30+ point game to his credit, the first of his career.

 

TALKING 20+ POINT GAMES

Souley Boum has posted 14 games with at least 20+ points this season and 40 in his career between San Francisco (seven-2017-18) and UTEP (33). Jamal Bieniemy has surpassed 20 points six times in 2021-22, tripling his total (two) from last year.

 

MILESTONE TRACKER

Souley Boum (started at San Francisco) joined the 1,000 point club at UTEP, the first member in five years and 35th overall. He is now up to 1,358 points (11th all time at UTEP). For his career he boasts a total of 1,752 points while appearing in 117 games (81 at UTEP). He has also made 210 3-pointers, with 163 at UTEP (fourth all time at school). Christian Agnew (started at North Alabama) has gone past 900 points for his collegiate career (935) while playing more than 100 games (102), with 43 at UTEP. Jamal Bieniemy (started at Oklahoma) has moved past 900 career points (934) for his college career, including 605 at UTEP. He's also eclipsed 400 assists (404) for his college career, including 198 helpers at UTEP. He has appeared in more than 100 collegiate games (115), including 50 (all starts) at UTEP. Alfred Hollins (started at Oregon State) has moved beyond 600 career points (640) and surpassed 100 career games played (124). Tydus Verhoeven (started at Duquesne) has more than 390 rebounds (398) for his collegiate career, with the majority at UTEP (292). He has also topped 100 career blocks (134), with 63 at UTEP. Verhoeven is past 100 games played (112), with 86 at UTEP.

 

CAN'T CATCH A BREAK

Due to injury or illness, the Miners have lost 36 man games this year (Keonte Kennedy-15, 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 has used 12 different line-up combinations. At least one starter has missed a game in 17 straight tilts at one point and 20 times total on the year. Additionally, no one on the roster has appeared in every contest. 

 

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). The Miners have won five league tournaments (last in 2005).

-   UTEP is 17-12 in 2021-22, which surpasses its win total from last year's Covid-affected season (12-12 finish). There are 17 home games (10-6 thus far) and 13 road contests (finished 7-6) 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 Dekoninckand 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.

 

SPORTSCENTER TOP-10 PLAY

Senior Alfred Hollins tipped in a shot at the buzzer to lift  UTEP to an exhilarating 70-68 win over then Conference USA East Division leader Florida Atlantic at home on Jan. 27. The play went on to gain national notoriety, earning the number three spot for the daily Sportscenter top-10 plays list on ESPN's signature program. 

 

THE COMEBACK AT CHARTWAY

UTEP trailed Old Dominion (Jan. 15) 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. The game was also the first of a six-contest winning streak. Here's the breakdown to force OT before Souley 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. 

 

BOUM NAMED C-USA PLAYER OF THE WEEK     

Souley Boum was named the Conference USA Men's Basketball Player of the Week, as announced by the league office on Jan. 31. He became the first Miner to be so recognized since Daryl Edwards on Feb. 24, 2020. Boum had the best two-game scoring stretch of his career in helping lead the Miners to a perfect 2-0 record with wins over Florida Atlantic and FIU. He put up 60 points on the weekend (28 vs. FAU) and a season-high 32 points against FIU on 21-of-34 shooting, including 9-18 on 3-point shots. 

 

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).

 

GOLDING ERA UNDERWAY

Joe Golding is in his first year at 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 175-156 in his 11th season as a collegiate head coach, including 17-12 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 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.

GOLDING TO JOIN AN EXCLUSIVE GROUP

First-year head coach Joe Golding (17-12 thus far) has locked up a winning season on his first year on the sidelines with the Miners, making him just the fourth coach (20 total head coaches) in program history to do so.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 (currently 10-7, fourth C-USA West), 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).

 

UP NEXT

UTEP will lock up with Old Dominion at 7 p.m. MT/8 p.m. CT on March 9 at the 2022 Heritage Landscape Supply Group Conference USA Men's Basketball Championships on March 9 at the Star in Frisco, Texas. The Miners will be seeded fourth from the C-USA West Division while the Monarchs will have the No. 5 seed out of the C-USA East Division. Jon Teicher (41st year) and Steve Yellen (19th year) will be on the call on "The Home of UTEP Basketball" 600 ESPN El Paso. It will also be streamed on ESPN+. The victor will advance to challenge the top seed from the East Division, Middle Tennessee, in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. MT./8 p.m. CT on March 10.