Game Notes In PDF Format

OPENING TIP
The UTEP men's basketball team (8-5) will play host to Seattle U (7-5) at 7 p.m. MT Saturday in its final game of the 2023 calendar year. The contest is part of a doubleheader with the women's basketball team, which squares off against Southern Utah at 2 p.m. MT Saturday. Fans can attend both contests for as little as $15. It is also the Miners' second tilt of the Conference USA and WAC Scheduling Initiative, with the Orange and Blue having fallen at ACU, 88-82, on Dec. 17. UTEP is coming off a 78-67 victory against Wyoming in the Championship contest of the 62nd-annual WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational. It was quite the night, with the Miners winning the event for the first time since 2019, UTEP head coach Joe Golding picking up his 200th career win and senior Tae Hardy surpassing 1,000 career points in his career. With two triumphs in as many days at the Invitational, UTEP moved to 7-1 at home on the season. Seattle U will prove to be a worthy foe, as it most recently bested CUSA program LA Tech, 79-73, on Dec. 20. The Redhawks, who have reached 20 triumphs in back-to-back years, are 0-3 on the road, but those three losses have been by a combined 13 points. Jon Teicher (43rd year) and Steve Yellen (21st year) will be on the call on "The Home of UTEP Basketball" 600 ESPN El Paso. It will also be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required), with Mando Medina and former Miner Hooper Vint describing the action. For more information on tickets, please visit www.UTEPMiners.com/tickets or call (915) 747-UTEP.
 
GOLDING REACHES 200 CAREER WINS
Third-year UTEP head coach Joe Golding guided the Miners past Wyoming, 78-67, on Dec. 21 to not only win the 2023 WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational but also hit the 200-career victory plateau. He is now 200-181 all time between Abilene Christian and UTEP, including 42-37 in his third season in the Sun City. That places him ninth on the Miners' all-time coaching win list. He needs five triumph to surpass Jason Rabedeaux (46-46, 1999-02)
 
TAE SURPASSES 1,000 CAREER POINTS
Tae Hardy moved past 1,000 career points on a 3-pointer early in the first half in the eventual 78-67 win against Wyoming on Dec. 21. He finished with 14 points in the contest, elevating his total to 1,010 career points between his time with East Carolina, Southern Miss and UTEP. More than 600 of those (610 points) have come with the Orange and Blue.
 
SOLOMON APPROACHING THE MILESTONE AS WELL
Calvin Solomon is 33 points away from 1,000 in his collegiate career. He enters Saturday's contest with 967 total points between his time with SFA and UTEP, including 421 with the Miners.
 
HONORS AT THE INVITATIONAL
Zid Powell was named the Barry Kobren MVP while Tae Hardy was voted as the Don Haskins Award Winner and Otis Frazier III was tabbed to the All-Tournament team after helping the Miners win the WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational for the first time since 2019.
 
HONORS FROM CONFERENCE USA
Zid Powell was named the Conference USA men's basketball Player of the Week, it was announced by the league office on December 27. Powell becomes the first Miner to garner the award since former standout Souley Boum on Jan. 31, 2022. He's also the initial UTEP player to be recognized with the honor in nonconference action since Bryson Williams on Dec. 9, 2019. He averaged team highs in points (21.0), rebounds (5.5 rpg) and assists (3.5 apg).
 
PUTTING TWO STREAKS IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR
UTEP ended two streaks in as many days with each of its victories at the WestStar Bank Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational. In the win against Norfolk State, the Miners trailed 58-56 with 5:02 remaining in regulation before fighting back for the 67-65 triumph. The Miners had lost 22 straight contests when trailing with five minutes left (prior win, 70-67, vs. Rice, 3/3/22). UTEP then followed that up by knocking off Wyoming, 78-67, after facing a deficit (26-25) at the break. The Miners had dropped 24 straight games when trailing at the half (prior win, 72-70, at Rice, 2/5/22).
 
GET TO KNOW SEATTLE U
Seattle U, which has produced back-to-back 20-win seasons, is on the way hitting that figure again. The Redhawks enter Saturday's contest at 7-5 on the year, including most recently besting LA Tech, 79-73, at home on Dec. 20. Seattle U has been incredibly competitive in its five defeats, which have come by a combined total of 16 points. That includes a one-point double-OT loss to Pac-12 member Washington (L, 100-99, 12/17), a two-point setback vs. Northern Arizona (L, 62-60, 11/15) and a three-point vanquishing at San Francisco (L, 62-59, 12/13). In fact, Seattle U's biggest differential in a loss was a six-point vanquishing (78-72) in its WAC opener at Utah Valley on Nov. 29. The Redhawks returned three starters and 10 letterwinners from last year's team that finished 20-12, including 11-7 in the WAC, and advanced to the WAC Tournament semifinals. The Redhawks also added four newcomers. Seattle U gets after it defensively, yielding only 66.2 points per game (second WAC/69th NCAA), helping it sport a +9.8 scoring margin (second WAC/83rd NCAA). It is especially stingy at guarding the 3-point shot, with foes making 28.5 percent (first WAC/36th NCAA) from distance. The Redhawks are also among the upper echelon in the league and national rankings for free throws made per game (15.7-fifth WAC/79th NCAA), free throw percentage (73.2-first WAC/96th NCAA) and turnovers forced per game (13.8-fourth WAC/98th NCAA). Individually, Seattle U has some of the top performers in the WAC. Two-time All-WAC performer Cameron Tyson is the second-leading scorer (19.3 ppg-40th NCAA) in the league while Alex Schumacher paces it in assists (4.8 apg-66th NCAA) and Kobe Williamson tops it in blocks (1.8 bpg-50th NCAA). Tyson, the reigning WAC Player of the Week, also tops the team in steals (1.5-eighth WAC). Schumacher (13.0 ppg), Brandton Chatfield (11.1 ppg) and Williamson (10.4 ppg) join Tyson in double figures for scoring. No other player is above 7.0 ppg. Notable university alumni include Elgin Baylor (NBA Hall of Famer and GM). Famed actor Clint Eastwood enrolled at the school but did not attend after being drafted into the US military in 1951.
 
SERIES HISTORY: UTEP LEADS, 6-5
UTEP holds a 6-5 advantage all times against Seattle U, including 6-1 at home. Nine of the 11 match-ups occurred from 1966-69. One that immediately comes to the mind of Miner fans was a 74-72 defeat at Seattle U on March 5, 1966, which proved to be the only setback on the season for the Miners' 1966 NCAA Championship team. UTEP has peeled off three straight wins in the series, but the last meeting came during the 1996-97 campaign (W, 83-55, at UTEP, 12/8/96).
 
GOING BACK IN TIME
Zid Powell poured in a career-high 32 points (24 in second half) while Otis Frazier III (15 points, all in second half) and Tae Hardy (14 points) also hit doubles figures in scoring to help lead UTEP to a 78-67 victory against Wyoming in the championship contest of the 62nd-annual WestStar Don Haskins Center Sun Bowl Invitational on Dec. 21. The Miners, who had made the championship contest in each of Joe Golding's first two years, broke through to take the crown for the first time at 2019. The Orange and Blue were down, 26-25, at the break before erupting for 53 points over the final 20 minutes to roar past the Cowboys. UTEP drilled 48.0 percent (24-50) from the floor, took care of business at the charity stripe (26-35, 74.3 percent) and committed only 12 turnovers.
 
SHUT DOWN TOP 3-POINT TEAM IN NATION
UTEP limited the nation's top 3-point shooting team to just 5-22 (22.7 percent) from distance. The Cowboys entered the contest at 43.4 percent.
 
THAT'S MORE LIKE IT
After three straight opponents connected on at least 44 percent from the floor, including the first two at better than 50 percent, UTEP kept Wyoming to 34.0 percent shooting. That is a DI opponent season low (prior worst was 38.2 percent at LMU).
 
PLAYING FROM AHEAD
The Miners led for 25 minutes, including the final 14 minutes of the contest. Wyoming made it a one-possession game five different time over those final 15 minutes, but the Orange and Blue answered every time.
 
POWELL'S BIG GAME
Zid Powell erupted for a career-high 32 points in the win against Wyoming, aided by setting career bests for both free throws made (14) and attempted (18). The Buffalo transfer was especially strong in the second half, going off for 24 points after the break. He had 20 of those in the final 9:30, to hold off every rally by the Cowboys.
 
LOCKED IN AT THE LINE
UTEP was a combined 53-72 (73.6 percent) at the charity stripe in the respective wins against Norfolk State (27-37, Dec. 20) and Wyoming (26-35, Dec. 20). It marks the first time since the 2013-14 season that the Miners have shot better than 70 percent at the line with a minimum of 35 attempts in both contests. That year UTEP was 29-39 (74.4 percent) against Western Illinois (12/28/13) and 26-36 (72.2 percent) vs. Denver (12/29/13). Coincidentally, that also happened in a Miners' championship run at the WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational.
 
LIVING AT THE LINE LATELY
The Orange and Blue have made 25 free throws in three straight games, something that hasn't happened since a four-tilt stretch in conference action during the 2008-09 season . Overall, they have five such contests this year (4-1 record).
 
GETTING OUR SHOTS OFF
Wyoming had one blocked shot in the game, marking the fifth straight contest that the opponent has recorded one block or less (four games one swat, one with none). It's the longest such streak since six consecutive games during the 2017-18 season (11/27/17-12/21/17), with a total of two blocks in that stretch (four tilts zero rejections, two with one). One direct impact for the Miners in the current sequence has been their increase of free throw attempts.
 
OFFENSE RETURNING TO FORM
The Miners tallied 70+ points in each of the first five games on the year on the way to a 5-0 start. The next five contests, UTEP surpassed 70 points just once (1-4 mark). The Miners are 2-1 since, with two tilts of at least 78 points and another at 67.
 
GOTTA CUT DOWN ON FOULS
UTEP has been whistled for at least 22 fouls in four straight games, including 33 (most since 2007-08 season) at ACU (12/17) and 28 vs. Wyoming (12/21). The Miners committed at least 22 fouls just twice over the first nine contests of the campaign. Furthermore, the four-game streak with 22 or more fouls is the longest since also having four in a row with that many infractions in the 2008-09 campaign. It happened during CUSA play (2/28/09-3/12/09).
 
GET THE LEAD AND WE'RE PRETTY, PRETTY GOOD
UTEP is 5-1 on the season when leading at the half and a perfect 7-0 this year when holding an advantage with five minutes remaining in regulation. It's not a recent trend, with the Miners a combined 32-6 under head coach Joe Golding when leading at the break.
 
TAKING CARE OF THE BALL LEADS TO WINS
The Miners are 6-2 this year when making the same or fewer amount of turnovers in a game against opponents. The two setbacks have come on the road, as both Oregon (18 turnovers, Dec. 9) and ACU (23 turnovers, Dec. 17) shot better than 50.0 percent from the floor to overcome the inability to take care of the ball.
 
KEEP GUARDING THE TREY
Opponents are making only 30.4 percent (73-240) on 3-pointers, with seven foes held to 30.0 percent or worse. The 30.4 3-point percentage defense is fourth in CUSA and 89th nationally. The latest victim was Wyoming. Incredibly, the Miners kept the nation's top 3-point shooting team (43.4 percent entering the game) to only 22.7 percent (5-22) from beyond-the-arc.
 
STEALS KEEP COMING
UTEP has registered at least seven steals in every contest on the campaign, including 10 or more eight times. UTEP's average of 11.3 steals per game rates second in the league and fourth in the country. The Miners tied the school record for steals with 288 last year, but they are on pace to smash that figure with 362 thefts.
 
TAE DOING IT ALL
Senior Tae Hardy has done it all for the Miners thus far in 2023-24, including hitting the buzzer-beating 3-pointer against Cal on Nov. 20. He paces the team in scoring (15.2-second CUSA), minutes per game (31.8-second CUSA), 3-pointers made (26), attempted (65), percentage (40.0) and 3-pointers per game (2.0-seventh CUSA). Hardy is tied for the team lead with Zid Powell in steals (1.9-third CUSA/81st NCAA) while rating second in assists per game (2.9-12th CUSA). Hardy has reached double figures in scoring in all but one game (nine vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Nov. 29), including notching his second 20-point outing (season-high 22 points) at Abilene Christian on Dec. 17.
 
OTIS STEPPING UP
Junior Otis Frazier III connected on 50.3 percent (81-161) from the floor last year while tallying 7.5 points per game in his first season with the Miners after transferring from George Mason. His shooting percentage this year a bit better (50-98, 51.0 percent), an impressive feat given his scoring output has jumped to 11.2 ppg (14th CUSA). He's also getting after it with 1.5 steals per game (tied eighth CUSA). He is doing a better job of getting to the charity stripe and knocking down shots once there. He's making 69.2 percent (36-52) after finishing at 40-63 from the line (63.5 percent) a season ago. He is fourth on the team in both free throws made and attempted. Frazier III has hit double figures in scoring for five of the past six games and nine times total this season.
 
SOLOMON'S ALL-AROUND GAME
Senior Calvin Solomon is displaying the full arsenal of his abilities in 2023-24, ranking fourth on the team in scoring (8.7 ppg), rebounding (3.9 rpg), assists (1.9 apg-19th CUSA) and tied for third in steals (1.5 spg- tied eighth CUSA). He is also tied for the team lead in blocks (0.7-tied 13th CUSA). He has proven to be a team player by coming off the bench the past three games. He has recorded at least two steals six times. Solomon has also done an outstanding job of drawing contact and finishing at the free throw line once there. He is second on second on the team for both free throws made (49) and attempted (65). His 74.5 percent is the best among Miners with at least 20 attempts. It is also a vast improvement from his readout of 59.8 percent (76-127) last year.
 
ZID'S AS ADVERTISED
Buffalo grad transfer Zid Powell is contributing across the board despite having battled through some injuries and foul issues at times. Powell leads the team in assists (3.4-eighth CUSA), free throws made (51-second CUSA/84th NCAA) and attempted (72-second CUSA/58th NCAA) and is tied for the top spot in steals (1.9-third CUSA/81st NCAA) while rating second on the squad for scoring (12.6 ppg-ninth CUSA) and rebounding (5.3 rpg-14th CUSA). Powell has had seven double-digit scoring efforts, including the top two games on the year by a Miner (career-high 32 vs. Wyoming, 12/20 and 23 vs. UC Santa Barbara, 11/13).
 
KALU CONTROLLING THE BOARDS
Kevin Kalu has been all over the boards for the Miners in 2023-24. The junior is pulling down a team-high 5.9 rebounds per game (eighth CUSA). He is also seventh in CUSA for offensive boards per game (2.1) and tied eighth in defensive rebounds per game (3.8). He has recorded at least four boards in every game, including seven or more three times. Kalu has been an efficient scorer down low, nailing 27-44 attempts (61.4 percent), which is third on the team. Fouls have been an issue of late, as he has fouled out in two of the past three games. Overall, Kalu has fouled out a squad-most three times total on the year. Four other Miners have been sent packing early once.
 
KEEPING A FAMILY TRADITION ALIVE
Freshman David Terrell Jr. is following in the footsteps of both his mom and dad by competing with the Miners. His mom (Kiana Taylor) was a standout on the women's basketball team at UTEP (1993-96, 97-98), finishing her career as the then school record holder for double-doubles (20) and the then second-leading scorer (1,134) and rebounder (676) in program history. His father, David, was an all-WAC performer for UTEP and played with the football team from 1994-96. Terrell Jr. has adapted well to the college game, rating third in the squad in assists per game (2.0-18th CUSA) and sixth in steals (1.0 spg).
 
3X CUSA FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
UTEP forward Elijah Jones was voted as the Conference USA Freshman of the Week for each of the first three weeks of the year. He became the first Miner in program history to win three straight CUSA Freshman of the Week honors. Furthermore, he did it out of the gates to start his collegiate career. Jones is producing 6.0 ppg (second on back-ups/sixth on team) and 2.3 rpg (top among reserves). He is the most accurate free-throw shooter (min. 10 attempts) on the team by going 9-11 (81.8 percent). Jones also is second on the squad in 3-point percentage (5-13, 38.5 percent).
 
GETTING TO THE LINE
The Miners' relentless drive toward to the paint (40.0 points in paint per game) and attacking the offensive glass (12.4 offensive rebounds per game-third CUSA/86th) has led to them rating ninth in the country for free-throw attempts per game (26.7) and 24th nationally for free-throw makes per game (17.8). UTEP tops CUSA in both categories. The Miners have attempted at least 30 free throws in five contests, something that happened a total of six times last season.  Most recently, UTEP had 36 attempts at Abilene Christian on Dec. 17.
 
POUNDING THE PAINT
UTEP has demonstrated the ability to get points in the paint in 2023-24. Nearly half (492-1,013, 48.6 percent) of the Miners' points on the season have come in the paint. On the year, the Orange and Blue have a 492-370 advantage for points in the paint. That works out to 37.8 ppg in the paint for UTEP compared to 28.5 by foes.
 
LET'S GET OUT AND RUN
The Miners are accounting for 19.8 fastbreak points per game, which is first in CUSA and second in the country. The Miners have tallied at least 12 points on the break in 12 of 13 contests this year, including a campaign-best 47 against USAO on Nov. 9. UTEP has a remarkable 257-137 cushion against opponents this season in the category, with the 19.8-10.5 ppg differential on average.
 
SHARING IS CARING
UTEP is dishing out 16.3 assists per contest to rate third in CUSA and just outside the top-100 nationally (103rd). The Miners have surpassed 20 assists three times, including setting a school record with 33 in the opener vs. Division III opponent McMurry on Nov. 6. Zid Powell (3.4 apg-eighth CUSA) and Tae Hardy (2.9 apg-12th CUSA) lead the charge. Freshman David Terrell Jr. (2.0 apg-18th CUSA) and senior Calvin Solomon (1.9- tied 19th CUSA) have also been good at setting up teammates.
 
GIVE ME THAT BALL
UTEP has notched at least seven steals in all 13 games, with double-digit totals eight times. That effort has led to it rating second in CUSA and eighth nationally at 11.3 thefts per game. Foes have committed 17 or more turnovers seven times, including ACU being forced into 23 giveaways (most by DI Miner opponent this year) on Dec. 17. The Miners' 18.4 turnovers forced per game is first in CUSA and fourth in the country.
 
LOTS ARE CAUSING PROBLEMS FOR OPPOSITION
UTEP has four players in the top 10 of Conference USA for steals per game, with each of those individuals also comprise the top-four scorers for the Miners as well. Zid Powell (1.9-tied third CUSA/81st NCAA) and Tae Hardy (1.0-tied third CUSA/81st NCAA) lead the way. Calvin Solomon (1.5-tied eighth CUSA) and Otis Frazier III (1.5-tied eighth CUSA) round out the list. WKU (two) is the only other league member with multiple players among the top 10 in the conference for thefts. Last season, Solomon joined Randy Culpepper and Hall of Famer Tim Hardaway as the lone Miners in program history to average at least 2.0 steals per game.
 
HIGH-OCTANE BENCH
UTEP's reserves have helped the Miners put up 77.9 points per game (third CUSA), with the bench accounting for 26.1 ppg (sixthCUSA/82nd NCAA). Overall, the Miners hold a 339-291 differential in reserve scoring. That works out to a 26.1-22.4 advantage per contest.
 
WHO IS PUTTING UP THE POINTS
Heading into Saturday's contest vs. Wyoming, three Miners are accounting for double figures in scoring on average while three others are between 6.0 ppg and 9.0 ppg. Senior Tae Hardy (15.2 ppg-second CUSA) leads the way. Buffalo transfer Zid Powell (12.6 ppg-ninth CUSA) and junior Otis Frazier III (11.2 ppg-14th CUSA) join him in double digits on average. Senior Calvin Solomon (8.7 ppg), JUCO Honorable-Mention All-American (Tyler JC) Corey Camper Jr. (7.6 ppg) and three time CUSA Freshman of the Week Elijah Jones (6.0 ppg) have also been consistent threats. Aiding the balanced approach were eight different Miners (most on record) hitting double figures in scoring in the 120-71 season-opening win against McMurry on Nov. 6.
 
SAME GOES FOR PLAYING TIME
Ten different Miners have earned double figures in playing time on average, including seven who have played in every contest. Tae Hardy (31.8 mpg-second CUSA) is the only one on the squad to be earning more than 30.0 minutes per contest. In fact, no one other than Hardy is even above 25.0 mpg. Zid Powell (25.8 mpg)  and Otis Frazier III (25.6 mpg) are the only others above 25.0 mpg.
 
UTEP IN THE RANKINGS
UTEP leads Conference USA in five major stat categories while placing second in the league in two others. The Miners top the league in fastbreak scoring (19.8-second NCAA), free throw attempts per game (28.2-1-third NCAA), free throws made per game (19.2-10th NCAA), turnover margin (3.7-31st NCAA) and turnovers forced per game (18.4-fourth NCAA. The Orange and Blue are second in CUSA for field-goal percentage (46.4) and steals per game (11.3-fourth NCAA).
 
DERICK HARDLY MISSES
Derick Hamilton hasn't attempted enough field goals per game to qualify nationally for field-goal percentage, but he has done enough to show off his talents thus far in 2023-24. Hamilton is 14-21 from the floor in 53 total minutes of action. That was aided by starting the season 12-12. The high-percentage shooting shouldn't come as a surprise given he was 22-33 last year (66.7 percent) in 20 appearances.
 
DIFFERENT MONTH, DIFFERENT PACE
After playing a total of eight games in November (most since 2013-14) in a 24-day span (average one contest every three days), the Miners are in the midst of a more reasonable pace in December. UTEP has just six games (3-2 thus far) in the month, including playing just twice from Dec. 5 through Dec. 19.
 
FIVE TIMES THIS CENTURY
The Miners got out of the gates at 5-0 this year before dropping their last two games, including most-recently, 67-47, at LMU on Nov. 25. It marked the fifth time since 2000 that the Orange and Blue had posted a start of least 5-0. It happened previously in 2019-20 (5-0), 2015-16 (6-0), 2009-10 (5-0) and 2000-01 (6-0).
 
TAE CALLED GAME AGAINST CAL
UTEP defeated Cal, 75-72, on Nov. 20, in a wild and memorable finish. After a couple of missed free throws by Tae Hardy (was 7-7 to that point), the Bears tied the game at 72 with a 3-pointer from Jalen Cone with six seconds left. Rather than sulk, Otis Frazier III inbounded the ball to Zid Powell, who raced up the court. He then dished it to Hardy, whose 3-point attempt spun around the rim before dropping through for the buzzer-beating victory. It was his lone 3-point try of the night.
 
FIRST BUZZER BEATER SINCE 2021-22
When Tae Hardy beat the clock, it marked the Miner's first buzzer beater since Alfred Hollins's tip-in as the horn sounded in a 70-68 triumph against Florida Atlantic on Jan. 27, 2022.
 
GOT IT DONE VS. POWER PROGRAM
UTEP took down Pac-12 member Cal, 75-72, on Nov. 20, thanks to the heroics of Tae Hardy's buzzer beater. It marked the initial win against a Power Five program under head coach Joe Golding and first since knocking off Arizona State on the road, 76-63, on Dec. 16, 2020.
 
BESTING A POWER PROGRAM ON A NEUTRAL COURT
UTEP's win against Cal marked the first time that it bested a Power Six program (Power Five + Big East) at a neutral site since taking out Xavier (Big East) on Nov. 28, 2014. It was also the initial occasion to defeat a Power Five foe in a neutral match-up since toppling SEC foe Tennessee, 78-70, on Nov. 28, 2013, in the Battle 4 Atlantis at Paradise Island, Bahamas.
 
TAKING OUT A PRESEASON FAVORITE
UC Santa Barbara has been to two of the past three NCAA Tournaments and set a school record for wins (27) last year, but the Miners weren't intimidated. UTEP led for 25 minutes, including never trailing in the second half, on the way to taking out the in the 2023-24 preseason favorites in the Big West, 89-76, on Nov. 13.
 
FIVE TIMES THIS CENTURY
The Miners got out of the gates at 5-0 this year dropping consecutive contests. It marked the fifth time since 2000 that the Orange and Blue had posted a start of least 5-0. It happened previously in 2019-20 (5-0), 2015-16 (6-0), 2009-10 (5-0) and 2000-01 (6-0).
 
TALKING 100-POINT GAMES
UTEP finished with the second-most points (120, now third) in program history in the win vs. McMurry on Nov. 6. The Miners followed that up with a school-record 123 points in routing USAO. It was the first time UTEP started a season with consecutive 100+ point showings. In fact, the only other time the Orange and Blue ever posted back-to-back 100-point games came during the 1968-69 season when they blasted Montana (103-90, 12/28/68) and then drilled Tahoe Paradise (109-63, 1/2/69). Prior to the outbursts this year, the Miners hadn't topped 100 since besting Rice, 101-89, on Jan. 8, 2021. UTEP now stands at 33-2 all time when surpassing 100 points in a contest, including 31-0 in El Paso (22-0 at the Haskins Center). UTEP has won 18 straight games when hitting the century mark.
 
AN OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION TO BEGIN THE YEAR
The Miners enjoyed a three-game scoring stretch with at least 89 points to begin the year. The last time UTEP did so at any point in the season was 14 years ago. That year, the Orange and Blue also had a three-contest span (12/19/09-12/28/09). Making this season's effort stand out a bit is that the Miners had back-to-back 100-point outings for just the second time in school history. It also happened in 1968-69.
 
DUST OFF THE RECORD BOOKS
UTEP dented the record book in the first two games of the season.
-School-record 123 points vs. USAO (11/9) and third-most points (120) vs. McMurry (11/6). The 243 points are the most in a two-contest span in program history.
- Dished out a program-best 33 assists vs. McMurry, smashing the prior standard of 29.
- School-record 50 field goals vs. McMurry, crushing the previous mark (46) that had happened in both 1979 (vs. Illinois Tech, 12/22/79) and in 1966 (vs. NM State, 2/1/66).
- Second-most second-half points (71) at the school vs. USAO and tied for seventh-highest total (61) after the break against McMurry.
- Tied for fourth-most first-half points (59) against McMurry.
- Won back-to-back games by at least 49 points for first time ever, including tying for the seventh-biggest margin of victory (51) vs. USAO (W, 123-71).
- Posted 19 steals vs. McMurry, tying as the third most at the school, while the 18 thefts against USAO earned a share of fifth place.
 
STAYED HOME EARLY
UTEP played four straight (4-0) to start the season at home, something that hadn't happened since the 2019-20 campaign when it had five consecutive home games out of the gate (5-0 record). That included knocking off rivals NM State and New Mexico within the span of a week that year.
 
THE BEST FANS IN CONFERENCE USA
UTEP led Conference USA in attendance last year in both total number of fans (81,941) and average attendance (4,552). It marked the second straight season that the Miners paced CUSA in at least one of those categories. Last year, UTEP's advantage for per-game average was noticeable, with WKU more than 500 fans behind on average at 4,026. The Miners are off to a good start in the area in 2023-24, leading the league for total fans (36,118) and placing second in average attendance (4,515).
 
MORE THAN A MILLION FANS
UTEP has attracted more than one million fans to the Don Haskins Center over the past decade. A total of 1,116,176 individuals have passed through the turnstiles from the beginning of the 2012-13 campaign to the end of the 2022-23 season. That figure makes the Miners the only school out of the nine members in Conference USA to have topped one million fans in that timeframe.
 
HOME COOKING
UTEP is in search of its fifth straight season with at least 10 wins at home. The Miners compiled 11 victories at the Haskins Center last year, including going 3-0 at the inaugural Jim Forbes Classic Presented by Speaking Rock to claim the crown. The Orange and Blue are 7-1 on the year at home this season, with the lone setback coming against back-to-back Southland Conference Tournament Champions Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Nov. 29.
 
ROSTER RUNDOWN
UTEP returned its leading scorer (Tae Hardy-12.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.2 spg) and rebounder (Calvin Solomon-6.0 rpg, 9.6 ppg, 2.0 apg, 2.0 spg) from last year's team. Overall, the Miners brought back 54.3 percent of their scoring and 50.5 percent of their rebounding. It is a stark difference from the situation the Orange and Blue faced going into the 2022-23 campaign, when they had just 20.8 percent of the rebounding and 11.1 percent of the scoring back. UTEP has seven lettermen in the fold, including three starters (Hardy, Solomon and Otis Frazier III; 7.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg). Jon Dos Anjos (4.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg) , Derick Hamilton (2.7 ppg, 1.4 rpg), Antwonne Holmes and Kevin Kalu are the other returning lettermen. The Miners landed six newcomers, including junior-college All-American Corey Camper Jr. (19.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.0 apg at Tyler JC) and DI transfers Zid Powell (13.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.9 spg at Buffalo) and Baylor Hebb (Colorado State). UTEP also has a pair of true freshmen (Trey Horton III, David Terrell Jr.) and another JUCO transfer (Sebastian Cole). Garrett Levesque (Tarleton State) and Elijah Jones (ECU) have also made their respective Miner debuts after redshirting the 2022-23 campaign.
 
DI EXPERIENCE
UTEP has ample DI experience across its roster, with a combined 454 games played (210 starts) among the Miners as of the beginning of the 2023-24 season. Calvin Solomon leads with way with 114 appearances (88 starts).
 
PRESEASON HONORS
UTEP seniors Tae Hardy and Calvin Solomon were tabbed to the 2023-24 CUSA All-Preseason Team in a vote by the league's nine head coaches. The Miners joined Middle Tennessee and WKU as the only programs in the conference to have a pair of members on the squad.
 
NEW-LOOK LEAGUE
UTEP joined Conference USA as the newest school in the league for the 2005-06 campaign. It entered the 2023-24 season as the most-tenured member. The 11 programs who were part of CUSA when the Miners moved to it have since departed to other conferences. Joining UTEP as returning league members are FIU, LA Tech, Middle Tennessee and WKU while Jax State, Liberty, NM State and Sam Houston are all in their first year.
 
CUSA IS UP FOR GRABS
UTEP was predicted to finish fifth in Conference USA in 2023-24, but it's anyone's guess as to who will take home the regular season crown this season with so much turnover in the league. Five of the top six teams from the standings a year ago have departed for other conferences, including regular season and tournament champion Florida Atlantic. FAU made waves nationally by making a run to the Final Four in the NCAA. The second (North Texas) and third-place (UAB) teams squared off in the NIT finale, and fifth-place Charlotte won the CBI. In fact, only one team (Middle Tennessee) that finished among the top six in the regular season last year is back. Incidentally, the Blue Raiders and newcomer Liberty were picked to win the league, followed by WKU (third), LA Tech (fourth), the Miners (fifth), Sam Houston (sixth), FIU (seventh), NM State (eighth) and Jax State (ninth).
 
A YEAR IN REVIEW
-    UTEP had a new-look squad in 2022-23 with head coach Joe Golding having to overhaul the roster after the Miners returned just one starter and three letterwinners total from a 20-win team a year prior.
-    The Orange and Blue managed a 14-18 record, including a 67-64 victory against NM State on Nov. 12, 2022, for their first win against the Aggies in three years. That was the start of a five-game winning streak, which was aided by back-to-back OT triumphs.
-    The five straight victories in November were the longest in the month in four years, which was aided by a mark of 3-0 in the inaugural Jim Forbes Classic Presented by Speaking Rock.
-    The Miners came within a point of winning the WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational, falling 47-46 to eventual NCAA Tournament participant Kent State on Dec. 22, 2022. UTEP experienced a tough 1-4 stretch early in league play, with those four setbacks by a combined 14 points.
-    UTEP remained resilient on the way to forging seven league triumphs, capped by a 77-65 "Senior Day" triumph against Middle Tennessee on March 4, 2023.
-    The Orange and Blue tied the single-season school record for overtime games at five, matching the 1994-95 and 2011-12 teams. All five of the OT games were in the regular season, which are the most ever at the school. Both the 1994-95 and 2011-12 Miners had in four OT games during the regular season and one postseason OT tilt.
 
THE BASIC FACTS ON UTEP
-    This is the 103rd 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.
-    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).
-    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.
 
GET TO KNOW COACH GOLDING
Joe Golding is in his third 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 200-181 in his 13th season as a collegiate head coach, including 42-37 at UTEP. Those 42 wins already place him ninth at the school, having passed current Texas head coach Rodney Terry (37) with the triumph vs. Austin Peay on Nov. 17. Jason Rabedeaux (46 wins, 1999-02) is Golding's next target. Golding could possibly climb to sixth place by year's end. In 2021-22, Golding 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.
 
UP NEXT
UTEP will play its first game in 2024 when it competes at I-10 rival NM State for the Conference USA opener for both squads at 7 p.m. MT on Jan. 4. The game will air nationally on CBS Sports Network and broadcast in El Paso on 600 ESPN El Paso.