Game Notes In PDF Format

OPENING TIP
On the heels of a historic comeback, the No. 5 seed UTEP men's basketball team (17-15) will lock up with top seed and CUSA regular-season champion Sam Houston (21-11) in the semifinals of the 2024 CUSA Championships at 10:30 a.m. MT/11:30 a.m. CT Friday.  The Miners posted their biggest comeback ever at the CUSA Tournament since joining the league in 2005-06 by storming back from 12 points down with 10 minutes left in an eventual 66-57 vanquishing of Liberty in the quarterfinals on March 13. UTEP previously rallied back from eight points on three different occasions in a 67-62 OT victory against Houston on March 7, 2012. It was also the biggest rally for the Orange and Blue this year. They fought back from seven-point deficits to win against both Wyoming (Dec. 21) and Cal (Nov. 20). UTEP is making its first appearance in the semifinals of the CUSA Tournament in seven years and eighth overall (2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2024). The Miners, who are riding a four-game winning streak, are now trying to advance to the title tilt for the initial occasion since 2011 when they fell to Memphis, 67-66, in El Paso. Sam Houston, however, is even hotter. The Bearkats ran their unbeaten streak to eight while blasting No. 9 seed FIU, 78-59, in the quarterfinals on March 13. Sam Houston claimed both contests between the programs during the regular season. The Miners' late rally attempt fell shy in a 60-56 road setback on Jan. 27. They were then clipped by Sam Houston, 65-54, in the Don Haskins Center on Feb. 24. UTEP hasn't lost since. The game will be broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network with Carter Blackburn (PXP), Avery Johnson (color) and Tiffany Blackmon (sideline) describing the action. It will also air on "The Home of UTEP Basketball" 600 ESPN El Paso and the UTEP Miners App with Jon Teicher (43rd year) and Steve Yellen (21st year) on the call. The winner will face either Middle Tennessee or WKU.
 
UTEP IN THE CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
UTEP improved to 42-32 all time in conference tournament play (includes a forfeit against Hawaii in the 1996 WAC Tournament),  by rallying past Liberty 66-57, in the quarterfinals on March 14. The effort moved the Miners to  2-2 at the league's pinnacle event under third-year head coach Joe Golding and 15-17 in the tournament since joining CUSA in 2005-06. Golding has directed the Miners into the semifinals for the first time since 2017 and 20th overall (dating to 1984). It is UTEP's eighth showing in the semis since joining CUSA in 2005-06.
 
TAKING AIM AT THE FINALS
UTEP is vying to advance to the conference championship game for the first time since 2011 and third occasion as a CUSA member (2010 is the other). Overall, the Miners have 12 total appearances in the title tilt, winning the WAC Tournament in 1984, 1986, 1989, 1990 and 2005. 
 
GOING BACK IN TIME
Trailing by 12 (54-42) with 10:33 to play in the contest, UTEP rattled off a game-closing 24-3 surge to rally past Liberty, 66-57, inside Propst Arena at the Von Braun Center in the quarterfinals of the Conference USA Championships on March 14. There were four ties and eight lead changes, with the Miners moving ahead for good after two Zid Powell free throws with 3:32 remaining in regulation. The Flames misfired on their final five shots from the floor and were 1-3 at the charity stripe after the game's final lead change.
 
ALL ABOUT THAT BALANCED SCORING
Zid Powell (13 points), 2024 CUSA Freshman of the Year David Terrell Jr. (career-high tying 12 points), All-CUSA Second-Team honoree Tae Hardy (11 points) and Derick Hamilton (10 points) all reached double figures in scoring to lead the way offensively for UTEP against Liberty. The Miners are now 11-1 on the year when at least four players notch double digits in points.
 
INSTANT OFFENSE
Derick Hamilton provided a huge spark off the bench for UTEP, scoring 10 points (all in first half) on 4-5 shooting (2-2 free throws) in only eight minutes of action against Liberty. The junior is now 25-32 (78.1 percent) for 52 points the past seven games (7.4 ppg) while logging only 10.0 mpg during that stretch. Overall, he is producing 4.6 ppg in 6.6 mpg and has hit 70.0 percent (42-60) of his shots this year.
 
GUARDS TOOK OVER LATE
During the Miners' ridiculous 24-3 run over the final 10:33 to power past Liberty, UTEP's guards got it going. Zid Powell (seven points), David Terrell Jr. (six points), Tae Hardy (five points), Corey Camper Jr. (two points) and Trey Horton III (two points) accounted for 22 of the 24 points. Calvin Solomon had the final two points in the sequence.
 
SUFFOCATING DEFENSE LATE
UTEP's defense locked up Liberty late, holding it to three points over the final 10:33 on 1-9 shooting. The Miners also harassed the Flames into committing six of their 15 turnovers in the contest during that sequence to help fuel the big comeback. UTEP was 8-12 from the floor and had only two giveaways in that span.
 
GOT IT DONE AT THE LINE
UTEP drilled 19-22 at the free throw line vs. the Flames on the way to recording a season-high readout of 86.4 percent at the charity stripe. The Miners are now 10-3 on the campaign when nailing at least 70 percent from the line.
 
WHAT PRESSURE?
UTEP was 7-8 at the charity stripe in the final four minutes of the game vs. Liberty, with Zid Powell (5-6) and Trey Horton III (2-2) doing the honors. Horton, who had only attempted 12 free throws all year (9-12, 75.0 percent), calmly sank a pair as UTEP led by five with 18 seconds left to seal Liberty's fate.
 
SHOT IT BETTER
UTEP drilled 47.9 percent (23-48) from the floor compared to Liberty's readout of 44.0 percent (22-50). The Miners improved to 14-2 this year when shooting it better in a game than the opposition.
 
REBOUNDING IT WHEN WE NEED IT MOST
UTEP has won the battle of the boards in three straight games for the first time this season. The Miners had a +7 (33-26) cushion vs. Liberty, improving them to 10-2 this year when outrebounding the opposition. They will have their hands full vs. Sam Houston, which leads the league in offensive rebounds per game (11.9-65th) and is third for rebounding margin (+3.9-65th).
 
WHO NEEDS THE 3-BALL ANYWAY
UTEP's Corey Camper Jr. knocked down a 3-pointer on opening possession of the game, but the Miners proceeded to go 0-8 the rest of the way to finish at a season-low 11.1 percent (1-9) vs. Liberty. UTEP overcame that by nailing a season-best 86.4 percent (19-22) on free throws and filling up 56.4 percent (22-39) from inside the arc.
 
POUNDED THE PAINT
UTEP piled up 40 points in the paint compared to Liberty's 26 down low. The Miners now stand 7-2 this year with 40+ points in the paint.
 
NORMALLY NEED 70+ POINTS
UTEP improved to 3-12 this year when being held to less than 70 points in a game. Incidentally, two of those wins came against Liberty (W, 67-51, March 2 and W, 66-57, March 14), with the other vs. Norfolk State (W, 67-65, Dec. 20). 
 
LONE ONE STANDING
Of the five players voted to the CUSA All-Defensive Team, UTEP's Otis Frazier III is the only one still alive in the league tourney. LA Tech (two members), FIU and Liberty (one player each) were all bounced in the conference quarterfinals.
 
CUSA HONORS POUR IN
Numerous postseason honors from Conference USA were bestowed upon the Miners, the league office revealed on March 11. Tae Hardy was tabbed to the All-CUSA Second Team, David Terrell Jr. was voted as the CUSA Freshman of the Year, Otis Frazier III earned placement on the five-member CUSA All-Defensive team along with securing All-CUSA Honorable-Mention accolades, and the Miners accounted for three of the five individuals on the CUSA All-Freshman Team in the form of Trey Horton III, Elijah Jones and Terrell Jr.
 
GET TO KNOW SAM HOUSTON
Conference USA newcomer Sam Houston has put together an incredible first season as a league member. The 2024 CUSA regular-season champions and No. 1 seed at the conference tournament are riding an eight-game winning streak, including drilling FIU, 78-59, in the quarterfinals on March 13. Sam Houston got ready for the league slate by playing a challenging nonconference schedule (finished 7-8) that included five road losses to Power Five programs. They are 21-6 against everyone else on the year, including sweeping UTEP. The Bearkats are under the direction of first-year head coach and 2024 CUSA Coach of the Year Chris Mudge. Leading the way for the squad is All-CUSA First Team member Lamar Wilkerson (13.8 ppg-ninth CUSA), with fellow junior Davon Barnes (13.6 ppg-10th CUSA) securing All-CUSA Second-Team accolades. Damon Nicholas Jr. (8.1 ppg), Cameron Huefner 7.8 ppg), Marcus Boykin (7.4 ppg), Souleymane Doumbia (6.6 ppg), Jaden Ray (6.5 ppg) and Kian Scroggins (6.0 ppg) give Sam Houston plenty of other scoring threats, which helps it put up 72.4 points per game (sixth CUSA). The Bearkats rebound it well, with Doumbia (5.9 rpg-tied eighth CUSA), Scroggins (5.9 rpg-tied eighth) and Nicholas Jr. (5.4 rpg-14th CUSA) all rating among the top 15 in the league. They have a +3.9 rebounding margin (third CUSA/64th NCAA), getting after it both on the offensive (11.9 orpg-first CUSA/65th NCAA) and defensive (26.3 drpg-third CUSA/88th NCAA) glass. Sam Houston prides itself on its defense by yielding just 69.3 ppg (fourth CUSA/94th NCAA). That is aided by holding foes to 42.6 percent (fourth CUSA) from the floor, including 31.7 percent (third CUSA/71st NCAA) on 3-pointers. At the other end of the court the, Sam Houston knocks down 35.4 percent (third CUSA) from distance. Barnes (58-149, 38.9) at 1.8 3-pointers per game (10th CUSA) and Wilkerson (51-147, 34.7 percent) with 1.7 treys per tilt (11th CUSA) are the primary culprits. UTEP can't afford to send the Bearkats to the charity stripe, as they pace the league with a readout of 73.3 percent from the line. Sam Houston is no worse than sixth in the league in every major stat category except for blocked shots (2.3 bpg-eighth CUSA/316th NCAA) and field-goal percentage (42.5-seventh CUSA/281 NCAA). Notable university alumni include retired Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell, who received the Navy Cross and Purple Heart and inspired the movie, Lone Survivor, Dan Rather (famed national news anchor) and Charlie Wilson, member of US House of Representatives who was portrayed in the movie Charlie Wilson's War featuring Tom Hanks.
 
SERIES HISTORY: UTEP LEADS, 8-2
UTEP won the first eight match-ups with Sam Houston-with each of them in El Paso-but the Bearkats downed the Miners, 60-56, in Huntsville, Texas, on Jan. 27. It was UTEP's first match-up against Sam Houston outside of the Sun City and the first with both competing inside Conference USA. Same Houston then completed the season sweep with a 65-54 win at the Haskins Center on Feb. 24. Prior to the match-ups this year, the two sides last squared off in an 87-68 UTEP victory in the championship contest of the 2015 WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational on Dec. 22, 2015. Head coach Joe Golding is familiar with the Bearkats, having faced them 16 times (17 as head coach at Abilene Christian).
 
ZID IS HOT AT THE RIGHT TIME
Zid Powell has tallied double figures in points in a season-long five straight games (14.0 ppg in stretch) and six of the past seven. He now has 18 double-digit scoring efforts on the year, with UTEP standing 13-5 in those contests.
 
MR. CONSISTENCY
Tae Hardy has been the most consistent player at the offensive end for UTEP in 2023-24. He has reached double figures in scoring in 21 of the past 24 games and a team-best 28 times total this season.
 
A STEALS MACHINE
Otis Frazier III has been a machine all season for steals, but particularly since the turn of the calendar. He has 51 steals in 18 games (2.8 spg) since Jan. 1, with nine contests of three or more. His 71 total steals place him tied for third with Randy Culpepper (2010-11) on the Miners' single-season charts. Tim Hardaway (93, 1988-89; 77, 1987-88) holds the top two spots in the record book for the Orange and Blue. 
 
SHATTERING THE SCHOOL SINGLE-SEASON STEALS MARK
The Miners have piled up a school-record and counting 368 steals, blowing way past the prior school single-season standard of 288 that had been shared by the 2009-10 and 2022-23 teams. UTEP, which leads the nation in both turnovers forced per game (18.9) and steals per game (11.5) now also has the fifth-most steals in a season in CUSA history. The breakdown for the most by CUSA programs (all others except UTEP now former members) in a campaign is as follows:
Team             Total           Year                  GP
UAB                395               2002-03             34
Houston       385               2005-06             31
UAB                382               2004-05             33
UAB                371               2003-04             32
UTEP              368               2023-24             32