UTEP Women’s Basketball Welcomes WKU to the Sun City Thursday

1/29/2025 12:07:00 PM

Game Notes (PDF)
Season Statistics (PDF)

EL PASO, Texas. – The UTEP women's basketball team (9-9, 2-5 CUSA) returns to the Don Haskins Center Thursday night when they host WKU (14-5, 5-2 CUSA). Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. MT. The Miners will look to shake off two tough losses from last week.

GAME COVERAGE
Thursday vs WKU — Live Stats or Watch Here

AND THAT'S WHAT YOU MISSED…
UTEP dropped to 9-9 on the season and 2-5 in league play after a tough 84-70 loss to Kennesaw State on Jan. 25. Though five Miners scored in double figures in the contest, they could not find a way to contain the Owls. UTEP shot 43.5 percent (27-62) from the floor, 33.3 percent (4-12) from deep, and 80.0 percent (12-15) from the foul line. The Miners tallied 31 rebounds, 16 assists, and five steals in the game. Portia Adams paced the team with 19 points on 7-15 shooting. Ivane Tensaie (15), Ndack Mbengue (12), Luisa Vydrova (12) and Delma Zita (10) rounded out the top five scorers. Mbengue once again led UTEP on the boards, pulling down 11 rebounds. Zita registered four assists to top the Miners, followed by Irene Asensio and Adams with three apiece. Vydrova snagged a team-high two steals.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE QUEEN
Ndack Mbengue dropped her fifth double-double of the season against Kennesaw State, posting 12 points and 11 rebounds. It marked her third straight game with 10 or more rebounds and her ninth time leading the Miners on the glass.

LEADING THE PACK
Portia Adams led UTEP in scoring against the Owls, tallying 19 points. It was the second straight game in which she led the team in points, and sixth overall.

DELMA'S DISHES
Delma Zita handed out team-high four steals against KSU, marking the 14th time this season that she has registered three or more assists in a contest, including nine occasions of four or more helpers. It was also the 11th time that she has led the Miners in the category.

TENSAIE'S ON TARGET
Ivane Tensaie posted her 13th double-digit scoring effort of the season against the Owls, dropping a solid 15 points. Nine of those points came from beyond the arc, marking the 12th game in which she has drained at least three shots from beyond the arc.

CONNECT FOUR
Luisa Vydrova put up 12 points against Kennesaw State, her fourth straight game with 10 or more points scored.

TENSAIE FOR THREEEEE!
Ivane Tensaie is averaging 2.83 three pointers per game in 2024-25. She leads Conference USA and sits 17th in the country in the category.

FEELIN' FINE AT THE FOUL LINE
UTEP has shot over 75.0 percent (34-43) from the free throw line in three straight games after averaging 62.7 percent (32-51) over the previous three.

GUARDING THE PERIMETER
The Miners are holding opponents to just 27.7 percent shooting form beyond the arc this season, good enough for 63rd in the nation.

SHARP SHOOTING
UTEP has shot 43.5 percent from the field against the Owls. It was the third straight game the Miners have shot 40.0 or more from the floor, and fifth of the last six.

COUNT 'EM UP
The Miners scored at least 70 points for the third straight game against Kennesaw State, marking the longest streak of the season.

HOW MAY WE ASSIST YOU?
UTEP has earned 235 assists on 430 made shot attempts in 2024-25 (54.7 percent). Delma Zita is responsible for 71 of those assists (30.2 percent of all assists).

INTERNATIONAL LOVE
UTEP has 10 international players on their 2024-25 roster. That is the second most in Division I, behind South Florida with 11.

SCOUTING REPORT: WKU
The Lady Toppers are 14-5 on the season, including 5-2 in conference play. They are posting 73.8 points, 32.3 rebounds, and 16.8 assists per game. As a team, WKU is shooting 44.2 percent from the floor, 32.0 percent from distance, and 72.9 percent from the charity stripe. Alexis Mead paces the team with 13.3 points per game, followed by Destiny Salary (12.6), Acacia Hayes (11.4) and Josie Gilvin (10.5). Gilvin and Zsofia Telegdy share the team lead on the boards, pulling down 5.3 apiece. Mead also leads the Lady Toppers in assists (4.0) while Gilvin leads in both steals (2.8) and blocks (0.9). Nationally, WKU is ranked in multiple categories, including steals per game (12.3-14th), turnover margin (7.63-16th), turnovers forced per game (22.0-20th), assists per game (16.8-34th), three pointers per game (7.6-63rd), and scoring offense (73.8-62nd), among others. Individually Gilvin sits 22nd in the NCAA in steals per game (2.79) and Mead ranks 30th in the same category (2.63).

SERIES HISTORY WITH THE LADY TOPPERS
UTEP is 4-8 against WKU all-time. Last season, the Miners went 1-1 against the Lady Toppers, dropping a narrow road contest, but earning the win at home.

FAST FORWARD
Following Thursday's faceoff against WKU, UTEP remains home for two more contests. Up first, T\the Miners take on Middle Tennessee on Saturday (2/1) before welcoming rival NM State on Feb. 8 for the second Battle of I-10 of the campaign.

TICKETS
For tickets, fans can call 915-747-UTEP or visit UTEPMiners.com/Tickets for more information.

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For complete coverage of UTEP women's basketball, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @UTEPWBB (Twitter), @utepwbb (Instagram) and on Facebook or visit the official home of UTEP Athletics at UTEPMiners.com.

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