Game Book

EL PASO, Texas – The UTEP women's basketball team improved to 2-0 on the season with a 76-61 victory over Nicholls State on Saturday night at the Don Haskins Center.
 
Four Miners scored in double figures, led by Portia Adams, who paced the team with team-highs of 16 points and four assists. Mary Moses Amaniyo followed with 14 points and a team-best eight rebounds, while Ndack Mbengue contributed 12 points and six rebounds. Sirviva Legions also reached double figures with 11 points.  
 
Nicholls State struck first with the opening bucket of the game for its only lead at 3-0 before UTEP erupted for 30 points in the first quarter, its highest scoring period since recording 31 against UAB on Feb. 17, 2023, to take a 30-13 advantage after the first 10 minutes. The Miners biggest run came in the opening frame, a 10-0 burst that flipped the momentum and set the tone early.
 
UTEP continued to build on its lead in the second quarter with a 9-1 run midway through the period, highlighted by Aolani Woldai scoring her first collegiate points to extend the margin to 21. The Miners carried a 45-26 advantage into halftime behind 65.4 percent shooting and 24 points in the paint.
 
The Orange and Blue pushed the margin to as many as 24 points late in the third quarter before Nicholls closed the frame on a 12-3 run to cut the deficit to 15 (61-46) heading into the fourth. The Colonels later pulled within six with 2:24 remaining, but UTEP responded with a 9-0 run, sparked by a three-pointer from Heaven Samayoa-Mathis to put the game away and secure the 76-61 win.
 
"Our intensity and offensive flow were great, I thought we played a great first half," head coach Keitha Adams said "I was proud of our team for keeping our composure in the fourth quarter and doing what we needed to do to get the win. If we can keep guarding and defending, that's what we are going to hang our hat on."
 
UTEP's defense anchored the victory, holding Nicholls State to 35.0 percent shooting from the field and just 20.0 percent from the three-point range. The Miners forced 18 turnovers and limited the Colonels to 26 first-half points. Both teams finished even in rebounds (38-38) and assists (14-14). Offensively, UTEP led for 38:33 of game time compared to just 1:03 for Nicholls, while shooting 45.6 percent from the floor, 28.6 percent from beyond the arc, and 72.0 percent at the line.
 
Sh'Diamond McKnight led Nicholls State with a team-high 10 points. Makayla Charles followed with nine points and five rebounds, while Laryn Scott pulled down a team-best seven boards. Jesslyn Jalomo led the Colonels in assists with three.
 
UP NEXT

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