Game Book In PDF Format
EL PASO, Texas – Jamal West Jr. registered his second double-double (16 points, 13 rebounds) of the year while
Caleb Blackwell (career-high 18 points, career-best seven assists),
Kaseem Watson (17 points) and
Elijah Jones (10 points) got after it as well, but the UTEP men's basketball team suffered a hard-fought 72-71 loss at the hands of the defending MEAC champions Norfolk State in the opening round of the 2025 WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational Sunday Night.
After the Miners (3-7) bolted to 21-15 lead midway through the first half, the Spartans (6-8) punched back and closed the period on a 27-11 surge to send UTEP down by 10 (42-32) at the break. The deficit eventually swelled to as many as 13, but the Orange and Blue refused to quit and fought all the way back to tie the tilt at 68 with 1:06 remaining in regulation. NSU scored the next four points at the line to regain the advantage, allowing it to hold on even after Blackwell banged home a 3-pointer with 0.9 seconds left.
UTEP shot 47.3 percent (26-55) from the floor, won the rebounding battle (38-33) and registered 10 steals, but the Miners couldn't overcome a tough night at the charity stripe (12-27, 44.4 percent). NSU filled up 45.1 percent (23-51) of its shots while also doing enough at the line (19-30, 63.3 percent) to stem the rally. There were six ties and four lead changes, but the visitors never trailed in the second half.
Blackwell ran the offense effectively as well with his seven helpers.
KJ Thomas made a contribution from the bench with five points and four assists.
"The tougher team won the basketball game tonight. Give Norfolk State credit, they were the tougher team," UTEP head coach
Joe Golding said. "It started in the last 10 minutes of the first half, and they deserved the game. They made the tough plays. Credit to them, they're a well-coached team. We've got to make winning plays and have guys step up. We can't go 12-27 from the free-throw line. I'm the head coach. It starts with me. It's my responsibility."
NSU took a 4-0 lead two minutes into the game before UTEP answered with six straight. Jones started it with a hook shot that was followed by back-to-back buckets from West Jr, including a dunk on a fastbreak with the feed from Blackwell. The Spartans tied things up on their next possession, but Jones splashed home a trey to immediately reinstate the lead.
After the visitors got within one (9-8), Blackwell flew to the hoop for an athletic layup that split the defense. A mini push from NSU allowed it to snag a one-point edge (15-14, 12:28), but Blackwell's 3-pointer on the ensuing trip sent the Miners back in front. The bucket sparked a 7-0 run, with West Jr. slamming home a dunk on a bullet pass by Thomas and Blackwell putting the defense on skates for another layup. The result was UTEP leading by six (21-15) midway through the half.
The advantage remained at six (25-19, 7:32, 1H) before a 9-0 push over the next four minutes allowed NSU to pull ahead by three (28-25, 3:29, 1H).
Kaseem Watson splashed home a corner 3-pointer to stop the surge and tie the tilt. NSU countered with a 14-4 push as UTEP fell behind by 10 (42-32) heading to halftime.
The Spartans sank a trey on the first possession of the second stanza, going out by 13. UTEP answered with a 7-0 run to creep within six (45-39, 17:40, 2H). West Jr. started things with a basket before a floating layup from Blackwell and an old-fashioned 3-point play by Jones. NSU nailed a triple to end the sequence and eventually reinstated a double-digit cushion (51-41, 15:37, 2H).
UTEP still was down by 10 (53-43, 14:38, 2H), but it didn't fret. Rather, the Orange and Blue peeled off six straight, including a tip-in from
Mouhamed Mbaye and a dunk by Jones to cut the margin to four (53-49, 11:31, 2H). NSU punched back to go ahead by seven, but the Miners kept coming to get within two (60-58, 7:56, 2H) after two free throws from Thomas and a layup from
Kaseem Watson.
NSU got a putback and a make at the charity stripe to extend the differential to five (63-58, 4:48, 2H).
Kaseem Watson sank two free throws, allowing the Orange and Blue to bring it to a one-possession affair (63-60). NSU had a response, though, with a triple from the left corner.
The Miners tallied the next four points, including three straight free throws after
Kaseem Watson, to come within two (66-64, 3:19, 2H). NSU got two free throws, but West Jr. matched those points with a transition layup as UTEP once again found itself down by just two (68-66, 1:28, 2H). The Miners then got a steal and a score to tie the tilt, with Blackwell finishing in transition. The Spartans split a pair of free throws on the next trip, taking a one-point edge (69-68) as result.
UTEP misfired on its next trip, and it was forced to foul. NSU made both to make it a three-point game (71-68) with 20 seconds remaining in regulation. After another missed shot, the Spartans got a much-needed insurance free throw. That allowed them to survive Blackwell's trey with 0.9 seconds left.
UTEP will lock up with North Dakota State at 5 p.m. in the third/fourth-place game of the event on Monday.
Jon Teicher (45th year) and Steve Yellen (23rd year) will be on the call on "The Home of UTEP Basketball" 600 ESPN El Paso and the UTEP Miners' App. It will also be streamed on the Sun Bowl Association's YouTube channel and broadcast locally on KFOX.
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