GAME NOTES (PDF)
EL PASO, Texas — The UTEP women's basketball team (7–3) continues its homestand on Monday as the Miners host NAIA opponent University of the Southwest at the Don Haskins Center. Tipoff is set for 7 PM M.T. UTEP enters the matchup 6–1 at home, looking to build momentum in the second game of a four-game homestand and reassert its presence on its home floor.
GAME COVERAGE
Monday vs USW –
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SCOUTING USW
USW enters Monday's matchup at 4–9 overall and 2–6 on the road, looking to snap an eight-game losing streak following a 78–54 road loss to Texas A&M–Texarkana on Dec. 20. The Mustangs are led by head coach Steven Barker, who is in his second season guiding the program.
The Mustangs are averaging 64.1 points, 33.7 rebounds, and 12.5 assists per game, while shooting 36.1 percent from the field, 27.7 percent from three, and 75.0 percent at the free-throw line. Defensively, the Mustangs are allowing opponents to shoot 43.7 percent from the field and 27.8 percent from beyond the arc, while surrendering 78.4 points per game.
USW is led by Brianna Montoya, who paces the Mustangs with 14.3 points per game. Seniya Wilson matches that scoring average at 14.3 points per contest and adds a team-best 4.5 assists per game, providing a steady presence in the backcourt. Michaela Ray anchors the interior, contributing 10.6 points and a team-leading 7.4 rebounds per game, rounding out USW's primary contributors.
MINER NOTABLES
Three Miners reached double figures as UTEP opened its four-game homestand with an 89–72 loss against UC Irvine on Dec. 18.
Portia Adams scored a season-high 18 points to lead UTEP, while
Ndack Mbengue added 17 points and a team-high six rebounds.
Ivane Tensaie finished with 11 points, and
Delma Zita dished out a team-high five assists as UTEP continued to compete from start to finish.
SERIES HISTORY
Monday's matchup marks the first all-time meeting between UTEP and USW.
ADAMS HEATING UP
Portia Adams delivered her best offensive performance of the season with a season-high 18 points in the loss to UC Irvine, continuing to provide a steady scoring presence for the Miners. The junior guard previously scored 16 points against Nicholls on Nov. 8, marking another strong outing early in the campaign.
Adams currently leads UTEP in three-point percentage at .388, offering consistent perimeter production. Last season, she finished as the Miners' second-leading scorer (10.0 ppg) and reached double figures 15 times, underscoring her ability to contribute reliable offense in key moments.
LEGIONS LOCKED IN
Sirviva Legions continued her steady early-season production with 13 points and four rebounds at BYU, marking her fourth consecutive game in double figures. The senior guard has now scored in double figures while adding five or more rebounds in five of UTEP's first eight games, showcasing her reliability on both ends of the floor as one of the Miners' most dependable two-way performers.
Legions followed with nine points and five rebounds in the loss to UC Irvine, after previously tallying 10 points and six rebounds at No. 8 TCU (Dec. 6) and posting a season-best 17 points and seven boards against Denver (Nov. 29). Through 10 games, she is averaging 10.7 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 39.2 percent from the field.
MBENGUE'S CONSISTENCY IN THE PAINT
Ndack Mbengue continued her strong interior presence with 17 points and six rebounds against UC Irvine, following a stretch that included 10 points and 10 rebounds at No. 8 TCU to secure her third double-double of the season, all of which have come over the last five games. She also added seven rebounds at BYU and has now recorded 10 or more boards in five of her last seven contests.
Her recent run includes a career-high 18 points and 10 rebounds at Kansas City (Nov. 25), part of back-to-back double-doubles against the Roos and Denver in which she totaled 30 points and 20 rebounds. Mbengue enters the week ranked among the top 75 nationally in rebounds per game, and her consistency around the rim continues to solidify her role as one of UTEP's most impactful interior contributors.
AMANIYO'S BOARD WORK REMAINS ELITE
Mary Moses Amaniyo has continued to anchor UTEP on the glass through the first 10 games of the season, providing a strong interior presence and consistent rebounding production. The sophomore forward is averaging 9.6 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, becoming the first Miner to average at least 9.0 points and 10.0 rebounds through the first 10 games since Tamara Seda in 2017–18 (14.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg).
Amaniyo ranks 26th nationally and third in Conference USA in rebounds per game, while sitting top 10 nationally in offensive rebounds per game (4.5). She also ranks inside the nation's top 50 and third in Conference USA with four double-doubles, reinforcing her role as one of the country's most productive rebounders and a key anchor in UTEP's frontcourt.
HEAVEN ON THE HEIST
Heaven Samayoa-Mathis turned in a standout defensive performance against TAMU-CC (Dec. 3), recording a career-high six steals to help fuel UTEP's dominant effort on that end of the floor. She became the first Miner to record six or more steals in a game since the 2023–24 season, when Erin Wilson tallied six steals against WKU on Feb. 15, 2024.
Samayoa-Mathis has continued to impact games with her defensive instincts and energy, helping the Miners hold their first seven opponents to fewer than 65 points before conceding 90 at No. 8 TCU.
TENSAIE FOR THREEE!
Ivane Tensaie delivered one of the best weeks of her UTEP career to claim Conference USA Player of the Week honors, highlighted by a season-high 26 points on 8 for 12 shooting from three against Denver on Nov. 29. Her eight made three-pointers set a UTEP single-game record, surpassing her previous mark of seven. Earlier in the week, she added 19 points on 5 for 8 from beyond the arc in the road win at Kansas City (Nov. 25).
The graduate guard's efficient perimeter scoring continues to provide a major spark for UTEP's offense as the Miners remain unbeaten.
GOING BACK-TO-BACK
UTEP recently secured Conference USA Player of the Week recognition in consecutive weeks, marking the program's first back-to-back honors since the 2013–14 season.
Mary Moses Amaniyo earned the award first, followed the next week by
Ivane Tensaie after her record-setting performance from beyond the arc. The Miners' last pair of consecutive honorees prior to this season came in 2014, when Kayla Thornton earned the award on Jan. 27 and Feb. 3.
DEFENSE DEFINES THE MINERS
UTEP opened the year with an impressive defensive run, holding its first seven opponents under 65 points. The streak marked the longest by any Conference USA program to begin a season since Southern Miss accomplished the feat in 2003–04, holding its first 10 opponents below the threshold.
It was also the first time in 29 years that UTEP started a season with seven straight opponents under 65 points. The last occurrence came during the 1996–97 campaign, when the Miners limited 11 consecutive opponents below the mark to open the year.
EXTRA EFFORT, EXTRA POINTS
UTEP converted its rebounding strength into reliable scoring, dominating opponents 149–87 in second-chance points through ten games. The Miners recorded double-digit second-chance production in each of their first seven outings, highlighted by a 17–0 margin in the overtime win over UT Martin and a season-best 26 against WNMU. They had nine such points at No. 8 TCU.
So far this season, UTEP is averaging 14.9 second-chance points per contest while limiting opponents to just 8.5, turning effort and offensive rebounding into a consistent scoring advantage.
NATIONALLY ELITE ON THE GLASS
UTEP has established itself as one of the top rebounding teams in the country, entering Monday's game averaging 43.1 rebounds per game (25th nationally). The Miners also rank 16th in the nation in offensive rebounds per game at 16.4, consistently generating extra possessions that fuel their scoring.
UTEP's rebounding prowess was on full display against Western New Mexico, where the Miners grabbed a program-record 33 offensive rebounds and finished with 64 total boards, their highest single-game total since collecting 66 against the Mustangs in 2016. The sustained dominance on the glass continues to be a defining strength of UTEP's early-season success.
BACK-TO-BACK POWER 4 TESTS
UTEP's game at BYU (Dec. 13) marked its second straight contest against a Power 4 opponent, following its Dec. 6 road game at No. 8 TCU. It was the Miners' first stretch of consecutive Power 4 opponents in eight seasons.
The last occurrence came during the 2016–17 campaign, when UTEP faced LSU (Nov. 24, 2016) and NC State (Nov. 25, 2016) on back-to-back days at the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
QUARTER FRENZY
Ivane Tensaie has joined one of the rarest scoring lists in program history. With her previous 14-point third quarter at Kansas City (Nov. 25) and 13-point fourth quarter vs. FIU last season (Jan. 18, 2025), she is now one of only four players in UTEP history to record multiple quarters with 13+ points.
The exclusive list includes:
- Sparkle Taylor - Four times ('16-17)
- Najala Howell - Three times ('17-18)
- Katarina Zec - Two times ('17-18) ('19-20)
AMANIYO JOINS ELITE COMPANY
Mary Moses Amaniyo continued to establish herself as one of the nation's elite rebounders, posting two of the top performances in program history within the first month of the season. She opened the year with a UTEP-record 22 rebounds against PVAMU (Nov. 3) and later grabbed 18 boards in the win over UT Martin (Nov.22).
Amaniyo is the first Miner since Kayla Thornton in 2013-14 to record multiple games with 18 or more rebounds in the same season. Her presence on the glass continues to anchor UTEP's interior play and generate critical extra-possession opportunities.
SENIOR 5
For the first time since UTEP began tracking lineup records in 1983, the Miners are starting an all-senior lineup. The veteran group provides experience, leadership, and stability, anchoring UTEP's strong start to the season.
UP NEXT
UTEP will continue its homestand by opening Conference USA play at home against CUSA newcomer Delaware (Jan. 2) before hosting Liberty (Jan. 4).
TICKETS
For tickets, fans can call 915-747-UTEP or visit
https://am.ticketmaster.com/utep/buy?filterType=97 for more information.
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