GAME NOTES (PDF)

EL PASO, Texas- The UTEP women's basketball team (7-0) puts its best start in 10 years on the line Saturday as the Miners travel to unbeaten No. 8 TCU (9-0) for their toughest test of the early season. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. MT/1 p.m. CT. The 7-0 start marks its best at the school since going 8-0 in 2015-16.
 
GAME COVERAGE
Saturday at #8 TCU -  Live Stats or Watch Here
 
SCOUTING #8 TCU
TCU enters Saturday's matchup at 9–0 overall (6-0 at home), riding one of the strongest starts in the nation under head coach Mark Campbell, now in his third season guiding the program. Campbell led the Horned Frogs to their first Big 12 title and an Elite Eight appearance last season. The Horned Frogs' résumé already includes a notable 69–59 win at then-No. 10 NC State on Nov. 16.
 
The Horned Frogs are averaging 85.3 points (16th nationally), 44.6 rebounds (21st nationally), and 20.0 assists per game (11th nationally), while shooting 49.1 percent from the field (15th nationally), 37.5 percent from three (24th nationally), and 74.6 percent at the free-throw line (65th nationally). Defensively, TCU is holding opponents to just 30.1 percent shooting (1st nationally) and 25.6 percent from beyond the arc (47th nationally), while outscoring teams by +35.9 points per game (5th nationally). The Horned Frogs also rank second nationally with 7.0 blocks per contest and commit only 13.1 turnovers per game.
 
TCU is led by Marta Suárez, who averages 19.2 points (35th nationally) and 6.6 rebounds per game. Olivia Miles adds 18.0 points (51st nationally), 7.0 assists (7th nationally), and 6.0 rebounds, while Donovyn Hunter contributes 14.7 points per game. Kennedy Basham anchors the interior with 2.2 blocks per game (16th nationally).
 
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's matchup marks the 13th all-time meeting between UTEP and TCU, with the series currently tied at 6–6. The teams last met on Nov. 23, 2023, at the St. Pete Showcase in St. Petersburg, Fla., where TCU earned an 85–56 victory.
 
MINER NOTABLES
Three Miners scored in double figures as UTEP extended its unbeaten start and protected its perfect home record with a 62-44 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Dec. 3.  Ivane Tensaie led the Miners with 15 points and four rebounds, followed closely by Sirviva Legions with 14 points and eight boards. Ndack Mbengue added nine points and eight rebounds, Portia Adams scored 10 points, and Heaven Samayoa-Mathis sparked the defense with a career-high six steals, while Delma Zita dished a team-high five assists.
 
MINERS REMAIN PERFECT!
UTEP improved to 7-0 on the season with 62-44 win against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Dec. 3, extending its unbeaten start and protecting its perfect home record. The Miners once again showcased balance throughout the lineup and delivered its most dominant defensive outing of the year.
 
UTEP set the tone early with a 13 to 2 run to open the game and held TAMU CC to just 21.7 percent shooting in the first half, including only six points in the second quarter, to build a 29-15 halftime lead. After stretching the margin to 21 in the third quarter, the Miners closed the night with composure, holding the Islanders scoreless over the 3:50 to secure a wire-to-wire victory and remain unbeaten at 6-0 in the Don Haskins Center.
 
HISTORY OF 7-0 STARTS
UTEP's 7-0 start marks just the first in 12 years and the fourth time in in program history the Miners have opened a season with at least seven straight victories. The previous occurrences came in
 

• 2013-14: started 9-0
• 2011-12: started 10-0
• 1996-97: started 7-0

REMAINING UNBEATENS
UTEP enters Saturday's matchup as one of just 19 undefeated teams remaining across NCAA Division I women's basketball and one of only two programs outside the Power Five still unbeaten. The Miners join UMass, representing the Mid-American Conference, as the only non-power-conference teams yet to take a loss.
 
TENSAIE SCORING SURGE CONTINUES
Ivane Tensaie continued her strong offensive rhythm with 15 points and four rebounds in the win over Texas A&M–Corpus Christi, building on the momentum that earned her Conference USA Player of the Week honors on Dec. 2.
 
Tensaie delivered one of the best weeks of her UTEP career to claim the award, 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.
 
LEGIONS LOCKED IN
Sirviva Legions continued her strong early-season play with 14 points and eight rebounds in the win over Texas A&M–Corpus Christi, building off her season-best 17-point, seven-rebound performance against Denver. The senior guard has emerged as one of UTEP's most dependable two-way contributors, providing efficient scoring and consistent production on the glass.
 
Through seven games, Legions is averaging 10.7 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 42.3 percent from the field, giving the Miners a steady presence in the backcourt as they remain unbeaten.
 
MBENGUE ANCHORS THE INTERIOR
Ndack Mbengue continued her dependable interior presence with nine points and eight rebounds in the win over Texas A&M–Corpus Christi, once again impacting the game on both ends of the floor. The senior forward helped UTEP control the paint and contributed to another dominant defensive outing that held the Islanders under 30 percent shooting.
 
Mbengue's performance follows a strong stretch that included back-to-back double-doubles against Kansas City and Denver, where she combined for 30 points and 20 rebounds. Her consistency around the rim and ability to finish, rebound, and defend continue to play a big role for UTEP. 
 
HEAVEN ON THE HEIST
Heaven Samayoa-Mathis turned in a standout defensive performance against Texas A&M–Corpus Christi, recording a career-high six steals to help fuel UTEP's dominant effort on that end of the floor. The sophomore guard's activity in the passing lanes set the tone early, contributing to the Islanders' 21 turnovers and prolonged scoring droughts throughout the night.
 
Samayoa-Mathis has continued to impact games with her defensive instincts and energy, helping the Miners hold all seven opponents to fewer than 65 points.
 
MINERS STEP INTO RANKED TERRITORY
Saturday's matchup at No. 8 TCU marks UTEP's first game against a ranked nonconference opponent in nearly five years. The Miners last faced a ranked nonconference team on Dec. 7, 2019, when they hosted No. 20 Arizona at the Don Haskins Center.
 
This weekend's contest presents UTEP's toughest challenge of the early season and offers a rare opportunity to measure itself against a nationally recognized opponent.
 
REWIND TO THE WNIT: UTEP TAKES DOWN TCU
UTEP's most recent victory over TCU came on March 24, 2016, when the Miners defeated the Horned Frogs 79–71 in the Postseason WNIT at the Don Haskins Center.
 
The win advanced UTEP to the tournament's quarterfinal round, where the Miners hosted Oregon four days later. Despite a strong effort, UTEP fell 71–67 to the Ducks, ending one of the program's most memorable postseason runs.
 
GOING BACK-TO-BACK
UTEP has 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. Ivane Tensaie earned this week's award following a record-setting performance from beyond the arc, coming on the heels of last week's selection of Mary Moses Amaniyo. The Miners' last set of consecutive weekly honorees came in 2014, when Kayla Thornton earned the award on Jan. 27 and Feb. 3.
 
UTEP'S DEFENSE FUELS HISTORIC START
UTEP is one of only five Division I programs this season to remain undefeated while holding every opponent under 65 points, joining Georgia, Michigan State, TCU, and Washington in the elite defensive group.
 
The Miners' defensive consistency marks the longest streak by a Conference USA program to open a season since Southern Miss in 2003–04, when the Golden Eagles began their campaign by holding their first 10 opponents below the mark.
 
The last time UTEP held its first seven opponents to under 65 points was 29 years ago ('96-97), when 11 straight foes were held to below 65 out of the gates.
 
EXTRA EFFORT, EXTRA POINTS
UTEP converted its rebounding strength into reliable scoring, dominating opponents 126–42 in second-chance points through its first seven games. The Miners have recorded double-digit second-chance production in all seven outings, highlighted by a 17–0 margin in the overtime win over UT Martin and a season-best 26 against WNMU.
 
So far this season, UTEP is averaging 18.0 second-chance points per contest while limiting opponents to just 6.0, turning effort and offensive rebounding into a reliable scoring advantage.
 
NATIONALLY ELITE ON THE GLASS
UTEP has established itself as one of the top rebounding teams in the country, entering the week averaging 47.9 rebounds per game (6th nationally) and owning a +12.0-rebounding margin (18th nationally). The Miners also rank fifth in the nation in offensive rebounds per game at 18.1, 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.
 
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 Amanyo 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.
 
UP NEXT
UTEP continues nonconference play with a second straight road test at BYU (Dec. 13) before returning to the Don Haskins Center for two home matchups against UC Irvine (Dec. 18) and NAIA opponent University of the Southwest (Dec. 29) to close out its nonconference schedule.  
JOIN THE 915 Campaign
UTEP Athletics has launched the "915 Campaign." Fans can support the UTEP Women's Basketball Excellence Fund, which directly impacts the success of UTEP student-athletes. To join the "915 Campaign" and become a difference maker for UTEP Athletics, please click here. 
 
Help support UTEP student-athletes by making a gift to the Miner Athletic Club.
Visit  https://am.ticketmaster.com/utep/quick-donate/NTExNA%3D%3D today!
 
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.