UTEP Women’s Basketball Clashes with Liberty Saturday

2/14/2025 4:14:00 PM

Game Notes (PDF)
Season Statistics (PDF)

LYNCHBURG, Va. – The UTEP women's basketball team (9-13, 2-9 CUSA) are set to take on Liberty (17-6, 10-2 CUSA) Saturday afternoon in Lynchburg. Tipoff is slated for 12 p.m. MT / 2 p.m. ET.

GAME COVERAGE
Saturday vs Liberty— Live Stats or Watch Here

AND THAT'S WHAT YOU MISSED…
UTEP was upended by FIU 83-66 on Thursday, dropping UTEP to 9-13 on the year and 2-9 in conference play. The Miners shot 44.1 percent (26-59) from the field, 15.0 percent (3-20) from three, and 73.3 percent (11-15) from the foul line. They pulled down 34 rebounds and registered 20 assists, eight steals, and two blocks in the contest. Portia Adams led UTEP with 17 points and also added four rebounds, three assists, and one steal to her final stat line. Luisa Vydrova dropped 15 points to go with a team-high seven rebounds. Ndack Mbengue also finished in double figures with 13 while Ivane Tensaie just missed the mark, posting nine points. Mary Moses Amaniyo scored seven while she and Irene Asensio joined Adams with four rebounds each. Delma Zita shared the game lead with five assists, followed by Tensaie with four. Asensio also chipped in three assists while snagging team-best two steals. Amaniyo and Mbengue tallied one block each.

MINER NOTABLES
Three Miners are averaging double-figures in scoring, Ivane Tensaie (13.5), and Portia Adams (10.7), and Luisa Vydrova (10.1). Ndack Mbengue pulls down a team-best 7.2 rebounds per game, followed by Vydrova at 5.7. Delma Zita is handing out 3.8 assists per game with Adams sitting second at 2.5. Adams and Irene Asensio share the team lead in steals at 1.0 apiece. Dunja Zecevic swats a team-best 0.8 blocks per game. Mbengue is shooting a team-best 58.0 percent from the floor while Tensaie leads from three (38.8). Tensaie, Zita, Vydrova, and Adams are all hitting 80.0 or better from the foul line at 82.4, 82.1, 82.1, and 80.3, respectively.

FIRST OF MANY
Aaliyah Davis, Heaven Samayoa-Mathis, and Osadebamwen Igbinedion Omoruyi all earned their first career starts for the Miners against the Panthers.

ADAMS IS ALL OVER THE STAT SHEET
Portia Adams posted a team-high 17 points at FIU while also tallying four rebounds, three assists, and one steal on the night. Her scoring total marked the seventh time this season that she has led UTEP in scoring, and 12th in which she has posted 10 or more points.

TAKING THE LEAD
Luisa Vydrova pulled down seven rebounds against the Panthers, the most of any Miner. It was her ninth time leading UTEP on the glass this season. She also was strong offensively, scoring 15 points on 70.0 percent (7-10) shooting for her 13th double-digit scoring effort of the campaign.

COUNT 'EM UP
Ndack Mbengue tallied her ninth game with 10 or more points this season. dropping 13 at FIU.

DELMA's DISHES
Delma Zita dished out a game-high five assists against the Panthers, marking her 14th time leading the Miners in the category. It was also the 16th occasion in which she has posted three or more assists in a game.

HANDING OUT FREEBIES
Ivane Tensaie registered a career-high four assists at FIU. Her tally tied for second of all players in the game.

TENSAIE FOR THREEEEE!
Ivane Tensaie is averaging 2.82 threes per game in 2024-25, placing her 12th in the nation in the category.

MAKING THE MOST OF IT
Mary Moses Amaniyo posted seven points for the second straight game against the Panthers. She also added four rebounds, one steal, and one block in 15 minutes of action.

SWIPER KEEP SWIPING
Irene Asensio snagged two steals at FIU to lead all UTEP players, her fifth time this season leading the Miners in steals.

HELPING HANDS
The Miners recorded 20 assists against the Panthers, the second most in a single game on the campaign.

ON TARGET
UTEP shot 44.1 percent from the floor at FIU, marking the sixth time in the last seven games that they have hit 40.0 percent of better. It was also the highest shooting percentage for the team over the last five games.

CRASH THE GLASS
The Miners grabbed 15 offensive rebounds against the Panthers. It marks the fourth straight game with 10 or more offensive boards and longest such streak of the season. UTEP also out rebounded its opponent (34-31) for the fourth time in the last six contests.

HOW MAY WE ASSIST YOU?
The Miners have recorded 287 assists in 513 made shot attempts this season (55.9 percent).

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: LIBERTY
The Lady Flames are 17-6 on the season, including 10-2 in CUSA play. They are averaging 72.7 points, 39.1 rebounds, and 15.5 assists per game. Liberty is shooting 46.5 percent from the floor, 36.3 percent from distance, and 74.5 percent from the foul line in 2024-25. Bella Smuda paces the team in points (12.0), rebounds (6.5) and blocks (1.9). Asia Boone (10.2) and Emma Hess (10.1) are also putting up double figures in scoring. Elisabeth Aegisdottir (6.0) and Emmy Stout (4.8) rank second and third in rebounds, respectively. Hess and Jordan Hodges are both dishing out 2.4 assists per game to lead the Lady Flames while Aegisdottir snags a team-best 1.0 steals per game. As a team, Liberty is ranked in multiple stat categories. They sit 13th in bench points per game (28.1), 19th in both blocks per game (4.8) and three-point percentage (36.3), 23rd in rebound margin (7.6), 24th in field goal percentage (46.5), 38th in field goal percentage defense (37.1), 53rd in defensive rebounds per game (27.4) and 55th in three pointers per game (7.7). They also rank 62nd in scoring margin (11.3), 63rd in assists per game (15.5), 79th in rebounds per game (39.1) , and 81st in free throw percentage (74.5). Individually, Smuda is ranked 22nd in field goal percentage (56.9) and 36th in both blocks per game (1.91) and total blocks (44).

SERIES HISTORY WITH THE LADY FLAMES
UTEP is 0-3 all time against Liberty. Earlier this season, the Miners fell 75-64 at home on 1/16/25.

FAST FORWARD
The Miners are back home next week when they welcome Kennesaw State (2/20) and Jax State (2/22) to the Don Haskins Center.

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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