UTEP WBB Opens CUSA Championships Against Kennesaw State

3/10/2025 4:50:00 PM

Game Notes (PDF)
Season Statistics (PDF)

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.– The UTEP women's basketball team (11-18, 4-14 CUSA) takes on Kennesaw State (12-17, 7-11 CUSA) in the first round of the 2025 Conference USA Basketball Championships Tuesday. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. MT/ 2 p.m. CT. Jon Teicher (44th year) and Steve Yellen (22nd year) will be on the call on "The Home of UTEP Basketball" 600 ESPN El Paso, with audio airing on the UTEP Miners app as well. It will also be streamed on ESPN+

GAME COVERAGE
Tuesday vs. Kennesaw State – Live Stats, Listen Along, or Watch Here

AND THAT'S WHAT YOU MISSED…
UTEP fell to 11-18, 4-14 in conference play following a 69-51 loss to LA Tech in the final game of the 2024-25 regular season. The Miners shot 35.1 percent (20-57) from the field, 11.1 percent (1-9) from distance, and 83.3 percent (10-12) from the foul line in the contest. The Miners tallied 34 rebounds, 14 assists, eight steals, and two blocks. Luisa Vydrova paced the team with 17 points, followed by Ndack Mbengue with 12. Mbengue pulled down a game-best 10 rebounds while Vydrova added six and Delma Zita recorded five. Zita handed out a game-high six assists while Irene Asensio added three. Zita and Heaven Samayoa-Mathis shared the game-lead in steals with two apiece while Mbengue and Dunja Zecevic tallied

MINER NOTABLES
Ivane Tensaie leads the Miners with 12.7 points per game, while Luisa Vydrova (9.8) and Portia Adams (9.5) are averaging just under 10 points apiece. Ndack Mbengue pulls down a team-best 7.3 rebounds per game, followed by Vydrova at 5.5. Delma Zita is handing out 3.6 assists per game with Adams sitting second at 2.5. Irene Asensio snags a team-leading 1.1 steals per game. Dunja Zecevic and Mbengue each swat a team-best 0.7 blocks per game. Mbengue is shooting a team-best 55.2 percent from the floor while Tensaie leads from three (38.1). Tensaie, Zita, and Adams are all hitting 80.0 or better from the foul line at 85.0, 83.3, and 81.7, respectively.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE QUEEN
Ndack Mbengue recorded her ninth double-double of the season against the Lady Techsters with a 12-point, 10-rebound performance. It marked her 13th double-figure scoring game and 11th double-figure rebounding outing. Additionally, it was Mbengue's 16th time leading UTEP in rebounding on the year.

LIGHTS OUT
Luisa Vydrova led the Miners with 17 points against LA Tech. She shot 61.5 percent (8-13) from the field. It was her 15th double-digit scoring effort of the season and fifth time leading the team in points.

DELMA's DISHES
Delma Zita tallied six assists against the Lady Techsters, marking the 21st game this season that she has recorded three or more assists. Moreover, it was the 17th time she has paced the team in assists.

100 CLUB
Delma Zita surpassed 100 assists in 2024-25 with her six helpers against LA Tech. It is the first time in her career that she has tallied 100 or more assists in a season and is the first time that a Miner has hit the century mark since the 2021-22 season when Katia Gallegos earned 111.

CLIMBING THE RANKS
Delma Zita's 105 assists in 2024-25 tie for sixth-most dimes in a single season by a UTEP senior. She shares sixth with former Miner Sharon Jackson (1983-83) and is five helpers away from catching Terri Pendregon (1994-95), who is fifth on the list for UTEP seniors.

TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK
Ivane Tensaie has tallied two or fewer turnovers in 24 games this season, including nine with zero giveaways. She is averaging just 1.2 turnovers per game in 24-25.

FREE HANDOUTS
Irene Asensio recorded three assists against Sam Houston, her 11th game this year with at least three helpers.

TENSAIE FOR THREEEEE!
Ivane Tensaie is averaging 2.7 threes per game in 2024-25, good enough for 19th in the nation in the category.

SHARING THE WEALTH
Of the nine UTEP players who saw action against LA Tech, eight of them tallied at least two points. Additionally, seven pulled down at least one rebound and six recorded a steal in the contest.

ON THE LINE
The Miners shot 83.3 percent (10-12) from the charity stripe against the Lady Techsters, marking the fourth time in the last six games that they have hit that mark or higher from the line.

HOW MAY WE ASSIST YOU?
The Miners have registered 373 assists in 656 made shot attempts this season (56.9 percent). Delma Zita has tallied 105 of those, or 28.1 percent of all assists.

BAND OF THIEVES
UTEP has snagged six or more steals in eight straight games. They have registered 64 steals in that span, after recording 38 over the previous eight games.

ON TARGET
Three Miners are shooting 50.0 percent or better from the floor in 2024-25. Ndack Mbengue leads the team at 55.2 percent, followed by Osadebamwen Igbinedion Omoruyi (51.7) and Luisa Vydrova (51.0).

FEELIN' FINE AT THE FOUL LINE
Five Miners are shooting 75.0 percent or above from the charity stripe, including three hitting 80.0 or higher. Ivane Tensaie paces the team at 85.0 percent, followed by Delma Zita (83.3), Portia Adams (81.7), Luisa Vydrova (78.8), and Irene Asensio (77.8).

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: KENNESAW STATE
The Owls are 12-17 on the year, including 7-11 in league play. Kennesaw State is averaging 62.5 points, 35.6 rebounds, and 12.0 assists per game. The team is shooting 39.4 percent from the floor, 25.3 percent from beyond the arc, and 70.9 percent from the foul line. Prencis Harden leads the Owls with 15.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks per game. Keyarah Berry (11.9), Carly Hooks (10.5), Keiara Griffin (9.5), and Lee Lee Willis (5.2) round out the top five scorers for KSU. Berry sits second on the team in rebounds (5.9) and snags a team-high 1.4 steals (1.4). Hooks dishes out a team-best 3.4 assists per game and shares the team lead in steals (1.4) with Berry. Griffin leads the team in field-goal percentage (49.6) while Willis leads in both three-point percentage (34.3) and free-throw percentage (76.6). Nationally, the Owls rank 37th in three-point percentage defense (27.8), 70th in free throw attempts per game (18.34), and 79th in free throws made per game (13.0). Individually, Harden is ranked in multiple categories. She sits 13th in the NCAA in defensive rebounds per game (7.6), 17th in double doubles (15), and 19th in rebounds per game (10.2). She also ranks 32nd in total rebounds (297), 58th in free throw attempts (161), and 61st in made free throws (123).

SERIES HISTORY WITH THE OWLS
UTEP is 0-2 all-time against Kennesaw State, having lost in both regular-season contests between the two in 2024-25.

FAST FORWARD
If the Miners emerge victorious against Kennesaw State on Tuesday, they will advance to take on 2-seed Middle Tennessee in the quarterfinals Wednesday. A loss, however, would conclude the campaign with UTEP finishing at 11-19.

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