GAME NOTES (PDF)

EL PASO, Texas - The UTEP women's basketball team continues its season-opening homestand Tuesday, welcoming NM State to GECU Arena at the Don Haskins Center for the 102nd Battle of I-10 rivalry matchup, Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. MT. UTEP will also honor head coach Keitha Adams in recognition of her 20th season leading the program.
 
WHERE TO WATCH: MW+  or Live Stats
 
SCOUTING NM STATE
NM State (1-1) enters Tuesday's matchup coming off a 64-63 home victory over Southern Utah. The Aggies are led by first-year head coach Adeniyi Amadou.
 
On the season, NM State is averaging 60.0 points, 38.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 7.0 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 39.4 percent from the field, 22.2 percent from 3-point range, and 68.3 percent from the free throw line. Defensively, the Aggies have held opponents to 36.4 percent shooting from the field and 26.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc. NM State is forcing 16.5 turnovers per game while committing 18.0 per contest.
 
Raina Tomasicka leads NM State in scoring with 20.0 points per game, along with 5.5 rebounds per contest. Stacy Chovino follows with 15.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while adding a team-tying 2.0 steals per game. Lilyana Fontcha leads the Aggies with 9.5 rebounds per game to go along with 8.0 points per outing.
 
MINER NOTABLES
Four Miners scored in double figures in UTEP's 74-68 win over UIW (Nov. 7). Isabel Joao led the way with 13 points and a team-high 11 rebounds, recording her first double-double at UTEP. Mary Moses Amaniyo added 13 points and five rebounds, while Imani Warren contributed 11 points and three assists. Freshman Krista Lukasevica rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points, while Armanda Sindalawa added a team-high five assists.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Tuesday's matchup marks the 102nd all-time meeting between UTEP and NM State in the Battle of I-10 rivalry, with the Aggies holding a 53-48 advantage. The Miners claimed both meetings during the 2025-26 season.
 
MINERS MOVE TO 2-0
The UTEP women's basketball team improved to 2-0 on the season with a 74-68 victory over UIW (Nov. 7) at GECU Arena at the Don Haskins Center. Four Miners scored in double figures, while UTEP shot 45.8 percent from the field and recorded 36 rebounds, 17 assists and nine steals.
 
UTEP built an early seven-point lead before UIW cut the deficit to three at the end of the first quarter. The Miners responded with an 11-2 second quarter run to take their largest lead at 40-29 before entering halftime ahead 40-34. UIW opened the second half with an 8-0 run to take the lead, but UTEP regained control and entered the fourth ahead 52-50. The Miners opened the final quarter with a 7-0 run before holding off a late Cardinals rally. Armanda Sindalawa sealed the victory with two free throws in the closing seconds.
 
BATTLE OF I-10 HISTORY
Tuesday's matchup marks the 102nd all-time meeting between UTEP and NM State in the Battle of I-10 rivalry. NM State holds a 53-48 advantage in the series entering Tuesday's contest. The Miners swept both meetings during the 2025-26 season, snapping the Aggies' recent run of success in the rivalry.
 
UTEP's largest margin of victory in the series came on Nov. 29, 2011, when the Miners defeated NM State 63-27 inside GECU Arena at the Don Haskins Center. The Orange and Blue also hold the longest winning streak in series history, claiming nine consecutive victories from Nov. 13, 2019, through Jan. 6, 2024.
 
JOÃO MAKES HER MARK
Junior forward Isabel João made an immediate impact in her first two games with UTEP, averaging 11.5 points, a team-high 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game during the Miners' 2-0 opening week.
 
João recorded 10 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals in her UTEP debut against WNMU (Nov. 2) before posting her first double-double as a Miner with 13 points and a team-high 11 rebounds against UIW (Nov. 7).
 
FRESHMAN LUKASEVICA SHINES EARLY
Freshman forward Krista Lukasevica made a strong start to her collegiate career, averaging 12.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting 66.7 percent from the field (10-of-15) during the Miners' 2-0 opening week.
 
Lukasevica recorded 14 points and five rebounds in her collegiate debut against WNMU (Nov. 2) before adding 10 points against UIW (Nov. 7). She also delivered a key basket in the paint with 38 seconds remaining against the Cardinals, extending UTEP's lead to eight points.
 
BENCH PRODUCTION
UTEP has received strong contributions from its bench through the first two games of the season, averaging 35.5 bench points per game to rank among the top 50 nationally. The Miners' reserves accounted for 49 points against WNMU (Nov. 2) and 22 points against UIW (Nov. 7), providing valuable offensive production during UTEP's 2-0 start.
 
MINERS ENTER NEW ERA
UTEP enters the 2026-27 season with a new-look roster as head coach Keitha Adams begins her 20th season at the helm and the Miners prepare for their first season in the Mountain West. UTEP welcomes 10 newcomers, including six college transfers and four freshmen, alongside three returners from last season.
 
Reigning CUSA Sixth Player of the Year Mary Moses Amaniyo headlines the returning group after averaging 8.6 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while shooting 51.7 percent from the field last season. Imani Warren, a 2026 All-CUSA Honorable Mention selection at NM State, brings additional Division I experience after  averaging 12.1 points per game in 2025-26.

MINER MENTOR
The winningest coach in UTEP women's basketball history, Keitha Adams, enters her fourth season back leading the Miners and her 20th overall at the helm of the program. Adams previously guided UTEP from 2001–17, steering the team to four postseason appearances (two NCAA, two WNIT) and four Conference USA championships (three regular season, one tournament).
 
She has collected 322 victories with the Miners and more than 500 wins overall in her career, including 402 at the Division I level.
 
WHO'S BACK
The Miners return 3 letterwinners from last year's roster, including, reigning Conference USA Sixth Player of the Year Mary Moses Amaniyo, Tatiana Collazo, and Aolani Woldai. The trio brings a strong mix of experience and leadership to lead a new-look squad.
 
FRESH FACES
Head Coach Keitha Adams and her staff brought in 10 newcomers for the 2026-27 season, a group that features four freshmen and six transfers. The transfer class includes 2026 All-CUSA Honorable Mention honoree Imani Warren (NM State), 2026 NJCAA All-Americans Isabel Joao (South Plains College), Armanda Sindalawa  and junior college standouts, Wandi Sanches (Odessa College), Zainab Olalekan (Clarendon College) and Dilangue Cruz (South Plains College), who are all expected to provide an immediate boost with their collegiate experience.
 
The freshman class consists of Charlotte Aldridge (Downingtown, Pa. /Downingtown East HS), Kobe Johnson (Houston, TX /North Shore Senior HS), Krista Lukasevica (Riga, Latvia), and Apostolia Zormpala (Kavala, Greece).
 
This blend of experience and youth gives the Miners added depth and versatility heading into the new campaign.
 
INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
UTEP  features a strong international presence in 2026-27, with eight international players on the roster. The Miners represent five countries outside the United States, including Angola, Greece, Latvia, Nigeria, and Uganda. The Miners also bring extensive international experience, with a majority of those players having represented countries in national-team competition.
 
THE COACHING STAFF
Adams is once again joined by Associate Head Coach Ewa Laskowska, who has been on Adams' staff for 26 years. Rounding out the staff are assistant coaches Jareica Hughes, a UTEP alumna who starred under Adams, and Denise Rosario, who joined the Miners in June 2026 after spending the 2024-25 season at Idaho.
 
THE BEAR'S DEN
The Orange and Blue went 10-7 inside GECU Arena at the Don Haskins Center in 2025-26, continuing to show the impact of home-court advantage.
   
SUPPORT THE MINER ATHLETIC CLUB
Help support UTEP student-athletes by making a gift to the Miner Athletic Club. Visit https://am.ticketmaster.com/utep/donor-level/MTY%3D today!
 
For complete coverage of UTEP Women's Basketball, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @UTEPWBB (Twitter/Instagram/Facebook) or visit the official home of UTEP Athletics at UTEPMiners.com.