Game Book
EL PASO, Texas – Jamal West Jr. posted a double-double (19 points, 11 rebounds) while
Caleb Blackwell and
LA Hayes added 10 points each, but Conference USA leading scoring Mostapha El Moutaouakkil hit a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer as the UTEP men's basketball team was defeated by Jax State, 64-61, on "Senior Day" at the Don Haskins Center Saturday afternoon.
After the contest went back-and-forth, the Gamecocks (15-16, 10-10 CUSA) unleashed a 16-1 run midway through the second half to turn the Miners' (11-20, 7-13 CUSA) 39-36 lead into a 52-40 advantage for the visitors with 8:33 to play. As they have done so all year long, the home side regrouped and ripped off nine straight to get right back into the contest. UTEP eventually came all the way back to tie things at 61 on a pair of clutch free throws by West Jr. with eight seconds left. Jax State bolted up the court and found El Moutaouakkil for the dagger as the clock expired.
The Miners connected on 41.7 percent (20-48) from the floor, but it was hindered by finishing at 27.8 percent (5-18) rom distance. The Gamecocks connected on 41.2 percent (21-51) overall, including 43.8 percent (7-16) from beyond-the-arc.
KJ Thomas tallied eight points to nearly reach double digits as well.
Elijah Jones (six points),
Cassius Brooks (two points),
Trey Horton III (two points) and
Kaseem Watson (two points) also put their names in the scoring column.
With the setback, the 2025-26 campaign comes to a close for Golding's charges. The Miners will put in plenty of work in the offseason in preparation for joining the Mountain West Conference for the 2026-27 season.
"(Today) kind of sums up our year. These guys have fought all year," UTEP head coach
Joe Golding said. "Things weren't going our way for about 33 minutes, but they kept battling and fighting to try to find a way to get back in the game. Obviously, it was a gut punch at the end of the game."
After consecutive scores to start the game for the visitors, Blackwell buried a 3-pointer to get the Miners on the board. Three free throws from the visitors stretched it back to four (7-3) heading to the first media timeout, with UTEP a bit sluggish out of the gates.
West Jr. ended the drought by putting his head down to get a layup, but JSU answered with consecutive 3-pointers as UTEP slipped behind by eight (13-5, 13:08, 1H). The Miners finally started to get settled, striking back with a 7-0 surge. West Jr. found a cutting Hayes for a jumper to start things off. Hayes then added a pair of free throws. After a steal, UTEP bolted up the court and Brooks rattled home a triple to cut the deficit to one (13-12, 10:59, 1H).
The two sides traded scores the next couple of minutes before Horton III nailed a corner 3-pointer to even the ledger at 17 (8:34, 1H). Jax State countered with a 7-2 push, with the Miners down by five (24-19) as result. West Jr. then went to work and used an array of moves to get a layup before Blackwell buried the trey to knot the affair at 24.
Both teams started to click offensively, with West Jr. going coast-to-coast before spinning and scoring on a fadeaway jumper that put UTEP up by one (29-28, 1:27, 1H). Back-to-back late scores from the Gamecocks allowed them to hold a tiny edge (32-29) heading into halftime.
UTEP opened the second half on an 8-2 run to vault in front by three (37-34). West Jr. had six of those points, including a pair of layups, while also knocking down a jumper. Blackwell added a reverse layup on a nice feed from Watson.
The Miners remained in front by three (39-36, 15:17) before a 16-1 run by the visitors flipped the script. When the dust had settled, the deficit was 12 (52-40, 8:33, 2H). UTEP took the hit, and it punched right back with nine straight to cut the margin to three (52-49, 5:34, 2H).
Jax State, which had missed six straight and seven of eight, drilled a triple to halt it and go back up by six. UTEP kept battling, getting a free throw from Hayes and a hook shot by Jones to inch within three (55-52, 2:44, 2H). After both squads made a toss at the line, Blackwell deftly floated home the shot to slice the differential to one (56-55, 2:12, 2H).
The margin was down to two (59-57, 1:17, 2H) following a free throw from Jones. Jax State split a pair of free throws at the other end, with UTEP once again down by three (60-57). Hayes then was pure on a pull-up jumper to make it a one-point game (60-59).
After the Miners fouled, Jax State split the pair of free throws. West Jr. attacked and was fouled. He calmly made both tosses, tying the tilt at 61 with eight seconds remaining in regulation. Much to the dismay of the Orange and Blue faithful, though, El Moutaouakkil sank a 3-pointer from the corner to beat the buzzer and spoiler "Senior Day" and end UTEP's season.
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