Dec. 6, 2008

Complete Notes Package In PDF Format

UTEP Heads Up The Road To Battle NMSU

The UTEP women's basketball team is set to battle I-10 rival New Mexico State in the second edition of the rivalry this year in a 5:05 p.m. tip at the Pan American Center on Sunday. The game will be broadcast locally in El Paso on KHRO 1150 AM. UTEP won the first tilt between the two squads this year, doing so with an emotional 54-50 win.

Talking Turnovers... Or Lack Thereof

The Miners enter the game against NMSU tied for the nation's lead in fewest turnovers per contest according to the latest report (Nov. 30). UTEP was second in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio in that report, boasting a ratio of +1.46.

Noting UTEP's Ability To Take Care Of The Ball

* The Miners have registered four games on the year with single-digit turnover totals. UTEP managed four such contests in the decade prior to this campaign (1997-98, 2007-08 seasons), a span of 317 tilts.

* UTEP has posted back-to-back games with single-digit turnovers, marking the second time since 1981 (stats prior are incomplete) that they have achieved the feat. The other occasion was also during the Keitha Adams era (eight TOs in contests against UTPA on Jan. 2, 2006, and Tulsa on Jan. 6, 2006).

Last Time Out

UTEP raced out to an 8-0 lead and never looked back on the way to trouncing Eastern New Mexico, 87-44, at the Don Haskins Center Monday evening. Brittnay Jones (16 points and 11 rebounds) and Marta Micula (15 points, 10 rebounds) both registered double-doubles to lead the way for the Miners, who put things on cruise control after pasting the Zias to the tune of 49-15 in the opening half.

Double Your Pleasure

Sophomore Brittnay Jones has notched consecutive double-doubles, (19 points, 12 rebounds in the win against Texas State on Nov. 30/ 18 points, 10 boards in the triumph vs. ENMU on Dec. 1.). The last Miner to post successive double-doubles was Timika Williams, who achieved the feat during her freshman campaign against Tulane and Rice. Dragana Zoric (2001-02) was the last Miner guard to do so prior to Jones.

Don't Forget Marta

Marta Micula also posted a double-double in the triumph vs. the Zias, giving the Orange and Blue multiple players with double-doubles for the first time since Natasha Lacy and Izabela Piekarska did so in a win at SMU on Jan. 31, 2008.

Welcome Back Jareica

Reigning Conference USA Player of the Year Jareica Hughes returned to the lineup in the win against ENMU on Monday, and looked to be in good form despite missing four straight games. The junior tallied 11 points to go along with four assists, three rebounds and two steals in limited action.

Miners Held Their Own Without Her

While UTEP certainly prefers to have a healthy Jareica Hughes, her absence did not mean that wins would be at a premium. The Miners went 3-1 in the four contests without Hughes. UTEP is now 4-1 in its past five games in which she did not play dating to the start of the 2007-08 campaign. The veteran-laden 2006-07 squad was not as fortunate, as it posted a mark of 0-2 when Hughes did not play.

Hughes On Cusp Of Career Assist Mark

Entering the NMSU tilt, junior guard Jareica Hughes is on the cusp of becoming the program's all-time assist leader. Hughes has tallied 320 career helpers, which is four in back of second-place Ana Valtierra (324) and six shy of school record holder Terri Pedregon (326).

The Hughes Record Watch

Jareica Hughe s is already the only player in program history to have compiled more than 800 points, 300 assists and 150 steals, and is rapidly climbing the career charts at UTEP. Entering the NMSU game, she ranks third in steals (174), thirds in assists (320), seventh in three-pointers made (74) and 13th in points (844).

Same Player, Different Results

With the departure of five seniors, a big question for UTEP coming into the year would be which reserves from the 2007-08 would step up to help fill the void. Consider sophomores Brittnay Jones and Sviatlana Trukshanina up to the task. Below is a look at the statistical difference for each of the players, who have both elevated their play.

Jones' 07-08 Stats Trukshanina's 07-08 Stats

Ppg Rpg Apg Mpg Ppg Rpg Apg Mpg

2.9 1.9 0.4 12.7 1.0 0.5 0.5 5.6

Jones' 08-09 Stats Trukshanina's 08-09 Stats

Ppg Rpg Apg Mpg Ppg Rpg Apg Mpg

12.7 6.4 2.9 29.4 8.4 1.1 1.1 16.9

Williams Approaching 500-Rebounds

Junior Timika Williams, who has been a rebounding machine since arriving on campus, enters the New Mexico State tilt with 474 career boards. With 26 more rebounds, Williams will become the 12th player all time at UTEP to achieve the feat.

She Can Score A Little Too

Timika Williams has also been an efficient scorer, as she has already surpassed the 600-point total. Williams boasts 614 career points heading into the game at NMSU.

We Like To Share

The Miners enter the tilt at NMSU averaging 18.4 apg, which puts them on pace to finish with 533 helpers. That figure would eclipse the school-record 523 assists during last year's historic campaign.

Gotta Love The Unselfish Play

UTEP has registered 21 and 25 assists the past two games, respectively, which has gone a long way toward sparking the Miners' offense. The Orange and Blue achieved the feat twice in 2007-08 and four separate times during the 2006-07 campaign.

Points At Premium For Opposition

The Miners have held six of their seven foes to fewer than 70 points on the year, including four who did not manage to enter the 60s. For the year, UTEP's opposition is mustering just 55.4 points per game. That figure would set the school standard in the category, eclipsing the 57.2 ppga by the 1992-93 squad.

Finding The Range

UTEP has shot better than 50 percent from the floor in consecutive contests and in three of its past four times out. The Miners eclipsed the 50-percent barrier six times during the entire 2007-08 campaign.

Going Green At The Point

Briana Green certainly did a good job in running the point in place of Jareica Hughes when the C-USA Player of the Year was sidelined for four straight contests. Green registered 4.5 assists per game in addition to 13.0 ppg.

Balanced Attack Without Hughes

In the four contests the Miners played without Jareica Hughes, the offensive came from a multitude of players. Freshman Dietra Caldwell (14.7 ppg), sophomore Brittnay Jones (13.0 ppg), freshman Briana Green (13.0), sophomore Sviatlana Trukshanina (11.3) and junior Timika Williams (9.3 ppg) have all contributed at least 9.0 ppg.

Been Balanced All Year

The Miners have been a balanced bunch offensively early on this year, with six different players contributing at least 7.9 points per game. Brittnay Jones (12.7), Briana Green (10.6) and Dietra Caldwell (10.2) are all in double figures, while Jareica Hughes (9.3), Sviatlana Trukshanina (8.4) and Timika Williams (7.9) have also been key contributors.

Check Those Rims Out

For whatever reason, free throws have far from that for both UTEP and its opponents this year. The Miners and their foes have combined to go just 142-of-219 (65 percent) from the charity stripe through seven games. UTEP enters the contest at NMSU having made 64-of-118 tries while their foes have knocked down 78-of-118.

Who Needs Them Anyway

Free throws win ball games. Well, that is the case for most teams, but thus far that phrase is far from true for the Miners. In all four of UTEP's wins, it has shot below 60 percent from the charity stripe. Furthermore, UTEP's best effort on the campaign (7-10, 70 percent) came during a losing effort to Monmouth.

Go Figure

Dating to the start of the 2006-07 campaign, the Orange and Blue boast an incredible mark of 13-5 in games in which they were below 60-percent from the free-throw line (minimum 10 attempts).

Go Figure Part Two

Three of the Miners' past six losses (dating to early in the 2007-08 campaign) have come in games in which they drained at least 70 percent of their tries at the free-throw line.

Go Figure Part Three

The Miners have won five straight regular-season contests, including two already this year (NMSU and Savannah State) in which they made more three pointers than free throws.

Starting To Come Together

UTEP had a sluggish start to the year, as it stood at 0-2 and 1-3 through two and four games, respectively. The Miners have bounced back though to

claim two straight and four of five. The effort should come as no surprise, though, as UTEP recovered from an 0-2 mark during the 03-04 season to finish at 16-13. At the time, the 16 victories were the second most ever in program history.

Caldwell Is Clutch

The Miners have been involved in three games decided by five or fewer points. (L 55-54 in OT to UC Irvine on 11/14, W 54-50 vs. NMSU on 11/20 and L 54-49 vs. Monmouth). Based on the play in those contests of freshman Dietra Caldwell, it appears that she has ice in the veins. In the final five minutes/OT of those contests, Caldwell is 6-of-8 from the floor, including a perfect 3-of-3 from three-point land. One of the threes tied the game late against UCI while another was a dagger in the Miners' triumph against NMSU.

Newcomers Not Looking So New

Seven of UTEP's newcomers have already earned playing time for head coach Keitha Adams, and the results have been encouraging. Dietra Caldwell, Torrie Childs, Fannie Goodwin, Channing Hillman, Briana Green, Marta Micula and Delfina Vasquez have combined to account for 68 percent of UTEP's blocked shots, , 54 percent of the assists, 52 percent of the steals, 49 percent of their points and 42 percent of the rebounds.

Caldwell's All-Around Game

Freshman Dietra Caldwell has filled up the stat sheet across the board in her first six collegiate contests. In addition to the 10.2 ppg, she has recorded 3.8 rpg, 3.8 apg and 1.3 steals per game.

Jones Does It All

Not only is Brittnay Jones UTEP's leading scorer through seven games, but the sophomore guard has contributed in other departments. Along with her 12.7 ppg, Jones has contributed 6.4 rpg and 2.9 apg.

Get That Weak Stuff Out Of Here

NMSU should be cautious around the hoop against the Miners, considering that on the year UTEP has already blocked 34 shots (4.9 blocks per game). Junior Timika Williams has a team-high eight swats, with Fannie Goodwin (seven) , Marta Micula (six) and Torrie Childs (five) also helping out in the area.

Challenging 2008-09 Slate Picking Up Steam

The Miners' 2008-09 schedule features 10 contests against 20-plus win teams from a year ago and 12 versus squads with at least 18 triumphs. The Miners improved to 2-2 in that area following the 85-74 victory against Texas State.

Adams Chasing UTEP Win Record

Keitha Adams , in her eighth year at the helm of the program, enters the game against NMSU with a record of 109-104 at UTEP. That effort already ranks her second all time at the institution for victories, and it is still possible that she will break that standard this year. Sandra Rushing holds the record with 123. It should be noted, though, that Rushing compiled those 123 wins over 11 years,.

The Basic Facts On UTEP

The Miners returned a pair of starters and five players from last year's record-setting squad which posted a mark of 28-4- including an unprecedented 16-0 in Conference USA play- and advanced into the second round of the "Big Dance." Eight newcomers (seven freshmen and one junior-college transfer) were added in the offseason to give the 2008-09 edition of UTEP a fresh look. Highlighting the returnees is Jareica Hughes, the 2008 Conference USA Player of the Year. Timika Williams, who has led UTEP in rebounding on consecutive campaigns while contributing 9.0 ppg, returns as well. Also back is high-energy player Brittnay Jones, who appeared in every game last year as a freshman. Sophomore sharp shooters Sviatlana Trukshanina and Alyssa Faubion, who gained valuable experience as freshman return Tough-nosed post player Ilda Chambe picked up a ton of experience last year by taking a redshirt to learn the system, and should be a key contributor in 2008-09.

Eight New Faces, Nine New Players

The Miners' 2008-09 roster has plenty of new faces, with seven true freshmen and a junior-college All-American accounting for eight of the 14 spots on the squad. Furthermore, Ilda Chambe debuted after sitting out last year as a redshirt.

Hughes Among Candidates For Wooden Award

Junior point guard Jareica Hughes is on the list of 30 preseason candidates for the Women's Wooden Award All-America Team and Player of the Year, the most prestigious individual honor in the sport. Hughes is the only player from a C-USA school to appear on the list. She is one of just five players from a non BCS institution to make the cut for the celebrated preseason distinction. In mid-January, the Wooden Award Committee will release the Midseason Top 20 list, followed in March by the National Ballot, consisting of approximately 15 players who have excelled both on the court and in the classroom (student-athletes must maintain a cumulative 2.0 GPA). The Women's Wooden Award All-American team will be announced the week of the "Elite Eight" during the NCAA tournament. The 33rd annual Wooden Award ceremony will be at The Los Angeles Athletic Club in April 2009.

Hughes' Banner 2007-08 Campaign

Jareica Hughes was the 2007-08 Conference USA player of the Year, becoming the first Miner and just the second sophomore in league history to garner the award. She was a significant part of UTEP's record-setting season, in which the Miners made their first NCAA tournament appearance and tied the institution's record for most victories (28-4). She led UTEP in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.7), assists- a single-season school record 171-, scoring (14.6 points per game), while ranking second in steals (88). She was 21st nationally in apg (a program-best 5.5), 28th in spg (2.8) and 51st in assist/turnover ratio.

Can She Repeat?

While it won't be easy to do, should Jareica Hughes claim the Conference USA Player of the Year award again in 2008-09, she would become the first individual to notch consecutive POY distinctions since Houston's Chandi Jones did so from 2002-04.

Coaches Certainly Think So

Count the coaches around Conference USA as individuals who believe that Jareica Hughes can repeat as the league's player of the year. Hughes was tabbed the preseason player of the year, as announced by the league on the eve of media day this year.

THIS IS UTEP WOMEN's BASKETBALL

One Of The Very Best Past Two Years

It is the golden age of women's basketball at UTEP. Heading into the 2008-09 campaign, the Miners had racked up an astonishing 50 wins the past two seasons, including an institution-tying (men or women) 28 victories during the historic 2007-08 campaign. At 50-12 UTEP was one of only 29 squads nationally, and one of a mere 12 non-BCS teams, to have 50 or more victories since 2006.

The Best C-USA Has To Offer

Since joining Conference USA in 2005, UTEP boasts the most wins, fewest losses and top winning percentage of the 12 teams in the highly-competitive league.

More Along Those Lines

Thanks to back-to-back 20-win seasons, the UTEP women's basketball became the first Conference USA school to achieve the feat since the 2003-04 and 2004-05 campaigns.

Unprecedented Success Under Adams

Behind Keitha Adams the UTEP women's basketball team has soared to heights that even the most ardent of Miner fans could possibly imagine. Before Adams patrolled the sidelines, the Miners had never won more than 20 games in a campaign, let alone compete in a postseason tournament (no WNIT or NCAA appearances pre Adams). In 2007-08, not only did UTEP achieve both of those feats, but it also made some noise in the "Big Dance" by throttling Western Kentucky, 92-60, in the first round before bowing out to eventual national runner-up Stanford.

CliffsNotes : Catching Up On The 2008-09 UTEP Campaign

Miners Cruise Past Texas State

Behind Brittnay Jones' first-career double-double, the UTEP women's basketball team cruised past Texas State, 85-74, to take home third place at the second-annual Miner Thanksgiving Classic at the Don Haskins Center on Nov. 30. Jones poured in 19 points to go along with a career-high 12 rebounds, in addition to a game-high six assists while making all the energy-plays to lead UTEP to a much-needed triumph. Freshman Briana Green and sophomore Sviatlana Trukshanina joined forces with Jones to form a three-headed scoring monster for the Orange and Blue. Green finished with a career-best 21 points while Trukshanina matched her personal best by pouring in 20 points.

Rebounding Machine

Sophomore Brittnay Jones notched her first-career double-double in the win against Texas State on Nov. 29 (19 points, 12 boards). The effort on the glass were the most boards by a UTEP guard since Kasia Krezel-also a sophomore at the time- pulled down 12 at Tulsa on Feb. 26, 2006.

In Case You Were Curious

The 21 points tallied by Briana Green in the triumph against Texas State were the most by a Miner freshman since Jareica Hughes poured in 24 points in a road triumph at Houston on Jan. 7, 2007. In terms of strictly non-conference games, it marked the highest point total by a freshman since Timika Williams contributed 24 in a hard-fought loss vs. Arizona on Nov. 26, 2006.

20/20

Sophomore Sviatlana Trukshanina, who tallied a combined 20 points in 20 games all of last year, notched her second 20-point game on the campaign in the triumph against Texas State on Dec. 29.

Already In Exclusive Company

By virtue of her second 20-point game on the year, Sviatlana Trukshanina joined an impressive list of players at UTEP to boast multiple contests with 20 or more points during their sophomore campaign. Amy Pack (11 times in 2000-01), Kasia Krezel (seven times in 2005-06), Jareica Hughes (seven times in 2007-08), Heidi Walker (four times in 2000-01), Kris Hudson (four times in 1982-83), Izabela Piekarska (three times in 2005-06) and Timika Williams (two times in 2006-07) are the only other players on the list.

That's One Way To Win The Boards

UTEP out-rebounded Texas State 34-30, but did so in an unconventional manner. The Miners tallied more offensive rebounds (18) than defensive (16), yet still found a way to secure more boards than the Bobcats. It marked the first time since Dec. 16, 2007, that UTEP won the rebounding battle against a foe in a game in which it had more of the offensive variety. In that contest against Prairie View A&M, the Miners grabbed 24 offensive caroms and 22 defensive.

Another Way To Win A Game Period

Texas State knocked down 51.7 percent of their shots against UTEP, but the Miners still found a way to win.. The triumph moved the Orange and Blue to 3-20 under Keitha Adams in contests with their foes filling up more than 50 percent of their tries.

Monmouth Edges UTEP

Briana Green and Dietra Caldwell scored 13 and 12 points, respectively, but it wasn't enough as the UTEP women's basketball team was dispatched by Monmouth, 54-49, in the opening game for both teams at the Miner Thanksgiving Classic on Nov. 28. UTEP showed tremendous heart in spite of the setback, fighting back from a 52-42 deficit with 2:36 left in the game with a 7-0 run to make it 52-49 with 25 seconds left.

Banner Performance: Miners Rout Savannah State

On a night which the UTEP women's basketball program raised its first two banners into the rafters of the venerable Don Haskins Center, the 2008-09 edition of the Miners showed that the future is bright by demolishing Savannah State 103-46 in a record-setting game on Nov. 22.

Records A Plenty

UTEP's rout against Savannah State was historic in nature, as the Miners established single-game-program records for assists (33), three-pointers made (14) on the way to posting the largest margin of victory against a Division one opponent (57) while scoring the second-most points ever vs. a DI foe.

Not Too Shabby Of Shooting

The Miners connected on a mind-boggling 57.1 percent from the floor, including a sizzling 53.8 on three pointers. Those figures rank as the sixth and ninth best efforts, respectively, in program annals.

Triple Threat

Sophomores Brittnay Jones and Sviatlana Trukshanina and freshman Dietra Caldwell led the offensive onslaught by combining to score 64 of UTEP's 103 points. Jones finished with a career-high 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting while Trukshanina contributed a personal-best 20 points on an amazing 8-of-10, including 4-of-6 on three pointers. All Caldwell did was knock down six three pointers-the second most ever in a game by a UTEP player- en route to a 20-point outing. She also dished out seven assists and notched five rebounds.

Triple Threat Part Deux

Brittnay Jones (24 points), Sviatlana Trukshanina (20 points) and Dietra Caldwell (20 points) all contributing at least 20 points in the win vs. SSU, marking the first time since 1982 and just the second time in program history UTEP has had three players top 20 points in the same game. Kris Hudson (28 points), Kathy Rodolph (25 points) and Tonie Greene (22 points) joined forces to pour in 75 points in a romp against Texas Lutheran on Dec. 4, 1982.

Flying High In The Rafters

Prior to the start of the game against Savannah State, the UTEP women's basketball program held a ceremony in which two banners were unveiled from high above the court. The Miners hung a banner for their 2007-08 Conference USA championship in addition to participating in the NCAA tournament.

Wait, There Were More Stars

There were plenty of other standouts for the UTEP, with freshman Briana Green registering 10 assists- equaling the sixth most by a Miner. Fellow classmate Fannie Goodwin pulled down 13 rebounds (including six of the offensive variety), which went a long way towards the Orange and Blue crushing the Lady Tigers on the boards to the tune of 50-18.

Winning All The Fun Stat Categories

UTEP dominated all of the special statistical categories against SSU. The Miners had 42 points in the paint (14 by the Lady Tigers), 29 points off turnovers (seven from SSU), 21 second-chance points (two for SSU), 25 fast-break points (four from SSU) and 41 points courtesy of the bench (24 by the Lady Tigers).

Miners Pick Up Thrilling Win Vs. NMSU

Behind a monstrous double-double from Timika Williams (17 points and 15 points) and clutch play from Dietra Caldwell and Briana Green, the UTEP women's basketball team picked up an emotional 54-50 victory against I-10 rival New Mexico State at the Don Haskins Center on Nov. 20.

Green & Caldwell Show

Freshmen Dietra Caldwell and Briana Green paved the way down the stretch in the Miners' triumph against NMSU. The duo combined to score 17 of the final 18 points on the night for the Miners . Included among the stretch was a pressure-packed triple by Caldwell, off a great pass from junior forward Marta Micula, to afford the Miners a 51-47 lead with 30 seconds left. Green then iced the contest by sinking two free throws to put away the Aggies, who had climbed within two (52-50) with three seconds on the clock.

Micula Makes Lone Assist A Big One

While junior Marta Micula registered only one assist in the triumph against NMSU, it could not have been more important. The junior college transfer passed out of a double team and set up Dietra Caldwell's clutch triple which gave the Miners a four-point lead with only 30 seconds left.

Williams Overwhelms Aggies

Timika Williams was dominant in securing her first double-double on the campaign, as the Aggies had no answer for her presence in the post. The junior accounted for almost 40 percent of the rebounds on the night for the Miners (15 of 38), and allowed UTEP to tally 20 points in the paint compared to 14 by the much taller Aggies.

Winning In The 50's Rare

Making the win against the Aggies even more impressive is the fact they UTEP was limited to 54 points. The triumph improved the Miners to 5-40 during the Keitha Adams era when scoring in the 50's. In fact, the Orange and Blue stand at 7-66 under Adams when falling shy of 60 points.

UTEP Dealt Gut-Wrenching Loss To UCI

The UTEP women's basketball team was dealt a heartbreaking 55-54 overtime loss by UC Irving at the Don Haskins Center on Nov. 16. Freshman Dietra Caldwell, who forced OT with a clutch three pointer with 31 seconds left, almost lifted the Orange and Blue to victory in the final seconds but her shot at the buzzer rattled out.

Progress On Boards

After a challenging effort in the rebounding department against Kansas State (43-27), the Miners were much better in that regard against UC Irvine. UTEP out-rebounded the Anteaters 46-43, with 18 of those coming on the offensive end of the court. The 18 offensive boards were the most since UTEP notched 24 in the 80-68 triumph against Prairie View A&M on Dec. 18, 2007.

Micula Matters

Junior Marta Micula played a big role in the Miners' success with rebounding against UC Irvine. The junior-college All-American pulled down a game-high 11 boards, including three of the offensive variety. For the year, the Poland native leads UTEP at 7.0 rpg.

For The Stat Lovers

UTEP lost to UC Irvine despite committing only eight turnovers, out-rebounding UCI 46-43 and holding it to a shooting percentage of 33.3. If you are thinking that it seems hard to believe that a team could achieve each of those feats and still come up short, you would be correct. Prior to the setback against the Anteaters, the Miners had never lost a game when registering fewer than eight turnovers, winning the battle of the boards and limiting the opposition to a field-goal percentage of below 35 percent.

So What Happened?

One of the biggest determinants in the loss vs. UC Irvine was the fact that UTEP had some challenges at the free-throw line. The Miners knocked down 13-of-27 attempts, including 2-of-6 at the charity stripe in the extra period.

UTEP Falls In Season Opener To K-State

The UTEP women's basketball team was dealt a hard-fought 65-44 loss by Kansas State in the 2008-09 season opener for both squads at the Don Haskins Center on Nov. 14. The Miners trailed by only six at the half (28-22) but the defending Big 12 champions managed to pull away down the stretch. Junior Jareica Hughes (12 points, six assists, four rebounds and four steals) led the way for UTEP (0-1), with sophomore Brittnay Jones (11 points, two boards) and freshman Fannie Goodwin (10 points) joining her in double figures.

Seven Players Debut For Miners

One positive to pull from UTEP's game against Kansas State is that fact that head coach Keitha Adams was able to find playing time for seven newcomers. Ilda Chambe, who redshirted last year, and freshman Dietra Caldwell earned starting nods. Torrie Childs, Fannie Goodwin, Briana Green, Channing Hillman and Marta Micula all contributed with hard play and high energy.

Goodwin In Good Company

Fannie Goodwin contributed 10 points in 22 minutes of action against Kansas State, becoming just the fourth freshman to reach double figures in the season opener during the Keitha Adams era. The other three names on the list should be very familiar to UTEP fans. Timika Williams and Jareica Hughes pitched in 14 and 11 points, respectively, in the campaign lidlifter vs. St. Mary's on Nov. 10, 2006. Izabela Piekarska, UTEP's school record holder for scoring (1,251 points) and games played (119) notched 10 points against UT-Dallas on Nov. 20, 2004.

All Good Things Come To An End

UTEP's setback at the hands of Kansas State halted the Miners' school-record 14-game home winning streak. UTEP's last defeat at home prior to being tripped up by the Wildcats came on Feb. 24, 2007, against SMU.

Big 12 Team Was Up First Again

The Miners' 65-44 setback against Kansas State on Nov. 14 marked the second straight year that they christened the campaign against a Big 12 foe. UTEP tipped off what would be the record-setting 2007-08 season by traveling to Lincoln, Neb., to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Nov. 9. While UTEP was dispatched 81-74, the Orange and Blue played well throughout and gained experience that would prove to be vital down the road. Here's hoping that will once again be the case in 2008-09.

Two More Big 12 Foes On Slate

The Miners are not quite done with the Big 12, as they have two more games still against teams from the nation's top conference. UTEP welcomes NCAA tournament participant Nebraska to "The Don" on Dec. 20, and is slated to take on No. 13 Texas as part of a post-Christmas tournament in San Diego, Calif., on Dec. 28.

Miners Sharp In Preseason

UTEP went 2-0 during the exhibition season, picking up victories against St. Mary's (TX) and the traveling all- star team of the Houston Jaguars. Returning junior starters Jareica Hughes and Timika Williams led the way in the exhibition romps, contributing 16.5 ppg and 12.0 ppg, respectively. Hughes also contributed 4.0 assists per game and 2.0 steals per game. Williams looked to be in top form with rebounding by averaging 10.0 boards per tilt. As a team, the Miners shot 43.1 percent from the floor compared to a paltry effort of 33.0 by the opposition.