The UTEP men’s basketball team welcomed former head coach Doc Sadler and his Golden Eagles of Southern Miss tonight at the Don Haskins. The Miners shot 57.1 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point land on their way to a dominating 74-40 win.
“It was great to walk down that tunnel, so many great memories,” Sadler said. “After that part, and they tossed it (the ball) in the air, it wasn’t very much fun and it wasn’t any good memories.”
Just like it happened a couple of days ago against Louisiana Tech, the Miners began the game with some struggles offensively. Down 5-3 five minutes into the game the ball just did not seem to want to go in. It seemed like the ball just did not want to go in, then four minutes later and with a small five-point lead freshman guard Omega Harris hit a three-point shot and everything started falling for UTEP after that.
UTEP never trailed after the 5-3 deficit. From that point on the Miners outscored the Golden Eagles 37-10 making the score at the break 40-15.
Bingaya, who leads Southern Miss in scoring averaging over 15 points a game, was held to just seven for the game. Chip Armelin, the most recent Conference Player of the Week, averaged 25.5 points last week in the Golden Eagles’ games versus LSU and Louisiana Tech-he scored just six tonight.
“I know Southern Miss is not the Southern Miss of a year ago because of departures,” said UTEP’s head coach Tim Floyd. “But Bengaya and Armaelin can play and I thought Julian and Earvin did a very nice job on those guys.”
The Miners continued to shoot well in the second half shooting wel, outscoring Southern Miss 34-25. Only one Miner of the eight that saw action tonight shot the ball under 50 percent. Three Miners scored in double figures and four others scored at least eight points.
Sophomore forward Vince Hunter lead all scorers with 14, followed by senior guard C.J. Cooper, who’s 12 points all came from beyond the arc, and the freshman Harris who scored 10. Hunter was just two rebounds away from recording a double-double, which would have been his 11th of the season. Senior Cedric Lang is one rebound away from having 600 in his career.
After the loss against Louisiana Tech, tonight’s win was more than welcomed, as the Miners get ready to go back on the road to visit UTSA and Western Kentucky.
“This one (win) was very good for a team that needed to bounce back after a real struggle against a good Louisiana Tech team,” Floyd said.
Luis Gonzalez may be reached at [email protected].
