Editor’s Note: This is not the most recent UTEP men’s basketball game.
UTEP (11-17 4-13 Conference USA) edged out Sam Houston (12-15, 5-12 CUSA) on March 6, 65-64, propelling the Miners to their fourth conference win. The Miners opened up the score with junior forward Ndack Mbengue but Sam Houston didn’t take long to respond with a jump shot made by junior guard Fanta Kona.
The competitiveness early in the game set the tone for the rest of the quarters, with neither team allowing a lead of more than seven points. UTEP held the lead by the end of the first with a one-point difference, 13-12. The narrow edge ended by the second quarter with Sam Houston having a 28-34 lead.
With a slight close of the gap by the third period, Sam Houston took charge of the court, 48-51.
Even with a fluctuating score gap, UTEP stuck with the lead in the fourth quarter. With 11 seconds left on the clock, Sam Houston junior guard Whitney Dunn stole the scoreboard from the Miners, 63-63. But as the clock ticked down, senior guard Ivane Tensaie jump shot her way to victory, claiming the win for the Miners 65-64 with three seconds left.
This marked Tensaie’s third game-winning point of the season. Tensaie led the Miners with 22 points, with Mbengue (16) and Dunja Zecevic (13) following behind.
UTEP’s performance of 42% from the paint, 41.7% from the distance, and an overall high of 92.3% from the free-throw line contributed to their victory. The collective effort, along with Tensaie’s clutch performance, proved crucial in overcoming adversity and securing the hard-fought victory.
“Today’s game was about resiliency, and Ivane hitting some big shots, Dunja (senior guard Dunja Zecevic) gave us some good production, scoring off the bench, index, fasting, and you know, she, gutted through this game and produced and scored for us,” Head Coach Keitha Adams said. “In the time out, we faced a lot of adversity, and I just kept saying, when you face adversity, you have to meet it, greet it, and beat it.”
UTEP’s women’s basketball played again on Mar 7, for their last home game as they face off against LA Tech, hoping to wrap up the season on a good note.
Diego Cruz-Castruita is a staff photographer and can be reached at [email protected].edu and @dddieggoo11 on Instagram.
