Record-setting team falls short, will play NIT

Luis Barrio, Reportero Del Personal • March 18, 2014

Senior Kayla Thornton becomes the all-time leading scorer in UTEP’s history during the Conference USA Tournament.

Although UTEP was ousted from the Conference USA tournament by Southern Mississippi in an 84-70 game on March 14, seniors Kayla Thornton, Kristine Vitola and Kelli Willingham will still get a shot at postseason play, most likely a high seed in the Women’s NIT.

Taking a rewind back into the regular season, the Miners played extremely well and individuals on the team acquired valiant season accolades. The senior standout Thornton finished with First-Team All-Conference as well as All-Defensive Team. She became UTEP women’s all-time leading points scorer in UTEP’s semifinal loss. She still has an opportunity to stretch her point margin.

“I’m very proud of our seniors. This is a great class, the winningest class at UTEP. I’m very proud of our team,” said head coach Keitha Adams. “We’re disappointed that we lost, but I’m very proud of our team.

As of March 14, Thornton finished averaging just under 20 points per game, while averaging 10.5 rebounds a game. She finished top five in the conference for almost every major offensive and defensive statistic.

Redshirt sophomore guard Jenzel Nash took home the 2014 Conference USA Women’s Basketball Sixth Player of the Year Award. She averaged 11.8 points per game this season. She gave the team instant offense off the bench with both scoring and assisting.

Vitola was a top 10 player in the conference in terms of field goal percentage and second in the conference with 78 blocks averaging 2.5 per contest.

From junior guard Stacie Telles to junior forward Chrishauna Parker, UTEP had a top 10 representative in every major category.

The Miners were 16-1 at home this season and began the season with a nine-game winning streak and finished with a 12-4 conference record.

The Miners overcame a 23-point deficit earlier in the year against Southern Miss, which was the largest comeback in program history.

“The good news is our team will get a chance to play again,” Adams said. “I think we’re definitely tournament worthy and I told these girls we’ll get another shot.”

The Miners will find out who they’ll play on March 18. With their record, UTEP could potentially host the first game of the NIT.

Luis Barrio may be reached at [email protected].

About the Contributors

Luis Barrio, Reportero Del Personal

Luis Barrio is a staff reporter specializing in Sports. He is also the co-host of the Prospector News Weekly, a weekly broadcast that covers all of the top stories at UTEP. He is a Senior graduating in December 2014. Luis is a product of El Paso, TX. He enjoys being outdoors and being physically active. His family comes before anything else. He is a big sports enthusiast and a fan of good movies. Luis spent the summer of 2013 interning for ABC-7 KVIA. Upon graduation Luis aspires to work for CBS as a sports broadcaster. “I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever a having felt sorry for itself.” D.H. Lawrence

Michaela Roman, Editor-in-Chief

Michaela is a Senior Digital Media Production major at The University of Texas at El Paso. As the Editor-in-Chief, and former Photo Editor of El Buscador De Oro, she has learned to stay organized, manage a staff of writers and photographers, meet deadlines, cover events and network with others. She also has freelance experience and a personal photography business. Michaela aspires to work as an editor for a large media outlet and one day go to graduate school to teach photojournalism.