#12 Texas too much for UTEP to handle; Miners fall in season opener, 72-57

AUSTIN, Texas - It was a valiant effort by the UTEP Miners, but in the end the 12th ranked Texas Longhorns were just too much for the Miners to handle.

Monday night in Austin, UTEP lost their season opening game to Texas by a final score of 72-57.

It was a day of celebration for Texas as they played their first regular season basketball game inside their brand new arena, the Moody Center.

UTEP would score the first basket of the game in the Moody Center courtesy of a layup from Tae Hardy.

That would be UTEP's only lead of the entire game.

Texas would lead by as much as 17 points in the first half before the Miners would go on a 6-0 run late in the half.

The Longhorns would take a 33-20 lead into halftime.

In the second half the Miners would respond as best as they could cutting Texas' lead to just 8 points with 7:42 left in the game.

But that would be as close as the Miners would get.

Texas would go on a run and never let their lead get to single digits again.

UTEP starts their season 0-1, and will next get ready for their home opener Saturday when rival New Mexico State comes to town.