One-on-one with UTEP’s Joe Golding; Miners prepare for round 2 of Battle of I-10

EL PASO, Texas - The UTEP men’s basketball team (5-1) will look to extend its winning streak to six when it takes on I-10 rival NM State (2-2) at the Pan-American Center at 7 p.m. MT Wednesday.

Mattress Firm is the Presenting Sponsor of UTEP Men’s Basketball.

The Miners have peeled off five straight wins in the month of November for the first time since the 2019-20 season (eventual 8-1 start), including forging a perfect record (3-0) at the Jim Forbes Classic presented by Speaking Rock during the week of Thanksgiving.

The Aggies spent Thanksgiving in the “Sin City” for the Las Vegas Holiday Classic, besting San Diego (90-77, Nov. 25) before falling to UC-Irvine (85-68, Nov. 26) last time out.

Wednesday’s match-up is the second of three potential meetings on the year between the rivals, with the Aggies joining Kent State, NC A&T and the Miners to comprise the field for the WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational (Dec. 21-22).

UTEP knocked off NM State, 67-64, at home on Nov. 12 for its first victory in the series since the 2019-20 season.

The Orange and Blue are now vying for their initial win in Las Cruces, N.M., in 12 years, having last beaten the Aggies at the Pan-American Center on Nov. 30, 2010.

Wednesday’s match-up is 12 years to the date of that contest.

The game will be broadcast on “The Home of UTEP Basketball” 600 ESPN El Paso with Jon Teicher (42nd year) and Steve Yellen (20th year) on the call.

It will also be streamed on ESPN+.It is a match-up of two top-100 RPI teams according to CBSSports.com, with UTEP rating 22nd and the Aggies placing 81st.

THAT’S HOW YOU DEFEND THE DON

UTEP went 5-0 on its season-long homestretch, including winning three times in four days at the Jim Forbes Classic presented by Speaking Rock. The Miners are 5-0 at home in 2022-23, matching the best start in three years.

The 2019-20 edition shot out to a 9-0 start in El Paso before ultimately concluding the season with a mark of 13-4 at the Don Haskins Center.

SERIES HISTORY: NM STATE LEADS, 120-104

NM State leads the all time series with UTEP, 120-104.

It is the Miners’ oldest series, while rating as the second oldest for the Aggies.

It started in 1914 and the two squads squared off at least twice annually every year since 1944-45 before Covid interrupted that two years ago.

UTEP knocked off the Aggies, 67-64, at home on Nov. 12 for their first win in the series three years to the date.

Now, the Miners are shooting for their initial road victory in the series 12 years to the date when the two sides square off Wednesday.

Five of the past six games have been decided by five points or less, but NM State has managed to claim 12 of the past 14 contests.

GET TO KNOW NM STATE

NM State compiled a mark of 27-7 a year ago while advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in nearly three decades.

The Aggies are 2-2 this year with a new-look roster (two letter winners, no starters) back from that unit.

They also have a new coaching staff, with Greg Heiar assuming the reins after Chris Jans accepted the head coaching position at SEC school Mississippi State in the offseason.

Most recently, Heiar won the NJCAA Division I National Championship with Northwest Florida State College.

The program was 6-15 the previous year before Heiar took over. 

LSU transfer Xavier Pinson leads the team in scoring (14.8 ppg) and minutes (31.8 mpg) while rating second in assists (5.0 apg-2nd WAC/64th NCAA).

Deshawndre Washington  (13.5 ppg) and  Issa Muhammad (12.0 ppg), who both starred for Heiar at Northwest Florid State College join Pinson in double figures for scoring, as does Anthony Roy (10.0 ppg). Washington also tops the team in rebounding (7.8 rpg-4th WAC) and assists (6.3 apg-1st WAC/16th NCAA).

NM State will be playing just its second home game of the year, having blasted N.M. Highlands, 101-52, in its season opener on Nov. 7.

The Aggies are 147-15 at home since 2011-12, and haven’t dropped more than two games in Las Cruces, N.M., in a season since that year (14-3). Most recently NM State went 1-1 at the Las Vegas Holiday Classic, defeating San Diego, 90-77, in its opener of the event on Nov. 25 before falling in the championship game against UC-Irvine, 85-68, on Nov. 26.

The high-flying attack produces 80.8 points per game (4th WAC/52nd NCAA), aided by shooting 47.8 percent (5th WAC/66th NCAA) overall and 39.6 percent (2nd WAC/24th NCAA) from beyond-the-arc.

They share the ball well with 16.3 assists per game (3rd WAC/51st NCAA) thanks largely to Washington and Pinson.

Notable alumni include actor Scott Bailey, who is best known for his playing the role of Sandy Foster on the CBS soap opera Guiding Light, and former Olympic basketball player Chito Reyes. Additionally, Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered the planet Pluto (since reclassified to a dwarf planet), taught astronomy at the school from 1955 until his retirement in 1973.

LAST TIME OUT: AT UTEP 72, TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI 67, (11/25/22)

UTEP shot 47.2 percent from the floor while frustrating Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s high-flying offense (entered averaging 78.0 ppg) on the way to closing out the Jim Forbes Classic presented by Speaking Rock in fine fashion with a 72-67 win at the Don Haskins Center on Nov, 25.

UTEP held the Islanders, who returned all five starters from their 2022 Southland Conference Championship team that played in the NCAA Tournament, to 37.5 percent (24-64) from the floor. Aiding that effort was the Miners keeping A&M-Corpus Christi to 20.8 percent (5-24) from beyond the arc. Jamari Sibley (12 points), Tae Hardy (12 points) both hit double figures in scoring while Shamar Givance, Mario McKinney and Calvin Solomon pitched in eight points and Otis Frazier III added seven to help the offensive efforts.

UTEP won the battle of the boards, 39-38, aided by Ze’Rik Onyema pulling down nine caroms.

The Miners trailed for only 35 seconds in the game and were up by as many as 20 points (58-38) in the second half before the Islanders made a furious rally to cut the differential down to two (65-63, 2:17 2H). UTEP kept its composure, with two Solomon free throws with three seconds left putting away the Islanders for good.