Miners Complete 15-Point Comeback, Defeat Lions 95-88
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The UTEP women’s basketball program (4-3) came from 15 points behind to defeat a hot-shooting North Alabama (2-4) squad 95-88 Sunday afternoon in the Don Haskins Center. The comeback is tied for fifth largest in program history. Erin Wilson led all players with career-high matching 26 points while Adhel Tac (19) and Aaliyah Stanton (13) also set career-bests.
Five Miners scored in double digits in the contest to help overcome the Lions’ 57.1 3-point shooting. Jane Asinde had 14 second-half points and Delma Zita drained two from downtown on her way to 10 points. Mahri Petree rounded off the leading scorers, adding seven.
Wilson also led the game with 11 boards, including seven on the offensive glass. Tac, Asinde, and Petree followed with five apiece, and Stanton snagged four. Petree and Stanton both dished out three assists. Stanton capped her career-setting night with one block.
“That was definitely a high-octane offensive game, and we found a way to get it done,” Head Coach Keitha Adams said. “Made some stops at some key times when we needed it, and finally closed it out.”
UTEP finished the night shooting 53.8 percent (35-65) from the floor and 46.7 percent from three (7-15). They shot 69.2 percent (18-26) from the foul line. The Miners commanded the boards, outrebounding the Lions 39-24. They had 40 points in the paint, 15 second chance points, and 13 on the fast break.
The visitors got off to a hot start, jumping out to a 12-1 lead after four minutes. The Miners were able to pull within seven by the end of the quarter, 19-12. Adhel Tac led the way for UTEP with four points and two rebounds.
The Orange and Blue went on a 9-2 run to knot it at 21 in the opening three minutes of the second period. The Lions then went on a 14-0 run to go back up by double digits. They led at the half 47-37. Erin Wilson posted six points in the quarter, followed by Tac and Petree with five each.
The Miners shot 48 percent from the field, including 36 percent from beyond the arc. They hit 50 percent (5-10) from the foul line. Tac and Wilson led UTEP with nine points apiece.
UTEP closed the gap to five in the first part of the third quarter, but UNA stretched the lead back to 12 points at the five-minute mark. Down the stretch of the third the Miners went on a 15-4 run to tie the game at 64. The Lions led by four, 68-64 at the end of the period. Asinde paced the team with eight points, followed by Wilson and Tac with seven each.
The Miners surged in the fourth, scoring 31 points to overtake the Lions. Wilson put up 10 points and seven rebounds in the final period, including five offensive boards to lead the comeback. Asinde contributed six while Zita and Stanton both tallied five points to help ice the game. Wilson’s free throw at the five-minute mark of the fourth put UTEP up 77-76 and it held on tight to the lead until the final whistle, earning the 95-88 victory.
The Miners’ 95 points were the most scored since March 11, 2020, when UTEP defeated FAU 95-67 in the CUSA Championships.
North Alabama shot 53.4 percent (31-38) from the field and 12-of-21 from beyond the arc, including 10-for-16 at one point in the contest. The Lions made 82.4 percent (14-17) of their free throws. Alexis Callins hit five threes as she paced the team with 23 points, followed closely by Veronaye Charlton with 21. Rhema Pegues put up 13 points while Katie Criswell and Alyssa Clutter both posted 11. Clutter led the team with eight rebounds and Charlton had 10 assists on the night.
UP NEXT
The Miners are back in the Don for their “915 Game” Thursday (11/30) when they play host to undefeated Colorado State (5-0).
