UTEP’s Culpepper Named Conference USA Player of the Week

UTEP senior guard Randy Culpepper was named the Conference USA Player of the Week on Monday. Culpepper averaged 31.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.5 steals as UTEP split its first two C-USA games of the season. He collected 29 points and three steals in the Miners’ 69-59 win over Tulsa on Wednesday at the Don Haskins Center. Culpepper was 12-for-12 from the line against the Golden Hurricane and scored 12 of the Miners’ first 14 points in the second half as they erased a 30-29 halftime deficit. On Saturday, Culpepper registered the eighth 30-point game of his college career, tallying 34 points and four steals in a 100-97, triple overtime loss at UAB. He played a career-high 53 minutes versus the Blazers. Culpepper moved from sixth place to third on Conference USA’s all-time scoring list over the course of the week, passing Louisville’s Reece Gaines, UCF’s Jermaine Taylor and Cincinnati’s Steve Logan. Culpepper now has 2,001 points, trailing only former UTEP teammate Stefon Jackson (2,456 points) and USF’s Altron Jackson (2,017 points). For the week, Culpepper shot 43.8 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from three-point range and hit 16-of-19 free throws (.842). This is the first C-USA Player of the Week honor this season for the reigning C-USA Player of the Year and his fifth career Player of the Week award.