Back-To-Back: Miners Outlast Yale In Championship Game, 75-74, To Claim Second Straight WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational Crown
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Tournament MVP Otis Frazier III tallied a team-high 15 points and made a game-saving blocked shot with two seconds left, to help lift the UTEP men’s basketball team to a 75-74 victory against Yale as the Miners won the WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational in front of the 5,300+ fans Saturday night.
Devon Barnes (12 points, two assists, two steals), Ahamad Bynum (11 points), David Terrell Jr. (11 points, four rebounds, four assists) and Kevin Kalu (10 points, eight rebounds) all got after it as well to help UTEP (9-3) take home the tournament title for the second straight season, something that hasn’t happened since a three-year run (2012-14).
The reigning Ivy League champions didn’t make it easy, though, with the Bulldogs (6-6) fighting back from a 12-point halftime deficit (45-33) to climb within one on three occasions, but UTEP never relinquished the lead. Frazier III made the play of the night by blocking Bez Mbeng’s shot with 2.3 seconds remaining. RS-freshman Bababcar Mbengue then did such a good job disrupting the inbounds play that Yale couldn’t get a shot off.
The Miners have won three straight game and six of the past seven while also marching to 6-0 at home on the season. The 9-3 start to the year is the best mark in five years when UTEP also got out of the gates with that mark.
UTEP shot 48.1 percent for the game (25-52), including a 58.6 percent over the first 20 minutes, to build a 12-point lead at the half (45-33). The Miners were also locked in from distance for the tilt by connecting on a season-high 64.7 percent (11-17), with a sensational 88.9 percent (8-9) in the first half. The 64.7 percent ties as the sixth best all time at UTEP. The eight triples made equaled the most in a stanza for the Miners this year, as they also did so vs. Sul Ross State (Nov. 4) in the opener while the 11 are the most vs. a DI opponent this season.
Kalu joined Frazier III on the all-tournament team while Bynum was voted as the Don Haskins Award winner. UTEP kept Yale to 43.5 percent shooting (27-62), but the Bulldogs did connect on 45.5 percent (10-22) on 3-pointers. The Miners made up for that by forcing 16 turnovers which led to 23 points. The Bulldogs had three players hit double figures in scoring, with Riley Fox leading the way at 19 points.
“Any time you’re going to win a championship you’re going to go through a really good team to get there,” UTEP head coach Joe Golding said. “We knew Yale wouldn’t quit. I thought the first half we played terrific. Give credit to Yale, they made some plays down the stretch. We’ve got to better defensively. We always talk about the toughest team will win, and at the end of the day, we made plays to win the basketball game.
“It feels great (to win the tournament for the second straight year),” Golding said. “I loved that our guys got to celebrate that. We don’t want to see another team celebrate on our floor, and it gets contagious.”
Yale got on the board first with a backdoor cut, but the Miners ripped off five straight to snag an early lead at the first media break. The Bulldogs had five turnovers to power the push, which was comprised of a corner triple by Barnes and a breakaway two-hand dunk from Terrell Jr. After a score by Yale, back-to-back scores from the Orange and Blue afforded them a little breathing room at 9-4 (15:02, 1H).
The Bulldogs, taking advantage of nine early UTEP giveaways, countered with six straight to regain the advantage at 10-9 (12:17, 1H). Frazier III halted the push with a lay-up in transition after Yale gave it away. After another UTEP steal, Horton III curled off a screen to bury a triple. The Miners got a stop, worked the ball around the wing to set up Frazier III. His triple was pure to cap an 8-0 run and put the home side up seven (17-10, 10:37, 1H).
Yale split a pair of free throws before Barnes connected on a 3-pointer, which bounced softly all around the rim as it dropped through, making it a nine-point affair (22-13, 9:10, 1H). The Bulldogs connected on a pair of 3-pointers to ignite a 6-1 run and inch within four (23-19, 6:19, 1H).
UTEP blitzed back in the form of a 10-0 run in just 62 seconds. Kalu hammered home a dunk to start it before Bynum made two tosses after a flagrant one foul (formerly intentional). After keeping the possession, Bynum drilled a triple for a five-point trip. Frazier III then came up with a steal and knocked down the triple to wrap up the run and force Yale to call timeout with the differential at 14 (33-19, 5:17, 1H).
The visitors halted the surge with a triple, but Terrell Jr. answered immediately with a strong take to the hole. It was back-and-forth the remainder of the way, with UTEP countering any basket by Yale with one of its own to carry a 12-point advantage (45-33) into the locker room.
Yale ripped off five straight to start the second half, cutting the lead down to seven (45-38, 18:31, 2H). Two charity stripe tosses by Frazier III stopped the mini run. After two missed tries at the line by Yale, Frazier III was hammered on the way to hoop. He split the pair and reinstated a double-digit cushion (48-38, 16:17, 2H).
The two sides traded scores before five straight from the visitors cut UTEP’s lead to five (50-45, 14:59, 2H). Barnes put an end to that with a triple on an out of bounds play, his fourth of the game. The Miners were still up eight (55-47) before another 5-0 run from the Bulldogs let them creep within three.
UTEP ripped off five in a row, including another triple by Bynum, to go back out by eight (60-52, 11:55, 2H). After a Yale bucket, Derick Hamilton’s hook shot let UTEP once again by 10 (64-54, 10:16, 2H). Consecutive giveaways by the Miners powered a 5-0 run for the visitors, but Hamilton spun and scored inside on the next possession.
The Bulldogs wouldn’t go away, countering with six straight to cut the UTEP lead to one (66-65, 6:41, 2H). Terrell Jr. was fouled on a strong take to the hole and sank both tosses to slow the rally. After UTEP misfired, Yale scored down low to once again make it a one-point tilt. Frazier III had the answer, filling up a step-back 3-pointer.
The Bulldogs made it a one-possession score, but Terrell. Jr. fought for a rebound in traffic and was fouled. His two free throws put the Orange and Blue back out by four (73-69, 3:48, 2H). An offensive board and putback brought Yale to within two again.
Two clutch free throws from KJ Thomas nudged the margin back to four (75-71, 2:17, 2H), but the Bulldogs tightened up defensively and scored the next three points in the contest to cut the lead to one. After a UTEP turnover, Frazier III swatted a shot with 2.3 seconds left. Mbengue then made things tough after the inbounds pass as UTEP held on as the fans erupted.
UTEP will be off for the holiday break before returning to action to wrap up nonconference play when it locks up with Northern New Mexico at 7 p.m. MT on Dec. 28. Jon Teicher (44th year) and Steve Yellen (22nd year) will be on the call on "The Home of UTEP Basketball" 600 ESPN El Paso. It will also be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required), with Andy Morganand former Miner assistant coach Bobby Braswelldescribing the action. For tickets, please visit www.UTEPMiners.com/tickets or call (915) 747-UTEP.
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