UTEP end regular season at UTSA Thursday

UTEP will close out the regular season at UTSA at 6 p.m. Thursday.

UTEP with a record of 21-9 overall, 11-4 C-USA is in fifth place in the C-USA standings.

The Miners are a game behind Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, Southern Miss and Tulsa who are tied for first at 12-3.

The top four teams earn a double bye to the Conference USA Championship March 11-15 in El Paso.

UTEP beat UTSA Jan. 25 by a score of 81-62 at the Haskins Center. Since then the Miners have posted a 7-3 record, while UTSA has gone 2-8.

The Roadrunners have lost eight of their last nine games and 11 of their last 13 to drop to 8-20 overall.

“They have been very good at home,” UTEP coach Tim Floyd said. “And really, when you look back at a couple of losses we had here, we lose to Charlotte and I thought Charlotte was terrific. They [Charlotte] go down [to UTSA] and lose. We lose to Florida Atlantic here and they go down to San Antonio and lose. They are a team that has played very efficient offensively at home. They put a lot of pressure on you by playing a very fast tempo. We’re going to have to not turn it over and put them in the open court, and hopefully play smart and play well.”

Floyd was at a loss to explain why UTEP has been so good away from El Paso in 2013-14.

“I wish we could figure it out,” he said. “There have been a couple of years where we have really struggled on the road. We have just been outstanding other than a half over at Southern Miss. It has all been about defensive intensity and great, great effort on the boards.”

Now the Miners will hope to continue their winning ways on the road, before carrying that blueprint for success into the C-USA Championship March 11-15 at the Haskins Center.