UTEP trounces Western Illinois, 80-54, Miners advance to second round Of Basketball Classic

EL PASO, Texas - Souley Boum recorded the second triple-double (20 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists) in program history while Keonte Kennedy (22 points, career-high 15 rebounds) notched his second straight double-double to help the UTEP men’s basketball team post a resounding 80-54 victory against Western Illinois in the opening round of the 2022 Basketball Classic presented by Eracism at the Don Haskins Center Saturday afternoon.

It marks the Miners’ first win in postseason play since earning runner-up honors at the 2009 CBI.

Additionally UTEP  (20-13) has hit the 20-win plateau for the first time since finishing 22-11 in 2014-15.

The Leathernecks conclude the campaign at 16-16.

UTEP will advance to the second round of the Basketball Classic and will be at home at 7 p.m. MT Tuesday against an opponent to be announced.

Tickets can be purchased at the Eisenberg Family Ticket Office. General admission tickets are $12 and courtside are $25 (based on availability).

The Miners led wire-to-wire in the game, including tallying the first 11 points of the contests.

Boum and Kennedy set the tone but they had help with Jamari Sibley (11 points), Alfred Hollins (10 points) and Tydus Verhoeven (10 points) also reaching double digits in scoring for UTEP.

Boum joined former Miner Jason Williams (17 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists vs. Lipscomb, 3/14/06) as the only players in program history to post a triple-double. Both came in postseason play with Williams achieving the feat in the 2006 NIT.

The Miners shot 52.5 percent from the floor compared to 30.6 percent by WIU.

UTEP also controlled the boards to the tune of 47-30. UTEP piled up 20 assists on 32 made shots and had a 32-22 advantage for points in the paint.

As much as the Miners thrived on offense, the defense and rebounding stole the show.

UTEP was particularly good at guarding the three-point line, holding WIU to 4-24 from beyond-the-arc.

“I’m proud of our guys, this was a player-driven decision to play postseason play,” UTEP head coach Joe Golding said. “I supported them as long as they were 100 percent in, and I thought today they showed we were. We haven’t played in nine or 10 days and it was sloppy at times, but in the second half I thought our ball movement was as good as it’s been all season long.

“We got off to a good start defensively,” Golding said. “I’m just proud of our guys.”

UTEP jumped all over the Leathernecks, grabbing an 11-0 lead six minutes into the contest.

That was aided by WIU misfiring on its first 12 shots from the floor.

At the other end of the court it was a balanced attack with baskets from four different Miners.

Verhoeven had four of the first six points on moves in the paint.

A Kennedy triple and a lay-up from Hollins off a feed by Ze’Rik Onyema capped the game-opening surge.

After WIU got the Miner lead down to seven (18-11), UTEP answered with a 5-0 run to reinstate a double-digit advantage (23-11, 6:58 1H).

Included in the mini push was an old-fashioned 3-point play by Christian Agnew.

The lead swelled to 15 (29-14, 5:08 1H) after Boum found Hollins for a wide-open lay-up.

The Leathernecks answered with six straight points to creep within nine (29-20), but UTEP had an answer.

Boum registered back-to-back runners in the lane, which was followed by a corner trey by Kennedy, and just like that the advantage was at 16 (36-20) late in the stanza.

A WIU free throw made it a 15-point game (36-21) at the half.

UTEP continued to control in the first few minutes of the second half, with a jumper from Hollins affording the Orange and Blue a 19-point cushion (50-31) with 14:21 to play in regulation.

WIU slowly chipped away at the advantage, whittling the differential down to 13 (54-41) with 8:31 left in the contest.

The Miners scored the next five points in the game to go back out by 18 (59-41), and WIU never truly threatened the remainder of the way.

The Miners had some highlight-reel moments down the stretch, including an alley-oop from just beyond halfcourt with Boum finding Sibley for the finish.

Kevin Kalu also came up with an offensive rebound and rim-rattling dunk. The biggest roar from the crowd came when Boum found Sibley in the corner, who knocked down the trey to give Boum his 10th and final assist and lock up the historic triple-double.