Copper Reserved Tickets Only $9 For Next Two UTEP Home Games
EL PASO, TEXAS ? The UTEP basketball team will play back-to-back home games versus Southern (Saturday) and McNeese State (Monday). All Copper Reserved tickets are only $9 ? a 50 percent savings from the regular price ? as part of a special holiday promotion.
Tip-off for both games is 7:05 p.m. The UTEP Ticket Center number is (915) 747-5234.
The young Miners continue to make tremendous strides, particularly since senior forward Gabriel McCulley was re-inserted into the starting lineup three games ago. Since then UTEP has beaten I-10 rival NM State (73-69) at home and suffered narrow losses at Oregon (64-59) and UNLV (65-54). McCulley has averaged 11 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.3 steals upon his return from leg surgery.
A week ago, the Miners had no players averaging double figures in scoring. Now they have two in McCulley and freshman swingman Julian Washburn (10.6 ppg), while sophomore guard Michael Perez is knocking on the door with 9.9 ppg. Perez has led the Miners in scoring in each of the last three games with 18 points at Oregon, 19 versus NMSU and 17 at UNLV.
Southern brings a 3-7 mark to El Paso and will be facing its third Conference USA school after losing to Rice (80-65) and Tulane (78-53) earlier this year. The Jaguars have played nine straight games away from Baton Rouge after opening the season with a 67-48 rout of Dillard University at home. Junior center Madut Bol is the son of the late 7?7? Manute Bol, who played 10 seasons in the NBA.
McNeese State is off to a 4-5 start while playing a demanding early-season schedule that included trips to Auburn, California and Louisiana Tech. The Cowboys are led by senior guard/forward Patrick Richard, who averages 16.4 points per game. Junior guard Jeremie Mitchell ranks among the most prolific three-point shooters in the NCAA, firing at a 40 percent clip from outside while averaging 2.9 triples per contest.
Source: UTEP Athletics
