Hawaii tops UTEP, 66-61; Miners lose 4th straight
HONOLULU, Hawaii - A trip to the Aloha State turned into a nightmare for the UTEP Miners on Saturday night.
The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors handed the Miners their 4th straight loss after defeating UTEP, 66-61.
It was UTEP's 4th loss in a row as their overall record drops to 3-6.
UTEP has yet to defeat a Division 1 opponent this season.
The Miners showed glimpses of perfection after jumping out to a 14 point lead in the first half.
However, Hawaii turned the tide and cut UTEP's lead to just four points at halftime, 29-25.
Costly turnovers down the stretch for the Miners allowed the Rainbow Warriors to pull away in the closing minutes.
Jamal West Jr. and Kaseem Watson led the way in scoring for the Miners each with 12 points.
Saturday's game gave fans a preview of what's to come when UTEP and Hawaii join the Mountain West Conference next season.
The two programs were once conference foes when they were members of the WAC.
Next season, the Rainbow Warriors will face the Miners in El Paso, and UTEP will once again pay a visit to Honolulu for a game against the Bows.
UTEP will now return home as they turn their attention to the WestStar Bank Sun Bowl Invitational.
The Miners will face Norfolk State in the first round of the tournament Sunday, December 21 at 7 p.m. at the Don Haskins Center.
