UTEP leads wire-to-wire in 73-59 win vs. Middle Tennessee

(Courtesy: UTEP Athletics)

EL PASO, Texas - Otis Frazier III posted a season and game-high 21 points to go along with a school-record tying eight steals while Tae Hardy recorded 20 points to help lead the UTEP men’s basketball team to a convincing 73-59 wire-to-wire victory against Middle Tennessee at the Don Haskins Center Thursday.

The Miners (10-8, 1-2 CUSA) converted 27 turnovers by the Blue Raiders (6-12, 0-3 CUSA) into 28 points, drained 47.9 percent (23-48) from the floor, including 42.9 percent (6-14) from distance, and made 29 trips (21-29, 72.4 percent) to the charity stripe in the victorious effort. The Orange and Blue had 13 turnovers, including just four in the opening period.

Corey Camper Jr. and Zid Powell each netted 10 points to join Frazier III and Hardy in double figures in scoring while Elijah Jones came off the bench to chip in five points.

UTEP set the tone early by racing out to an 8-0 lead and eventually stretched that differential to 13 before settling for a nine-point cushion (34-25) at the half.

The visitors never got closer than six during the second stanza, with the Orange and Blue up by as many as 17 (66-49) with 5:55 to play in regulation.

The Miners improve to 9-2 at home on the year while also picking up their first league victory of the season.

Middle Tennessee was held to an UTEP opponent season-low 59 points, with the 27 turnovers playing a big factor in that.

Three straight opponents have now committed 20+ turnovers for the first time since a four-game stretch in 2007-08. 

UTEP piled up 16 steals in the contest, with Frazier III’s eight equaling the school standard by Eddie Moreno against Division II program UT-Permian Basin on Nov. 21, 2005. Making Frazier III’s feat more impressive is that it didn’t just come against a DI opponent, but a league foe as well.

The Miners have now piled up at least 15 steals in three consecutive contests for the first time in school history.

Frazier III’s 21 points were two shy of his career high. He was a perfect 6-6 from the floor, in addition to going 8-11 at the charity stripe. Hardy also shot it well (7-14, 3-7 on 3-pointers).

“That’s the recipe for success (making shots, taking care of the basketball and forcing turnovers),” UTEP head coach Joe Golding said. “It was good to be back home. We got off to a great start defensively, turning them over 16 times in the first half. We ended up turning them over 27 times in the game and got 28 points off their turnovers and 24 points on the fast break.

“The confidence (from this win) will carry over,” Golding said. “Some guys stepped up, made shots and made some championship plays down the stretch. We were able to run the clock and shorten the game. If we can put a couple of these together, we can continue to grow. Otis (Frazier III) was terrific. Obviously offensively he was really good, but it all started on the defensive end.”

MT was paced by Jared Coleman-Jones’s double-double (16 points, 11 rebounds), with Elias King (15 points) and Jacob Johnson (10 points) also contributing. The Miners frustrated the Blue Raiders’ leading scorer, Jestin Porter, holding him to six points and harassing him into four turnovers, in 28 minutes of action.

UTEP pounced on Middle Tennessee, scoring the first eight points of the contest.

The Miners’ defense fueled the surge by forcing two of the Blue Raiders’ eventual 16 first-half turnovers.

UTEP also got a wicked blocked shot by Frazier III, who picked up the loose change and raced down to the court for the hoop and harm.

The Miners eventually nudged their advantage to 13 (16-3, 14:29, 1H), with an And-1 by Hardy and a trey from Jones capping a 6-0 run.

The Blue Raiders answered in the form of a 16-6 run to make it a one-possession affair (22-19, 7:04, 1H).

After a jumper from Camper Jr., MT scored the next four points in the contest to get within one (24-23, 5:15, 1H).

UTEP had a response, which came in the form of a 10-0 to regain a double-digit cushion (34-23).

David Terrell Jr. initiated it with a pretty coast-to-coast take, which he finished with a finger roll.

After MT committed consecutive turnovers, Powell was fouled and hit both tosses.

Camper Jr. then curled off a screen to bury a jumper before two more free throws from Powell.

UTEP then forced another MT giveaway, and Frazier III knocked down two free throws to cap the run. MT got a bucket late, cutting the Orange and Blue’s lead to nine (34-25) heading into halftime.  

It was back-and-forth over the first 10 minutes of the second half before Hardy heated up.

He drained two 3-pointers in a span of 13 seconds to blow the game wide open and allow the Orange and Blue to lead by 15 (56-41, 9:57, 2H).

Camper Jr. had a big play in the sequence, drawing an offensive foul almost immediately after the inbounds pass.

The Blue Raiders couldn’t get within single digits the rest of the way.

UTEP will take aim at a second straight victory when it plays host to WKU at 7 p.m. MT Saturday. Jon Teicher (43rd year) and Steve Yellen (21st year) will be on the call on "The Home of UTEP Basketball" 600 ESPN El Paso and the UTEP Miners App.

It will also stream on ESPN+ (subscription required) with Mando Medina (play-by-play) and former Miner Hooper Vint (analyst) describing the action.

Tickets start as low as $9.15. For more information, please visit www.UTEPMiners.com/tickets or call (915) 747-UTEP. Mike Maddux, UTEP alum and pitching coach for the 2023 World Champion Texas Rangers, will be recognized at the game.