Miners Leave Trailblazers in the Dust with Commanding 71-57 Victory

ST. GEORGE, Utah (KVIA) -- The UTEP women’s basketball team (5-3) rolled over Utah Tech 71-57 Saturday afternoon in St. George, Utah. Three Miners scored in double-figures in the win, and every UTEP player who saw action in the contest scored at least one bucket.

The Orange and Blue held the statistical advantage in nearly every category, including rebounds (49-31), assists (21-12), and blocks (3-1). UTEP also outpaced Utah Tech in field goal percentage (47.4-23.8) and three-point percentage (35.7-26.7). 

It marks the fourth time this season that the team has held an opponent under 30.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc. It is also the second lowest field goal percentage by an opponent  this year, second only to Morehead state (22.0).  

The biggest difference in the win was points in the paint, as the Miners held Utah Tech to just two points (UTEP earned 32) and allowed just three non-three-point field goals. 

The Trailblazers outperformed the Miners in steals (10-4) and committed fewer turnovers (11-19). They sunk 12 threes in the contest compared to UTEP’s 10. The 10 threes by the Miners were the most in a single game this season. 

Luisa Vydrova, Portia Adams, and Ivane Tensaie all dropped 15 points for a share of the game high. Vydrova added 10 rebounds to her tally, her second double-double of the season, and tacked on a team lead-tying five assists and one block for an all-around complete game. 

Tensaie once again shined from distance, draining five threes in the game, including three in the third quarter. Tensaie also finished with four rebounds and three assists. Adams added to her points tally with a team-best tying five assists three rebounds and one steal.

Ndack Mbengue and Mary Moses Amaniyo grabbed seven rebounds apiece and Delma Zita added four rebounds and four assists. 

“Today was a great road win for us,” Head Coach Keitha Adams said. “I thought our defense really stepped up and we played hard against a team that has a lot of shooters that can put up points at home. The defense won us the game today. It was great to see Lu (Vydrova) get a double-double and PA (Adams) took a big charge late in the game. I thought Delma (Zita) managed the game really well.”

The Trailblazers got out to a hot start from beyond the arc, sinking five threes in the first period. The Miners stayed persistent though, and were down just two, 18-16, at the end of the quarter. Adams had eight points to lead UTEP. 

The Orange and Blue came alive in the second quarter, pulling ahead to lead by five, 34-29, as the teams headed to the locker rooms. Vydrova led the team in both points (nine) and rebounds (four) at the break. 

The Miners shot 50.0 percent (12-24) from the floor, 63.6 percent (7-11) from the foul line, and 27.3 percent (3-11) from distance in the first half. They grabbed 23 rebounds while tallying nine assists, three steals, and one block. 

UTEP led by as many as 18 in the third and were up 54-39 at the end of the period. The Miners held the Trailblazers to just 20.0 percent shooting in the quarter. Tensaie drained three from downtown to pace the offense. 

The Miners held strong in the fourth, running away with the 14-point victory. Seven Miners scored in the final period and Amaniyo grabbed four rebounds to help seal the game. 

Utah Tech shot 23.8 percent (15-63) from the field, 26.7 percent (12-45) from three, and 88.2 percent (15-17) from the charity stripe. The team grabbed 31 rebounds and tallied 12 assists, 10 steals, and one block. Brie Crittendon led the team with 15 points, followed by Aaliyah Ibarra (14) and Emily Isaacson (13). Nicole Willardson pulled down a team-high six rebounds while Chardonnay Hartley handed out five assists. Isaacson led the Trailblazers in steals (three) and blocks (one). 

FAST FORWARD

Following Saturday’s contest against the Trailblazers, UTEP will head to Fort Collins, Colo. to face off against Colorado State on Monday (12/16). Tipoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. MT. The next chance to see the Miners in action at home is Dec. 19 when they welcome Arkansas-Pine Bluff to the Don Haskins Center. 

TICKETS
For tickets, fans can call 915-747-UTEP or visit UTEPMiners.com/Tickets for more information.