UTEP WBB Hosts Eastern New Mexico in Non-Conference Finale
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The UTEP women’s basketball team (6-4) welcomes Eastern New Mexico (10-1, 5-0 Lone Star) to the Don Haskins Center Monday in the final non-conference matchup of the season. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. MT. The contest will count for the Miners, but it serves as an exhibition for the Greyhounds.
GAME COVERAGE
Monday vs ENMU — Live Stats or Watch Here
LAST WEEK ON...
UTEP defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff 70-62 on Dec. 19 for their sixth win of the season. The Lady Lions kept the game close until the fourth quarter when the Miners dropped 21 points to seal the win. UTEP shot 44.8 percent (26-58) from the field and 88.2 percent (15-17) from the foul line in the contest. The team had an off night from beyond the arc, shooting just 18.8 percent (3-16) from three. UAPB won the rebounding battle 41-26, but the Miners held the advantage in the paint, outscoring the Lady Lions 38-16. Portia Adams led UTEP with 17 points. Three other Miners scored in double figures, Luisa Vydrova and Ivane Tensaie each tallied 12, and Delma Zita posted 10. Adams, Vydrova, and Ndack Mbengue shared the team lead in rebounds with four apiece. Adams also led the team in assists with four. Irene Asensio snagged a game-high four steals and Dunja Zecevic swatted a game-best two blocks.
ALL AROUND ADAMS
Portia Adams posted a complete game against the UAPB. She led the team in points (17), rebounds (four), and assists (four). It was the fifth game this season she has scored in double figures while also marking her second highest FG% of the season (41.6, 5-12). Additionally, she drained 7-8 free throws (87.5 percent), the most in a single game this campaign.
VALIANT VYDROVA
Luisa Vydrova dropped 12 points for the second straight game against the Lady Lions. She shot 71.4 (5-7) from the field, her second highest FG% this season. It also marks Vydrova’s sixth straight game with 10 or more points and seventh overall.
SWIPER KEEP SWIPING
Irene Asensio snagged a game-best four steals against UAPB, one shy of matching her career-high.
DELMA’S ON TARGET
Delma Zita dropped 10 points on 50.0 percent (4-8) shooting against the Lady Lions. It marks her third 10-point game of the campaign.
TENSAIE FOR THREEEEE!
Ivane Tensaie is averaging 3.89 three pointers per game, ranking her second in the NCAA in the category. She is shooting 47.3 percent (35-74) from distance this season, which is good for 17th in the nation.
ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END
Ivane Tensaie is averaging 3.70 three pointers per game, ranking her fourth in the NCAA in the category. She is shooting 45.7 percent (37-81) from distance this season, which is good for 16th in the nation.
BACK ON TRACK
Ivane Tensaie registered 12 points against UAPB, recording 10 or more points for the ninth time in 2024-25.
BAND OF THIEVES
UTEP recorded a season-high tying 13 steals against the Lady Lions. It marks the third game the team has finished with 10 or more steals.
FEELIN’ FINE AT THE FOUL LINE
The Miners hit 88.2 percent (15-17) from the charity stripe versus the Lady Lions, the highest free throw percentage of the season.
BETTER THAN YOUR MOMS TURNOVERS
UTEP forced 23 turnovers from UAPB. It marks the fifth game this season that UTEP has forced at least 20 turnovers from the opposition. Furthermore, the Miners have forced at least 11 giveaways in all but one contest so far.
SHARP SHOOTING
Four Miners are shooting 50.0 percent or better from the floor in 2024 (minimum 10 shots attempted). Osadebamwen Igbinedion Omoruyi paces the team at 58.3 followed by Mary Moses Amaniyo (55.0), Luisa Vydrova (54.7), Ndack Mbengue (50.0).
HOW MAY WE ASSIST YOU?
UTEP has earned 143 assists on 241 made shot attempts in 2024-25 (59.3 percent). Delma Zita is responsible for 46 of those assists (32.2 percent of all assists).
MAKE 'EM WORK FOR IT
Miner opponents are shooting just 29.1 percent from distance this season, compared to UTEP’s 35.1 percent.
INTERNATIONAL LOVE
UTEP has 10 international players on their 2024-25 roster. That is the second most in Division I, behind South Florida with 11.
SCOUTING REPORT: ENMU
The Greyhounds are 10-1 in the second season under head coach Blake Huber, marking the best start in program history. They are averaging 76.7 points, 43.8 rebounds, and 14.5 assists per game. Ishuana Hunter paces the team in both points (11.8) and steals (2.0). Jayla Smith (9.4), Kaitlyn Edmondson (8.6), Nataya Lockett (8.5), and Jaz Salon (8.1) round out the top five scorers for ENMU. Smith leads the team on the glass, pulling down 6.4 rebounds per game, followed by Edmondson (5.4) and Trinity Hudson (5.0). Salon dishes out a team-high 3.6 assists per game while Hudson tops the team in blocks at 1.4. In NCAA Division II, the Greyhounds are ranked inside the top 100 in multiple categories. Notably, they sit in the top 10 in five of those, rebound margin (14.3, 4th), three-point percentage (39.1, sixth), scoring margin (22.7), seventh), bench points per game (33.9, ninth), and winning percentage (.909, 10th). Individually, Hunter ranks 71st in field goal percentage (49.0) while Edmondson and Smith are ranked 60th (3.2) and 82nd (3.0), respectively, in offensive rebounds per game.
SERIES HISTORY WITH THE GREYHOUNDS
UTEP is 15-2 all-time against Eastern New Mexico. The two sides last meeting was in the 2014-15 season, which saw the Miners win 84-49 on 12/2/14.
FAST FORWARD
The Miners open Conference USA play with three straight road games. Up first, UTEP heads to Ruston, La. to take on LA Tech (1/2) before facing off at Sam Houston (1/4). Finally, the Miners return to the Borderland to take on NM State in Las Cruces, N.M. (1/11). The next chance to see UTEP in action in the Don Haskins Center is Jan. 16, when they welcome the Liberty Lady Flames.
TICKETS
For tickets, fans can call 915-747-UTEP or visit UTEPMiners.com/Tickets for more information.
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