UTEP men’s basketball falls To Jax State, 73-66
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Otis Frazier III tallied 17 points while Ahamad Bynum scored 16 off the bench, but the UTEP men’s basketball team was clipped by Jax State, 73-66, at the Don Haskins Center Thursday evening.
The Miners (14-5, 4-2 CUSA) led by two (66-64) with 2:42 to play in the contest, but the Gamecocks (12-7, 4-2 CUSA) ripped off nine straight points to come away with the victory. UTEP had a pair of chances to tie the contest when it was still trailing by three late in the affair, but neither would fall. That run proved to be the final of 10 lead changes in the game. There were also 10 ties.
UTEP had an off shooting night, finishing at 37.9 percent (22-58) from the floor. That included a readout of 36.4 percent (8-22) from distance. JSU knocked down 48.1 percent (26-54), aided by going 12-23 (60.9 percent) over the final 20 minutes of action.
The Gamecocks, the top-rebounding team (No. 15 nationally) controlled the boards (42-25), aided by 11 offensive boards (10 in first half). UTEP tried to make up for that by forcing 17 turnovers, but it wasn’t enough. Frazier III picking up two fouls early in the tilt hurt the cause, as did Corey Camper Jr. exiting early in the second half with an injury.
Michael Houge (20 points), Jaron Pierre Jr. (14 points) and Quel’Ron House (14 points) led the way for JSU.
“(Enough shots) just didn’t go in tonight. We got some really good looks and executed some things down the stretch, they just didn’t go in,” UTEP head coach Joe Golding said. “Give them credit. The last three-and-a half minutes, they went on a 9-0 run to win the game. It was the start for us. We had no juice. I have no idea why. I thought the five guys that came in when we subbed five guys out brought some juice and energy, but we’ve got to be ready to go at home.”
It was an inauspicious start for the Miners. Frazier III picked up two quick fouls and JSU took advantage of a trio of UTEP turnovers on the way to taking a 6-0. That forced Golding to call timeout with 16:30 left in the first half and his squad down by half a dozen.
The Miners executed to perfection out of the break, with Bynum driving and dropping it off to Elijah Jones for the right-hand slam. After JSU nudged it back to a six-point differential (8-2), UTEP ripped of five in a row to cut it to one. Trey Horton III buried a triple, his second in as many contests off the bench. The Miners then got a stop and Jones beat everyone down the court for another slam, this time on the find by KJ Thomas. The Gamecocks halted the push with back-to-back 3-pointers en route to grabbing a 14-7 advantage (12:12, 1H).
A pair of David Terrell Jr. (five points, three assists) free throws stopped the surge and trimmed the deficit to five. UTEP got a stop and Camper Jr’s floater was pure, making it a three-point affair (14-11). JSU got a score off an inbounds play, but Devon Barnes’s step-back trey brought the Miners within one (16-15, 9:26, 1H).
The visitors responded with six in a row on the way to stretching the margin to seven (22-15). The Miners’ defense picked up, forcing turnovers on four straight possessions to fuel an 8-0 run and send them in front for the first time of the tilt at 23-22 (4:30, 1H). Frazier III started things with consecutive scores before Kevin Kalu (three points, eight rebounds) flew in for a tip-in layup over a multitude of players. Two free throws from Terrell Jr. capped the push.
JSU regained the edge with six unanswered, including an alley-oop dunk to jump ahead by five (28-23, 3:04, 1H). UTEP regrouped and ripped off the next eight points to vault into the lead (31-28, 59 seconds, 1H). Bynum accounted for the first five points in the sequence, with a straightaway 3-pointer and then a layup ahead of the pack. Camper Jr., who fought for the rebound and found a streaking Bynum, then drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the arc to wrap up the run. JSU got a late score, but UTEP still entered the locker room up by one (31-30).
Both teams scored on the first couple possessions of the second half, and the game was knotted at 34 before the Orange and Blue ripped off eight in a row. Camper Jr. kicked off their third 8-0 surge of the affair with a ridiculous one-handed dunk over the 6-10 Mason Nicholson. UTEP got a stop on the next possession of the game, but unfortunately Camper Jr. left with an injury.
Bynum checked in for him and ripped off six in a row, hitting a 3-pointer and then making all three free throws after he was fouled on another attempt.
JSU countered with an 11-2 run to jump back ahead (45-44,13:38, 2H), taking advantage of a cold shooting stretch by the home side. Bynum ended it by knocking down a corner 3-pointer, and UTEP went back out by a pair (47-45, 12:53, 2H). After a stop, Derick Hamilton’s spin and score in the post nudged the differential to four (49-45, 12:04, 2H). The Gamecocks responded with back-to-back buckets to tie the tilt.
It was a one-point differential (52-51) before Baylor Hebb knocked down a triple from the corner. JSU scored the five of the next six points to inch back in front. Kalu split a pair of tosses at the charity stripe to once again tie the tilt. Frazier III’s driving lay-up put UTEP up two, but JSU evened it immediately with two free throws.
Frazier III’s old-fashioned three-point play was countered with a 3-pointer by the visitors. Bynum sank two clutch free throws after he was banged to the deck, but JSU tied things with a driving basket. Frazier III’s cutting lay-up on the bounce pass by Hebb reinstated a precarious two-point advantage only to score the next five to put UTEP down by three (69-66).
Barnes had two looks at it to tie the affair on a pair of wide-open looks, but neither would fall. JSU took care of business at the line to ice the tilt.
UTEP wraps up the mini two-game homestand when it plays host to first-year league member Kennesaw State at 7 p.m. MT Saturday. Jon Teicher (44th year) and Steve Yellen (22nd year) will be on the call on “The Home of UTEP Basketball” 600 ESPN El Paso, with audio also airing on the UTEP Miners app. The contest will also stream on ESPN+ (subscription required), with Andy Morganand former Miner assistant coach Bobby Braswell describing the action. For tickets, please visit www.UTEPMiners.com/tickets or call (915) 747-UTEP.
Help support UTEP student-athletes by making a gift to the Miner Athletic Club. Visit givingto.utep.edu/mac today!
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