UTEP WBB falls to Kennesaw State in First Round of CUSA tournament, 71-63
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama (KVIA) -- The UTEP women’s basketball team (11-19) was upended by Kennesaw State (13-17) 71-63 in the opening round of the Conference USA basketball championships Tuesday afternoon.
UTEP outscored KSU in the paint (32-28) and off the bench (18-10) while also grabbing more boards (34-32).
The Miners shot better than the Owls as well, outdoing them from the field (47.2 percent, 25-53) (40.0 percent, 22-55), from three (28.6 percent, 6-21) (26.9 percent, 7-26), and from the foul line (77.8 percent, 7-9) (60.6 percent, 20-33) in the contest.
Portia Adams shared the game-lead with a season-high 24 points. She shot 64.2 percent from the floor (9-14), the best of any player who saw action in the game. She also chipped in seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Dunja Zecevic was also in double figures for the Miners, dropping 10 points while tacking on five boards. Ndack Mbengue nearly posted another double-double with nine points and a team-best eight rebounds. Ivane Tensaie put up eight points.
“I thought today was a great college basketball game,” Head Coach Keitha Adams said. “It was hard fought and competitive. I am disappointed we came up short. I thought defensively we did a much better job against Harden this time than the last time we played them. We made for field goals than they did, but we also had more turnovers. We had some missed opportunities around the basket that might have helped us have a different result. But there is no question our team really fought and competed today; they played really hard.”
It was a battle from the first tip, with Kennesaw State holding the two-point advantage, 16-14, at the end of the first period. Adams paced UTEP with seven points in the first period.
The Miners turned up the intensity in the second period, pulling ahead by three, 37-34, as the teams headed to the locker rooms. Mbengue and Adams each had four rebounds.
UTEP shot 55.6 percent (15-27) from the floor, 33.3 percent (5-15) from beyond the arc, and 66.7 percent (2-3) from the foul line in the first half. The Orange and Blue tallied 15 rebounds, three assists and three steals over the first two quarters.
Turnovers hurt the Miners in the third, allowing the Owls to take a six-point lead, 54-58, by the end of the period. Adams continued to pace the team with 16 points.
Despite pulling within four in the final frame, UTEP couldn’t quite close the gap, and Kennesaw State pulled away for the eight-point win.
The Owls shot 40.0 percent (22-55) from the field, 26.9 percent (7-26) from distance, and 60.6 percent (20-33) from the foul line. They registered 32 rebounds, 14 assists, 12 steals, and 1 block in the contest. Keyarah Berry shared the game-lead with 24 points, followed by Keiara Griffin (15) and Prencis Harden (13). Harden led the game in rebounds (12) and had the lone block of the game. Carly Hooks posted game-bests in both assists (six) and steals (six).
Give a gift to UTEP Women's Basketball by donating to the Fast Break Club.
Help support UTEP student-athletes by making a gift to the Miner Athletic Club.
Visit givingto.utep.edu/mac today!
For complete coverage of UTEP women's basketball, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @UTEPWBB (Twitter), @utepwbb (Instagram) and on Facebook or visit the official home of UTEP Athletics at UTEPMiners.com.
