UTEP Men’s Basketball Team Rallies Past NM State, 91-88, For Thrilling OT Win

EL PASO, Texas – Behind 21 points from Caleb Blackwell, double-doubles from Kaseem Watson (18 points, career-high 12 rebounds) and Elijah Jones (17 points, career-best tying 12 boards) and another big game from Jamal West Jr. (20 points, eight boards, four blocked shots), the UTEP men’s basketball team proved its mettle with a 91-88 overtime win against I-10 rival NM State in front of a season-best 7,862 fans at the Don Haskins Center Saturday evening.

The Miners (9-15, 5-8 CUSA) trailed the Aggies (11-12, 4-9 CUSA) by 10 (66-56) with 6:13 remaining in regulation, but they refused to quit. UTEP closed the second half on a 16-6 run, including a clutch game-tying 3-pointer by Watson from the top of the key with 4.4 seconds remaining to force OT with things tied up at 72. The Miners bolted to a nine-point advantage (83-74) over the first three minutes of the extra session, aided by a 10-0 run, and they never relinquished the lead on the way to their second straight win against NM State for the first time in 14 years. 

Blackwell scored nine of his 21 points in OT, thanks in large part to an effort of 6-6 on free throws in the extra session. He iced the contest with a pair of tosses at the line with two seconds left after the Aggies had cut the margin to one. UTEP is now 3-0 this year when going to OT. 

The Miners, who trailed by as many as 14 at one point in the contest, have now posted five wins this season when facing a double-digit deficit. That is the most such victories since at least 2008-09. UTEP proved its toughness in multiple ways, outrebounding NM State (49-42), which was helped by pulling down 18 offensive boards. The Miners continually attacked the visitors, particularly West Jr., with UTEP setting season highs for makes and attempts at the charity stripe 26-38 (68.4 percent).  The Aggies were 14-23 (60.9 percent) at the line. West alone went 12-20, fouling out multiple Aggies in the process, while Blackwell set career bests for makes (seven) and attempts (eight). 

UTEP knocked down a season-high tying 11 triples, including four from Watson and two each by Blackwell, Jones and KJ Thomas (eight points). Blackwell also dished out five of the Miners’ 14 assists, to go along with a team-high three thefts. Cassius Brooks came off the bench to pitch in four points and grab five rebounds. With the effort, Brooks moved past 1,000 career points at the NCAA level. 

While NM State connected on 44.4 percent (32-72) of its shots, including 10-24 (41.7 percent) from distance, it misfired on seven straight tries over a six-minute span late in regulation that allowed UTEP to fight back from down by 10. The Miners also blocked a season-most matching eight shots. 

The Orange and Blue emerged victorious in spite of the Aggies leading by nearly 35 minutes of action, although the Miners played in front over the final 3:46 of OT.

“In a rivalry game, you never know what’s going to happen. I thought they controlled the game. We couldn’t’ really get anything going offensively and then we made a run and had some toughness to us,” UTEP head coach Joe Golding said. “We’ve been getting better at that, just hadn’t been able to finish. Tonight, we were able to finish. It was a great college basketball game. There were haymakers getting thrown both ways, and it was a lot of fun to be a part of. The crowd tonight was fantastic.”

Watson got the Miners on the board first with a 3-pointer on their first triple before a 9-0 run from NM State gave it a six-point edge four-and-a half minutes into the affair. UTEP punched back with a 6-0 surge thanks to back-to-back treys from Thomas and Jones, respectively, on the way to tying things up.

Both teams found rhythm the next few minutes, with things knotted at 16 (11:59,1H) following a triple from Trey Horton III. The Aggies broke the deadlock with five straight points to kick off what would be an 18-3 run and put the Orange and Blue down by double digits (31-19, 5:12, 1H).

It was still a double-digit differential (35-21, 3:45, 1H) before West Jr. provided his own 5-0 counter to get the Miners within single digits (35-26, 2:50, 1H) After NM State used some points at the line to push the margin to double figures again, West Jr. backed down his defender for a score to bring UTEP within 10 (38-28, 1:29, 1H). Two late free throws from Brooks made it a seven-point contest (39-32) through 20 minutes of action. 

A couple of baskets, including a slam from Blackwell, sandwiched a score from NM State, to let the Miners creep within five out of the gates in the second half. NM State countered immediately with a pull-up triple to snag an eight-point advantage (44-36) two minutes into the second half. After the visitors extended it to 10, another Watson triple cut it to seven. 

NM State found itself by 10 again (55-45) before four in a row, all from Blackwell, made it a six-point contest (55-49, 10:56, 2H). A basket from the Aggies prevented a big run, but a score from Watson let the Miners sneak within six once again. NM State kept countering every potential surge, extending their cushion out to 10+ points on three separate occasions. 

UTEP stayed in the fight, though, and its defensive prowess down the stretch opened the door for the rally. Thomas started things with a triple before a pair of makes from West Jr. at the charity stripe. A steal and a flush from Blackwell on a breakaway brought the Miners within four (67-63, 4:09, 2H). After a free throw from NM State, UTEP tied the tilt with five straight points, with Blackwell’s step-back jumper capping the mini push.  

The Aggies, who had missed seven consecutive shots, finally got some offense with consecutive scores by Jemel Jones (game-high 26 points). The scores put NM State up by four with 1:19, but UTEP forced OT with a West Jr. free throw and the triple by Watson. 

A West Jr. make at the line got the Miners on the board first in OT before Jones drilled yet another jumper to put his side into the lead. It was short-lived, with Watson drilling a 3-pointer on the ensuing passion to spark a 10-0 run. Blackwell followed with a triple, two free throws before Jones put the finishing touches on the surge with a layup in transition.

NM State did everything in its power to recover, but the Miners refused to relinquish their lead. 

UTEP has another split week ahead, with a road tilt at Jax State at 5 p.m. MT/6 p.m. CT on Wednesday before returning home to play host to league-leading and unbeaten in CUSA play Liberty for a special 12 p.m. tipoff on ESPN2 on Feb. 14. Jon Teicher (45th year) will be on the call for the matchup with the Gamecocks on The Home of UTEP Basketball” 600 ESPN El Paso. It will also be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required). For ticket specials for the tilt against the Flames, call (915) 747-UTEP.