UTEP upended at Louisiana Tech, 68-54

RUSTON, Louisiana - The UTEP men’s basketball team forced 18 turnovers and crashed the offensive glass hard (15 offensive rebounds) but couldn’t overcome a tough shooting night in a 68-54 setback at first-place LA Tech Thursday evening.

The size and physical play by the Bulldogs (14-6, 4-1 CUSA) played a factor in the Miners (11-9, 2-3 CUSA) finishing at 29.5 percent (18-61) from the floor, including 17.6 percent (3-17) from distance. LA Tech, which certainly struggled with UTEP’s nation-leading 19.3 turnovers forced per game defense, overcame that by shooting 47.7 percent (21-44) from the floor.

The home side also connected on 42.9 percent from 3-point range (6-14).

Another factor in the contest was LA Tech going 20-33 at the charity stripe compared to the Miners’ readout of 15-22.

The differential was particularly noticeable in the first frame when the Bulldogs went 12-17 and UTEP was 4-6. Both teams had 10 field goals in that opening frame, but LA Tech carried a seven-point advantage (34-27) heading into halftime.

The Bulldogs, who improved to 10-0 on the year at home, moved that margin to 12 (41-29) with 16:32 remaining in regulation.

The Orange and Blue countered with a 17-7 surge to get within two (48-46, 8:35, 2H). The Bulldogs responded by tallying 14 of the next 16 points in the contest to stave off the Miners’ comeback bid.

Tae Hardy and Otis Frazier III both tallied 11 points to lead the way offensively for UTEP while David Terrell Jr. provided a spark off the bench with eight points and a team-high five assists.

Zid Powell (seven points) was the only other Miner with more than five points in the contest.

UTEP, which entered the contest leading the nation with 11.9 steals per game, registered 11 thefts in the game.

It marked the Orange and Blue’s 14 tilt this season with double digits in steals. Frazier III, Powell, Calvin Solomon and Terrell Jr. each had a pair of steals to lead the way in the department.

LA Tech was paced by Daniel Batcho’s monstrous double-double (19 points, 12 rebounds). He added seven blocks for good measure. Tahlik Chavez buoyed him with 18 points.

“We had some opportunities, but we just couldn’t get the stops down the stretch, and we couldn’t execute offensively,” UTEP head coach Joe Golding said. “On the road you’ve really got to buckle down against a team like that when it’s a two-point ballgame and you have a chance. There’s a reason these guys are undefeated at home. They’ve got a good team and credit to them.”

UTEP used good ball movement on the opening possession of the contest to set up a corner trey that was pure for Corey Camper Jr. The home side countered with a 6-0 run to pull ahead. LA Tech still led by two (7-5) early before the Miners struck back with six in a row to regain the lead at 11-7. Solomon started it with back-to-back lay-ups. Elijah Jones then capped the mini surge with a floater in the lane off an inbounds feed from Powell.

UTEP remained in the lead (15-14, 10:27, 1H), but a 12-0 push over the next five minutes by the home side allowed it to regain an advantage. As it turned out, the Miners would never lead again. It was part of a bigger 16-1 surge by the Bulldogs, as they capitalized on a shooting slump by the Orange and Blue.

Following a Golding timeout, Jones halted the run by knocking down a jumper off a nice find from Terrell Jr. to bring UTEP within single digits (26-17, 4:28, 1H). The Miners then came up with a steal and Terrell Jr. dished to a wide-open Hardy, who buried the trey. After Frazier III went 1-2 at the charity stripe, UTEP harassed the Bulldogs into another turnover. Hardy made them pay with a jumper in traffic. That capped an 8-0 run for the Miners, allowing them to inch within three (26-23).

Consecutive scores from LA Tech nudged the differential to seven (30-23), and it would remain that heading into halftime (34-27). Four of the final seven points in the frame for LA Tech came at the charity stripe, helping it hold that big advantage at the half in terms of free throws. 

The Bulldogs used a 7-2 push out of the gates at the second stanza to extend their cushion to double figures (41-29, 16:32, 2H). A mini 6-1 sequence for the Orange and Blue cut the deficit back to the halftime margin of seven (42-35, 14:10, 2H), with all six points in it from Powell.

After the home side slid it back out to 10, UTEP tallied four straight points. That included a driving lay-up through traffic from Terrell Jr. to make it six-point affair (45-39, 12:45, 2H). The Bulldogs nailed a triple on the ensuing possession to go back out by nine (48-39, 11:59, 2H), but UTEP kept fighting. It struck back with a 7-0 run over the next three minutes, inching within two (48-46, 8:35 2H) as result.

Hardy navigated nicely through traffic to start it, which was followed by the Miners getting the next five points at the charity stripe as result of attacking the rim. LA Tech had an answer, however, with the 14-2 run to wipe away the Miners’ aspirations of a comeback. 

UTEP wraps up its roadswing hoping to get a split when it plays at Sam Houston at 3:30 MT/4:30 CT Saturday. 

Jon Teicher (43rd year) will be on the call on "The Home of UTEP Basketball" 600 ESPN El Paso and the UTEP Miners App. It will also stream on ESPN+ (subscription required).