UTEP basketball to battle unbeaten UC Santa Barbara on the road Wednesday

EL PASO, Texas - The UTEP men’s basketball team (2-1) will play at undefeated UC Santa Barbara (4-0) at 7 p.m. PT/8 p.m. MT Wednesday.

The Miners have been idle since knocking off Division II foe UTPB, 78-58, on Nov. 12.

The Gauchos preserved their perfect record to start the season with a 64-59 victory at San Jose State on Nov. 12.

UCSB is 2-0 at home, having surpassed 90 points in each of those contests. UTEP will be looking for its first road win of the campaign.

The Orange and Blue were upended at Utah Valley, 89-60, on Nov. 9, in their first road contest this year.

Wednesday’s tilt kicks off a stretch with four in a row outside of El Paso for the Miners, who will play three games in as many days at the Ball Dawgs Classic in Las Vegas, Nev. from Nov. 25-27, following the matchup with UCSB.  

Jon Teicher (44th year) will be on the call on “The Home of UTEP Basketball” 600 ESPN El Paso, with audio also available on the UTEP Miners App. The contest will also be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required).

FOUR IN A ROW OUTSIDE OF THE SUN CITY

The game at UCSB marks the start of four straight games outside of El Paso in the month of November for the first time since 2012. Following the matchup against the Gauchos, the Miners will have three contests in as many days in the “Sin City” as part of the Ball Dawgs Classic from Nov. 25-27. Twelve years ago, the Orange and Blue played at No. 12 Arizona (L, 72-51, Nov. 15) prior to dropping respective tilts vs. Oklahoma (L, 69, 48, Nov. 22), vs Clemson (L, 69-48, Nov. 23) and vs. Vanderbilt (L, 73-49, Nov. 25).

SERIES HISTORY: UTEP LEADS, 2-0

UTEP and UCSB will be meeting for the second straight season, but this time the Miners will be hitting the road to complete the home and home series. In 2023-24, UTEP derailed the Gauchos, 89-76, in a nationally-televised contest in front of more than 7,000 fans on Nov. 13, 2023. The only other game in the series was in the 1958-59 campaign when the Orange and Blue won, 74-54, in El Paso on Dec. 15, 1958.

GET TO KNOW UCSB (4-0, 2-0 HOME, 2-0 AWAY)

UC Santa Barbara, which was picked second in the Big West preseason poll, is off to a tremendous start in 2024-25. The Gauchos are 4-0 on the season, with two victories at home and a pair on the road as well. UCSB surpassed 90 points in the first three contests before winning a defensive battle last time out at San Jose State, 64-59, on Nov. 17. Five different players put up at least 10.0 points per game for the Gauchos, who are accounting for 86.3 ppg (second Big West/60th NCAA). Jason Fontenet II leads the way at 14.8 ppg on a sizzling 59.4 percent shooting (19-32), including 50.0 percent (9-18) from downtown. Stetson transfer Stephan Swenson, who led the Hatters to the NCAA Tournament and was a second-team All-ASUN honoree, paces UCSB in both assists (4.3 apg-fourth BWC) and steals (1.8 spg-seventh BWC). He adds 10.3 ppg to tie for third on the squad. Swenson was also tabbed to the Big West Conference preseason team. He is one of eight players, including six DI transfers to join the team. UCSB boasts a +25.0 (86.3-61.3) scoring margin (first BWC/23rd NCAA). The Gauchos are also among the league leaders and top-100 nationally for 3-pointers made per game (12.0-first/11th), 3-point percentage defense (25.2-first/29th), fewest fouls per game (14.0-first/31st), field-goal percentage defense (35.7-second/35th), scoring defense (61.3-second/36th), field-goal percentage (50.8-third/40th), 3-point percentage (40.3-second/40th), bench scoring (34.3-second/46th) and rebound margin (+9.5-fourth/65th). UCSB is under the direction of eighth-year head coach Joe Pasternack, whose 152 wins (including 4-0 this year) are the most by any Gaucho men’s basketball head coach at this point of their tenure in school history. The program plays at the UCSB Events Arena, a 6,000-seat venue which is better known as the Thunderdome. The Gauchos are 42-3 in nonconference contests at the Thunderdome since the start of the 2017-18 campaign. The losses have come against Portland State in 2023 (82-76), UT Arlington in 2021 (70-62) and Rice in 2019 (82-81). UCSB was established in 1891 as the Anna Blake School. Notable alumni include Academy Award winners Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow and Cleveland Guardians Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber.

LOOKING BACK

UTEP bolted to a 20-4 lead and never looked in the rear-view mirror on the way to a wire-to-wire 78-58 victory against Division II UTPB at home on Nov. 12. The home side connected on 58.8 percent (30-51) from the floor, including a sizzling 64.3 percent (18-28) in the opening frame to build a 27-point halftime cushion (46-19). The Miners piled up 18 assists on 30 field goals made in the game. At the other end of the court, the Orange and Blue held the Falcons to 36.7 percent shooting (22-60), including a paltry 17.6 percent (3-17) from distance. UTPB was particularly flustered by the pressure in first 20 minutes when it shot 21.4 percent (6-28). UTEP also forced 20 turnovers.

can’t guard us all

UTEP had five different players reach double figures reach double figures in scoring in the against UTPB on Nov. 12. Otis Frazier III led the way with his third double-digit outing in as many games this season. Kevin Kalu tallied 12 points (one shy of his career high), followed by Corey Camper Jr. (12 points), Devon Barnes (12 points) and Trey Horton III (10 points).

KALU CRUSHES IT

Senior Kevin Kalu set career highs for both field goals made (six) and attempted (eight) while tallying 12 points (one shy of career best) in the victory against UTPB on Nov. 12. It marked his first double-digit scoring effort this year and third of his career. He previously did so against Sul Ross State (13 points, 11/15/22) and vs. WKU in the CUSA Tournament (10 points, 3/8/23).

FRAZIER III DROPPING DIMES

Otis Frazier III was credited with a career-high seven assists vs. UTPB on Nov. 12. He eclipsed his prior best (six), while also pacing the Miners with 17 points. The efforts helped UTEP finish with 18 assists on 30 made field goals.

TREY WAS BOXING OUT

Trey Horton III connected on 4-8 shots, including 2-5 from distance, to pace the Miners’ reserves with 10 points against UTPB on Nov. 12. He shined in other areas as well. Horton III pulled down a career-best six rebounds, all of which were at the defensive end. His efforts on both sides of the ball allowed him to log a career-most 25 minutes of playing time.

STEALING THE SHOW

Corey Camper Jr. was all over the place defensively, racking up a career-high five steals against UTPB on Nov. 12. Otis Frazier III (four) and Kevin Kalu (two) also notched multiple thefts to help the Miners compile 13 steals against the Falcons.

ANYONE CAN BEAT YOU

Four different Miners (Otis Frazier III, 15.0 ppg, Ahamad Bynum, 14.5 ppg, Devon Barnes, 10.7 ppg and Corey Camper Jr., 10.0 ppg) are all in double figures in scoring while Trey Horton III (9.0 ppg) is just shy. Part of the reason for the balanced offensive attack has been UTEP making the extra pass. The Miners have recorded 49 assists on 80 field goals (61.3 percent).

CRASHING THE BOARDS

Kevin Kalu, who was third on the team in rebounding (4.7 rpg) a year ago, has led the team outright in boards in back-to-back contests. It’s his longest such streak since doing so in three straight games (at DePaul, LA Tech, NC A&T) in December of 2022. He is now at a team-best 5.7 rpg (22nd CUSA).

CALLED FREE THROWS FOR A REASON

UTEP has done a good job across the board with free throws early on in the season. The Miners are among the CUSA leaders and top-100 nationally for free throws made per game (18.7-first/49th), attempted per game (24.7-second/74th) and percentage (75.7-third/75th). Otis Frazier III leads the charge by going 20-23 (87.0 percent) while Corey Camper Jr. (10-10) and Devon Barnes (7-8, 87.5 percent) have also gotten after it at the line.

COREY IS CRISP AT THE LINE

Corey Camper Jr. is a perfect 10-10 at the line, making him one of just 34 players (min. seven attempts) in the country to be perfect at the charity stripe through all games played on Nov. 17. It’s a good start in the department for the senior, who connected on 71.2 percent (52-73) at the line in 2023-24.

FROM WAY DOWNTOWN

UTEP is shooting a crisp 42.1 percent (24-57) from 3-point range through three contests on the campaign. It has been a three-headed attack from distance, with Ahamad Bynum (7-10. 70.0 percent), Trey Horton III (7-16, 43.8 percent) and Devon Barnes (5-12, 41.7 percent) combining for all but five of the makes from beyond-the-arc.

THE BENCH BUNCH

UTEP’s reserves are producing 31.3 points per contest, good enough for third in CUSA and 72nd in the country. The top threat off the pine for the Miners has been Ahamad Bynum, who is second on the team in scoring (14.5-14th CUSA). Bynum has also connected on a sizzling 7-10 from distance to key the reserves. Trey Horton III (9.0 ppg) has also been a big part of the offensive output from the reserves, aided by going 7-16 (43.8 percent) from downtown.