UTEP women’s basketball drops road matchup at Sam Houston, 71–59
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - The UTEP women’s basketball team fell 71–59 at Sam Houston on Thursday night, moving to 13–15 overall and 5–12 in Conference USA play.
UTEP shot 40.7 percent from the field (22-of-53), including 6-of-15 from three-point range (40.0 percent), and went 9-of-12 at the free-throw line (75.0 percent).
The Miners also forced 18 turnovers and grabbed 33 rebounds, but Sam Houston converted extra opportunities into a 21–7 advantage in points off turnovers while also holding edges in points in the paint (34–20) and second-chance points (18–8).
Portia Adams and Ivane Tensaie led the Miners with 14 points each, while Heaven Samayoa-Mathis added 13. Ndack Mbengue pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds to go with six points, and Delma Zita handed out a team-best four assists.
The opening quarter was tightly contested from the outset, as Tensaie buried a three on UTEP’s first possession to give the Miners an early spark.
She added another jumper midway through the frame, and Mbengue converted off a turnover to help the Orange and Blue hold a 7–5 lead through the first four minutes.
Mary Moses Amaniyo provided a boost off the bench with a pair of late baskets, but Sam Houston capitalized on second-chance opportunities in the closing moments to take an 18–15 advantage into the second.
The Bearkats extended the margin early in the second quarter, pushing the lead to five behind strong work on the glass.
UTEP answered with interior finishes from Zita and Amaniyo, while Tensaie knocked down a three and added a midrange basket to keep the Miners within reach.
Still, Sam Houston used offensive rebounds and points off turnovers to carry a 34–26 lead into halftime.
UTEP came out of the break with renewed energy as Mbengue opened the half at the free-throw line before Adams connected from deep to cut into the deficit.
Adams later added a pull-up jumper as the Miners continued to chip away behind defensive pressure and timely offense.
Samayoa-Mathis knocked down a three and added two free throws during an 8–0 UTEP run late in the third, trimming the deficit to three, but Sam Houston answered with a basket at the buzzer to take a 48–43 lead into the fourth.
The Miners continued to press early in the final period.
Adams scored on back-to-back second-chance baskets to pull UTEP within one at 48–47, but Sam Houston responded with timely finishes in the paint and capitalized on turnovers to create separation. Mbengue added a bucket inside, and Samayoa-Mathis scored again to keep the Miners within striking distance, but the Bearkats delivered a key three-pointer and converted at the free-throw line down the stretch to secure the 71–59 result.
Sam Houston was paced by Fanta Kone with 18 points and six assists. Whitney Dunn added 15 points and eight rebounds, while Deborah Ogayemi recorded 11 points and eight boards.
UP NEXT
UTEP will close the regular season Saturday at LA Tech, with Conference USA Tournament positioning still at stake.
