In a battle for Conference USA pickaxe supremacy, the Miners and 49ers of Charlotte faced off at the Haskins Center Saturday as both schools hoped to keep the other in last place.

UTEP overcame another bad shooting night -- going 16-of-44 from the field (36.4 percent) -- and held on in the final seconds for a 57-53 win, snapping a three-game skid.

Evan Gilyard led the Miners in scoring with 13, Nigel Hawkins put up 12 points (eight rebounds), and Paul Thomas scored 11 (seven rebounds).

After the teams played to three ties through the first 5:46, UTEP created the game’s third lead change by breaking a 9-9 tie -- beginning an 11-3 stretch that ended with the Miners up by eight (20-12) as the clock read 6:25.

The offensive struggles continued for both teams as five total points through the next three minutes gave UTEP a game-high lead of nine (23-14) with 3:07 until halftime.

As the Miners finished the half a scoreless 0-of-3 from the field, Charlotte used five points to get within four (23-19) going into the locker rooms.

Into the second half, the 49ers put up another five points that extended their half-ending run to 10-0 -- giving them a 24-23 lead as the clock read 17:51 -- before a free throw gave the Miners their first point at 17:08.

The next four minutes saw the teams exchange five more lead changes -- totalling nine for the game -- to a 34-31 UTEP advantage with 12:17 to play.

After the 49ers got back within one (34-33), consecutive 3-pointers from Evan Gilyard fueled a 7-0 run that put the Miners up by eight (41-33) as the clock read 9:31.

Charlotte responded with another five straight to get back within three (41-38) at 8:49, and the 49ers tied it up at 43-43 with 5:07 to play.

Paul Thomas had an answer on the ensuing possession with a completed and-1 layup to put the Miners back up three (46-43), and UTEP continued on through a 9-3 -- taking a 52-46 as the clock read 1:29.

The 49ers responded with a 6-1 stretch to cut their deficit back to one (53-52) at 0:34, and UTEP closed out the win going 4-of-6 from free throw as Charlotte failed to hit another field goal.