Via UTEP Athletics: Ahamad Bynum poured in a career-best 20 points to pace a quartet of players in double figures, and the Miners forced 26 turnovers to help the UTEP men’s basketball team (1-0) smash Division II program Sul Ross State, 102-55, in its season opener at the Don Haskins Center Monday evening.
Trey Horton III (career-high 17 points), Otis Frazier III (17 points) and Corey Camper Jr. (11 points) buoyed Bynum in double figures. UTEP tied for the fifth-most 3-pointers at the school in a contest (14-27), with Bynum (6-8) and Horton III (5-7) leading the charge in the department.
The Miners played unselfish basketball, racking up 23 assists on 35 field goals made. Camper Jr. was credited with a game-high four helpers. Six others recorded multiple assists. The Lobos were harassed into the aforementioned 26 turnovers that UTEP, which finished with 19 steals, converted into 39 points. David Terrell Jr. (career-best five steals) and Tarleton State transfer Devon Barnes (five steals) were the key culprits. Barnes added eight points. The Orange and Blue took good care of the ball, making only eight turnovers of their own.
The Miners also controlled the paint (42-26), won fast break points (24-10) and had a huge advantage for bench scoring (53-17). UTEP shot an impressive 56.5 percent (35-62), including 51.9 percent (14-27) from 3-point range. It held SRSU to 39.1 percent (18-46), including just 4-16 (25.0 percent) on triples.
The Lobos were paced by former Miner Cam Clardy, who tallied 19 points.
“For the most part, even when the game got out of hand a little bit, we played it the right way,” UTEP head coach Joe Golding said. “We had 23 assists and eight turnovers and valued the basketball. We turned them over 26 times, hit 14 3-pointers. Overall, I’m pleased but obviously the level of competition is fixing to step up.”
The Miners came roaring out of the gates with a 14-2 surge over the first five minutes of action, including 10 straight to cap the run. Bynum displayed the instant offense he can provide by tallying the final five points in the stretch. He knocked down a triple on an extra pass by Horton before cutting to the hoop for a score, with the big man Derick Hamilton finding him alone.
The Lobos, who made five turnovers during that blitz, calmed down and cut it to eight (20-12, 11:47, 1H). UTEP responded with another big run, this time peeling off 12 straight. The Miners flexed their depth in the push, with five different players scoring over the three-minute stretch. Frazier III put the finishing touches on it with a steal and breakaway dunk to bring the Orange and Blue faithful to their feet.
To its credit, SRSU fought hard to make it a 10-point affair (34-24, 3:53, 1H). UTEP picked up the pace, closing the half on a 15-2 surge on the way to carrying a 23-point cushion (49-26) advantage into the locker room.
The visitors were trying to hang around at the onset of the second stanza, trailing by 29 (59-30) with 17:13 to play. UTEP had other ideas, however, scoring 11 consecutive points to push the margin out to 40 (70-30, 13:56, 2H). It swelled to as many as 53 (98-45, 4:11, 2H).
The huge differential allowed Golding to mix and match line-ups and distribute playing time across the board. All 14 Miners who suited up saw the court, with 11 logging double digits.
UTEP will play its first road game of the year with a contest at Utah Valley at 2 p.m. MT Saturday. The Miners are aiming to win their road opener for the initial time since the 2010-11 season, when they beat Battle of I-10 rival New Mexico State, 74-72, in Las Cruces on Nov. 23, 2010. The contest will be broadcast on 600 ESPN El Paso and streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required).
