Via UTEP Athletics: The UTEP men’s basketball team blitzed unbeaten UC Santa Barbara from the get-go with a 14-2 game-opening run on the way to a 79-76 win against the Gauchos at the Thunderdome Monday evening. It marks the first nonconference road victory for the Miners (3-1) since a 77-69 triumph at New Mexico on Dec. 12, 2021.
UTEP never trailed UCSB for its third wire-to-wire win of the year while dropping the Gauchos to 4-1 on the season and 42-4 inside the Thunderdome in nonconference play since the start of the 2017-18 campaign. Devon Barnes poured in a season-best and game-high 23 points to lead the charge, but Otis Frazier III (21 points, five rebounds, five assists), Ahamad Bynum (15 points) and Corey Camper Jr. (13 points) each got after it as well.
Frazier III was especially hot in the opening frame when he personally accounted for all 11 points in an 11-1 run to vault UTEP out by 15 late in the half. Bynum on the other hand, did the majority his damage after the break. He knocked down a trio of 3-point attempts during the final 20 minutes, each of which stemmed any comeback aspirations by the home side, while finishing with 12 points total in the frame.
The Miners shot 49.1 percent (28-57) from the floor, including 11-22 (50 percent) from 3-point range. The 11 triples are the most by UTEP against a Division I opponent since they finished 14-26 from downtown in an 84-70 victory at Southern Miss on Feb. 19, 2022. UTEP shared the ball effectively with 14 assists on 28 makes while also taking good care of it by making just eight turnovers. Additionally, the Miners were 12-18 at the charity stripe. Barnes set the tone by making 10 of a career-high 14 attempts.
UCSB connected on 50 percent (25-50) of its attempts, but it was limited to just 31.8 percent (7-22) from distance. The Gauchos had entered the contest 11th in the country for 3-pointers per game (12.0) and 40th nationally in 3-point percentage (40.2 percent). UTEP’s pressure difference certainly affected the home side from deep, in addition to forcing 16 turnovers that led to 20 crucial points. Frazier III’s physicality was also an issue for UCSB, as he swatted a career-most four blocked shots.
The Gauchos tried to compensate by winning the boards (39-22) and taking advantage of plenty of trips to the charity stripe (19-24, 79.2 percent), but UTEP was too tough.
“That’s UTEP basketball. Defense travels, toughness travels and I thought there was no question that we were the tougher team tonight,” UTEP head coach Joe Golding said. “Our guys played really, really hard and I’m really proud of them. We got (off to) a better start, which helped and got some confidence. Give our guys credit. This is a tough place to play. Many people don’t come in here and win. They had a great crowd that got into a couple times, but we mostly kept them quiet. It’s a big time win for us.”
After the two sides traded buckets to start the contest, the Miners kicked it into high gear with a 14-2 run on the way to leading by 12 (16-4, 13:27, 1H). Defense was the catalyst, with the Gauchos being harassed into six turnovers in the stretch. UTEP capitalized on the other end, scoring 10 straight at the onset of the surge.
David Terrell Jr. drove and dished to a wide-open Barnes, who knocked down the triple to get things going. Barnes then came up with a steal before dropping it off to Terrell Jr. The 2024 CUSA Freshman of the Year used a beautiful jump stop before floating home the shot.
After another giveaway, Frazier III pounded it into the paint and kicked it back to Barnes for another 3-pointer. Camper Jr.’s lay-up put the finishing touches on the aforementioned 10-0 run to make it 12-2. The senior scored the next two times down the court for the Orange and Blue, allowing them to lead by 12.
The Gauchos filled up a triple on the next possession, but Bynum’s step-back trey answered it immediately. A mini 5-0 run from the home side let it climb within seven (19-12, 10:22, 1H). Barnes ended that in emphatic fashion with an And-1, his team-leading third of the young campaign.
It was a six-point differential (26-20, 6:31, 1H) when Frazier III caught fire. He poured in all 11 points in UTEP’s 11-2 blitz that spanned two-and-a half minutes, and when the dust settled it was a 15-point cushion (37-22, 3:54, 1H) for the Miners.
UCSB finally got things going, roaring into the locker room with 10 in a row to cut UTEP’s advantage to five (37-32) at the break.
Frazier III continued to cook to start the second half, with lay-ups on the Miners’ first two possessions. Camper Jr. then buried a triple, nudging the advantage back to double digits (44-34, 17:13, 2H). After the Gauchos fought back to cut the lead down to four, Elijah Jones nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key.
UCSB got within four again, but Bynum converted an old-fashioned 3-point play. He followed that with a conventional triple, reinstating a 10-point UTEP lead (55-45, 2H, 11:17, 2H). Two UCSB free throws brought it within eight, but Bynum buried another trey.
The difference was 11 (61-50) with about eight minutes left before the Miners came up with a stop and were able to get into transition. Barnes attacked before finding Bynum in the corner for his fourth 3-pointer of the game, which forced a timeout.
The Gauchos responded with a 12-2 surge to get within six (68-62, 3:11, 2H), but Barnes nailed a triple from the right wing to slow their momentum. After UCSB brought it back to six again, Camper Jr’s driving lay-up as the shot clock wound down banked off the glass and in. The Miners did enough at the charity stripe in the waning minutes to close the contest out.
UTEP has a bit of a break to prepare to play three games in as many days at the Ball Dawgs Classic in Las Vegas, Nev., from Nov. 25-27. The Miners will lock up with San Jose State (5:30 p.m. PT/6:30 p.m. MT on Nov. 25), Long Beach State (5:30 p.m. PT/6:30 p.m. MT on Nov. 26) and UNC Greensboro (4:30 p.m. PT/5:30 p.m. MT on Nov. 27). Jon Teicher (44th year) and Steve Yellen (22nd year) will be on the call on "The Home of UTEP Basketball" 600 ESPN El Paso and the UTEP Miners App for each of the games. All three contests will also be streamed on Flow Sports (subscription required).
