It wasn't attractive, it had its flaws, and the start of the final minutes was filled with uncertainty after the Miners surrendered a game-high 12-point lead -- but UTEP came away with another win that counts as much when it's a blowout as it does when done by just one point, beating North Texas 84-75 Sunday afternoon in the Haskins Center.

"We're pleased to have gotten the win," head coach Tim Floyd said. "Our guys got tested a couple times at home; we were in close games where we had to think and play, try to play with poise."

Hooper Vint had a double-double (20 points, 12 rebounds), Lee Moore put up 15 points (8 rebounds), Omega Harris scored 13, Dominic Artis added 11, Terry Winn had 9 points with 8 rebounds, and Earvin Morris put up 8 points in a well-balanced effort by the Miners.

UTEP shot 45% from the floor (29-of-64) and dished 15 assists to 9 turnovers in a game that saw Dominic Artis getting in a zone with his court vision, impressively setting up solid looks for his teammates.

The game was tied three times through the first seven minutes, and the Miners held a one-point lead on three different occasions through the next five.

After the back-and-forth start, UTEP continued the half's final eight minutes by jumping out to a half-high lead of 11 points with 0:43 on the clock and 41-31 advantage at the break.

In the same style as Rice's performance against the Miners on Friday, though, North Texas wasn't going away easily.

After UTEP got out to its game-high 12-point lead just seconds out of the locker rooms, the Mean Green spent the next six cutting the deficit to just one point (54-53) with 13:48 to play.

"We knew that North Texas could come back because it's what they did last week at San Antonio [UTSA]," coach Floyd said. "They were down 40-25 at halftime -- and within eight minutes, they were tied: With another seven minutes, they were up 15."

The Miners responded by going on an 11-2 run to get back ahead by eight (64-53), but North Texas had another answer.

The Mean Green went on a 13-2 run of its own that tied the contest up at 66 with just over five minutes left in the game.

After North Texas took its only lead (71-70) off a 3-pointer, the Miners stepped up their defensive intensity with the help of the Haskins Center crowd.

Through the final 4:05, North Texas was held without a field goal -- the Mean Green scoring its final four points from free throws -- and Hooper Vint scored UTEP's last 8 of 14 points, highlighted by a fan-pleasing slam for exclamation.

The Miners now face a test of three straight games on the road, starting with a visit to Middle Tennessee (Jan. 7 @ 5 p.m. MT).