UTEP wins 4th in a row, 60-55 over Florida Atlantic

UTEP took its third three-game winning streak of the season to Boca Raton, Florida, Thursday and was able to turn it into its first four-game streak -- beating Florida Atlantic for the fifth consecutive time, 60-55.

Dominic Artis led the Miners in points (12) and rebounds (nine), Omega Harris put up 11 points (eight rebounds), while Matt Willms and Kelvin Jones both scored 10.

The Owls and Miners both shot over 50 percent from the field in a 1st half that saw 11 lead changes and five ties.

After UTEP took a half-high, six-point lead (22-16) with 9:03 in the 1st, a 6-0 run by FAU tied the game and helped the Owls finish the half outscoring the Miners 17-10 -- FAU taking a 33-32 lead into the break.

UTEP scored the first two points out of the locker rooms to give the game a 12th lead change, then FAU immediately responded with a dunk to retake an advantage.

The next two minutes saw the teams go scoreless, but Omega Harris’ layup as the clock read 16:11 ended the drought and created the 14th -- and final -- lead change of the contest.

While the teams never stopped battling back and forth as the Owls stayed within single digits, FAU was unable to find a way to tie or take the lead again.

UTEP’s advantage varied between one and five points for the next seven-plus minutes until the Miners matched their 1st-half high, six-point lead with 8:47 to play (46-40).

Two straight baskets by the Owls on ensuing possessions cut the Miners’ lead back to two, but UTEP kept willing its way to preventing a big FAU run.

The Owls then faced a deficit between three and six points for the next three-plus minutes before Dominic Artis sank a 3-pointer with 3:51 on the clock -- giving the Miners their game-high lead of seven (56-49).

Another pair of consecutive baskets cut the lead back down to three as the clock read 2:51 -- but FAU was unable score another field goal (two free throws). Dominic Artis hit a jumper with 1:11 to play, and Jake Flaggert hit two free throws with six seconds left to seal the win.

FAU finished the 2nd half shooting 33.3 percent (9-of-27) to UTEP’s 45.5 percent (10-of-22) versus 53.6 percent (15-of-18) to 52 percent (13-of-25) in the 1st, respectively.

Artis scored seven of UTEP’s final nine points.