EL PASO, Texas – The\u00a0UTEP\u00a0women\u2019s\u00a0basketball\u00a0team (7\u20132) returns to the Don Haskins Center on Thursday looking to protect its perfect home record as the Miners host UC Irvine at 7 p.m. MT.\u00a0<\/p>\n
UTEP\u00a0enters the matchup 6\u20130 at home and seeks to reset after a challenging two-game road stretch at No. 8 TCU and BYU, reestablishing its identity on its home floor.<\/p>\n
SCOUTING UC IRVINE<\/p>\n
UC Irvine enters Thursday\u2019s matchup at 10\u20132 overall and 3-2 on the road, riding a nine-game winning streak following an 83-66 win over New Mexico State on Dec. 16. The Anteaters are led by head coach Tamara Inoue, who is in her tenth season guiding the program. UC Irvine is coming off a 2023\u201324 Big West Conference championship season, reinforcing its status as one of the league\u2019s top programs.<\/p>\n
The Anteaters are averaging 71.6 points, 39.0 rebounds, and 13.8 assists per game, while shooting 40.0 percent from the field, 34.1 percent from three (79 nationally), and 82.6 percent at the free-throw line (4th nationally). Defensively, UC Irvine is holding opponents to just 34.8 percent shooting (27th nationally) and 26.6 percent from beyond the arc (59th nationally), while outscoring teams by 15.0 points per game (55th nationally). The Anteaters also rank among the nation\u2019s top 50 in scoring defense, limiting opponents to under 60 points a game (56.6).<\/p>\n
UC Irvine is led by Hunter Hernandez, who paces the Anteaters with 16.4 points per game (91st nationally) and adds 5.6 rebounds per contest. Jada Wynn provides a strong all-around presence, averaging 14.8 points, a team-best 8.9 rebounds (54th nationally), and a team-leading 3.4 assists per game. Wynn ranks 11th nationally with five double-doubles this season. Both Wynn and Hernandez rank among the nation\u2019s top 75 in free-throw percentage, with Hernandez sitting 28th nationally at 88.6 percent and Wynn 56th nationally at 86.2 percent. Lauryn Masden adds 8.9 points per game, rounding out UC Irvine\u2019s primary contributors.<\/p>\n
MINER NOTABLES<\/p>\n
Two Miners reached double figures as\u00a0UTEP\u00a0closed its road trip with an 86\u201341 loss at BYU on Dec. 13. Sirviva Legions led the Miners with 13 points and four rebounds, marking her fourth straight game in double figures. Ndack Mbengue added six points and seven rebounds, continuing her presence on the glass against a strong Cougars frontcourt.<\/p>\n
SERIES HISTORY<\/p>\n
Thursday\u2019s matchup marks the fifth all-time meeting between\u00a0UTEP\u00a0and UC Irvine, with the series tied at 2\u20132. The teams last met on Nov. 13, 2010, at the Don Haskins Center, where the Miners earned a 72\u201357 victory.<\/p>\n
MINERS FALL AT BYU TO CLOSE ROAD TRIP<\/p>\n
UTEP fell to 7\u20132 on the season with an 81\u201346 loss at BYU on Dec. 13, closing a challenging road trip against Power Four competition. The Miners competed defensively in stretches but struggled to establish offensive rhythm against the Cougars\u2019 size and pressure, finishing at 30 percent from the field while committing 19 turnovers.<\/p>\n
UTEP\u00a0battled early in a defensive-minded opening quarter, trailing 13\u20136 after one, but BYU used a strong second-quarter surge to build a 42\u201314 lead going into halftime. The Miners showed improved pace coming out of the locker room and continued to attack the paint, yet BYU answered with timely perimeter shooting and second-chance points to maintain control. Despite continued effort and forcing turnovers,\u00a0UTEP\u00a0was unable to close the gap as the Cougars sealed the result in the fourth.<\/p>\n
UTEP\u00a0hung tough early, trailing 21\u201311 after the first quarter, but an 11\u20130 TCU run to close the half created a 43\u201318 deficit at the break. The Miners opened the third quarter with active possessions, yet the Horned Frogs continued to pull away behind perimeter shooting and transition play. Despite competing on the glass and forcing 15 turnovers,\u00a0UTEP\u00a0was unable to generate consistent offense as TCU sealed the result in the fourth.<\/p>\n
LEGIONS LOCKED IN
Sirviva Legions continued her steady early-season production with 13 points and four rebounds at BYU, marking her fourth consecutive game in double figures. The senior guard has now scored in double figures while adding 5+ rebounds in six of\u00a0UTEP\u2019s first eight games, showcasing her reliability on both ends of the floor as one of the Miners\u2019 most dependable two-way performers.<\/p>\n
Legions previously tallied 10 points and six rebounds at No. 8 TCU (Dec. 6), while also posting a season-best 17 points and seven boards against Denver (Nov. 29). Through nine games, she is averaging 10.9 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 40 percent from the field.<\/p>\n
MBENGUE\u2019S CONSISTENCY IN THE PAINT<\/p>\n
Ndack Mbengue continued her strong interior presence with 10 points and 10 rebounds at No. 8 TCU, securing her third double-double of the season, all of which have come over the last five games. She followed that effort with seven rebounds at BYU and has now recorded 10 or more boards in five of her last seven contests.<\/p>\n
Her recent stretch includes a career-high 18 points and 10 rebounds at Kansas City (Nov. 25), part of back-to-back double-doubles against the Roos and Denver in which she totaled 30 points and 20 rebounds. Mbengue enters the week ranked among the top 75 nationally in rebounds per game, and her consistency around the rim continues to solidify her role as one of\u00a0UTEP\u2019s most impactful interior contributors.<\/p>\n
AMANIYO\u2019S BOARD WORK REMAINS ELITE<\/p>\n
Mary Moses Amaniyo continued her strong rebounding presence with nine boards at No. 8 TCU, extending her stretch of consistency on the interior. The sophomore forward has now recorded eight or more rebounds in six of\u00a0UTEP\u2019s eight games and enters the week averaging a double-double with 11.8 rebounds and 10.9 points per contest.<\/p>\n
Amaniyo ranks 20th nationally and second in Conference USA in rebounds per game, while ranking top 5 in the nation in offensive rebounds per game (5.0). She also sits 27th nationally and second in Conference USA with four double-doubles, reinforcing her status as one of the country\u2019s most productive rebounders and a key anchor in\u00a0UTEP\u2019s frontcourt.<\/p>\n
HEAVEN ON THE HEIST
Heaven Samayoa-Mathis turned in a standout defensive performance against TAMU-CC (Dec. 3), recording a career-high six steals to help fuel\u00a0UTEP\u2019s dominant effort on that end of the floor.<\/p>\n
Samayoa-Mathis has continued to impact games with her defensive instincts and energy, helping the Miners hold their first seven opponents to fewer than 65 points before conceding 90 at No. 8 TCU.<\/p>\n
BACK-TO-BACK POWER 4 TESTS<\/p>\n
UTEP\u2019s game at BYU (Dec. 13) marked its second straight contest against a Power 4 opponent, following its Dec. 6 road game at No. 8 TCU. It was the Miners\u2019 first stretch of consecutive Power 4 opponents in eight seasons.<\/p>\n
The last occurrence came during the 2016\u201317 campaign, when\u00a0UTEP\u00a0faced LSU (Nov. 24, 2016) and NC State (Nov. 25, 2016) on back-to-back days at the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands.<\/p>\n
TENSAIE SCORING SURGE CONTINUES
Ivane Tensaie continued her strong offensive rhythm with 15 points and four rebounds in the win over TAMU-CC (Nov. 29), building on the momentum that earned her Conference USA Player of the Week honors on Dec. 2.<\/p>\n
Tensaie delivered one of the best weeks of her\u00a0UTEP\u00a0career to claim the award, highlighted by a season-high 26 points on 8 for 12 shooting from three against Denver on Nov. 29. Her eight made three-pointers set a\u00a0UTEP\u00a0single-game record, surpassing her previous mark of seven. Earlier in the week, she added 19 points on 5 for 8 from beyond the arc in the road win at Kansas City (Nov. 25).<\/p>\n
The graduate guard\u2019s efficient perimeter scoring continues to provide a major spark for\u00a0UTEP\u2019s offense as the Miners remain unbeaten.<\/p>\n
GOING BACK-TO-BACK
UTEP recently secured Conference USA Player of the Week recognition in consecutive weeks, marking the program\u2019s first back-to-back honors since the 2013\u201314 season. Mary Moses Amaniyo earned the award first, followed the next week by Ivane Tensaie after her record-setting performance from beyond the arc. The Miners\u2019 last pair of consecutive honorees prior to this season came in 2014, when Kayla Thornton earned the award on Jan. 27 and Feb. 3.<\/p>\n
DEFENSE DEFINES THE MINERS<\/p>\n
UTEP opened the year with an impressive defensive run, holding its first seven opponents under 65 points. The streak marked the longest by any Conference USA program to begin a season since Southern Miss accomplished the feat in 2003\u201304, holding its first 10 opponents below the threshold.<\/p>\n
It was also the first time in 29 years that\u00a0UTEP\u00a0started a season with seven straight opponents under 65 points. The last occurrence came during the 1996\u201397 campaign, when the Miners limited 11 consecutive opponents below the mark to open the year.<\/p>\n
EXTRA EFFORT, EXTRA POINTS<\/p>\n
UTEP converted its rebounding strength into reliable scoring, dominating opponents 135\u201357 in second-chance points through nine games. The Miners recorded double-digit second-chance production in each of their first seven outings, highlighted by a 17\u20130 margin in the overtime win over UT Martin and a season-best 26 against WNMU. They had nine such points at No. 8 TCU.<\/p>\n
So far this season,\u00a0UTEP\u00a0is averaging 16.8 second-chance points per contest while limiting opponents to just 7.1, turning effort and offensive rebounding into a consistent scoring advantage.<\/p>\n
NATIONALLY ELITE ON THE GLASS<\/p>\n
UTEP has established itself as one of the top rebounding teams in the country, entering Thursday\u2019s game averaging 44.8 rebounds per game (14th nationally). The Miners also rank 12th in the nation in offensive rebounds per game at 17.0, consistently generating extra possessions that fuel their scoring.<\/p>\n
UTEP\u2019s rebounding prowess was on full display against Western New Mexico, where the Miners grabbed a program-record 33 offensive rebounds and finished with 64 total boards, their highest single-game total since collecting 66 against the Mustangs in 2016. The sustained dominance on the glass continues to be a defining strength of\u00a0UTEP\u2019s early-season success.<\/p>\n
QUARTER FRENZY<\/p>\n
Ivane Tensaie has joined one of the rarest scoring lists in program history. With her previous 14-point third quarter at Kansas City (Nov. 25) and 13-point fourth quarter vs. FIU last season (Jan. 18, 2025), she is now one of only four players in\u00a0UTEP\u00a0history to record multiple quarters with 13+ points.<\/p>\n
The exclusive list includes:<\/p>\n
Sparkle Taylor – Four times (\u201816-17)<\/p>\n
Najala Howell – Three times (\u201817-18)<\/p>\n
Katarina Zec – Two times (\u201817-18) (\u201819-20)<\/p>\n
AMANIYO JOINS ELITE COMPANY<\/p>\n
Mary Moses Amaniyo continued to establish herself as one of the nation\u2019s elite rebounders, posting two of the top performances in program history within the first month of the season. She opened the year with a\u00a0UTEP-record 22 rebounds against PVAMU (Nov. 3) and later grabbed 18 boards in the win over UT Martin (Nov.22).<\/p>\n
Amaniyo is the first Miner since Kayla Thornton in 2013-14 to record multiple games with 18 or more rebounds in the same season. Her presence on the glass continues to anchor\u00a0UTEP\u2019s interior play and generate critical extra-possession opportunities.<\/p>\n
SENIOR 5<\/p>\n
For the first time since\u00a0UTEP\u00a0began tracking lineup records in 1983, the Miners are starting an all-senior lineup. The veteran group provides experience, leadership, and stability, anchoring\u00a0UTEP\u2019s strong start to the season.<\/p>\n
UP NEXT<\/p>\n
UTEP will continue its homestand by hosting NAIA opponent University of the Southwest (Dec. 29) before opening Conference USA play at home against Delaware (Jan. 2).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"EL PASO, Texas – The\u00a0UTEP\u00a0women\u2019s\u00a0basketball\u00a0team (7\u20132) returns to the Don Haskins Center on Thursday looking to protect its…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":92217,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[138,140,139],"class_list":["post-92216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-el-paso","tag-el-paso","tag-el-paso-headlines","tag-el-paso-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92216"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92216\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/92217"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}