Juarez City.- The UTEP Miners reached a postseason tournament for the fifth time in their history and despite fighting until the end, they could not beat the Texas Tech Lady Raiders and lost 67-54 in the first round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) this Thursday night in Lubbock, Texas.
The Flintstones Quintet (20-12, 12-8 C-USA) cut what was at one point a 17-point deficit in the first half to five points twice in the final 20 minutes.
“Our team knows we played for 40 minutes, but we lost the game in the first six minutes,” UTEP coach Kevin Baker said. “We were never able to overcome that handicap. If we could start the game again, maybe we could build a different result.”
UTEP began to creep back into the game late in the first half after trailing 37-20 with 2:18 left before halftime, when a 6-0 run put the Pasenas within striking distance just before go to the locker room at halftime.
Poised to completely change the face of the game, the Miners continued to play well through the first eight minutes of the third quarter, as another 6-0 run by UTEP pushed Texas Tech’s lead to two possessions, 45-40, with 2:18 to play in this period.
During the second and third quarters, Erin Wilson scored a team-high 13 of her 20 total points on 8-for-11 shooting from the field, as well as adding a season-high seven rebounds.
Another key in the Mineras’ comeback attempt was a 38-30 advantage on the boards, including a 12-6 advantage on the offensive board.
Playing with just eight players, UTEP needed contributions from everyone who walked the field.
“It’s very difficult to prepare for games with only eight players, but they found a way to do it,” Baker said. “Those are the things behind the scenes that you never see, but those are the things that 10 years from now I will look back on and be most proud of.”
