UTEP shows some early chemistry in win against Cal-Santa Barbara
A remade UTEP men's basketball team is still learning about itself in the early stages of this season, but two things became obvious in Monday's 89-76 victory over Cal-Santa Barbara that marked its biggest test so far.
These Miners like playing together and their guard duo of Tae Hardy and Zid Powell has the potential to be electric.
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Hardy had 19 points and eight assists, while Powell took over portions of the game with his drives to the basket and finished with 23 points as the Miners improved to 3-0. USCB was missing its star Ajay Mitchell for the second game this season and fell to 0-2.
UTEP was held to 32 points below its season average against the first Division I team it faced, but hung 89 points on the board with only three 3-pointers, as they had 58 points in the paint. They also had 7,121 fans in the stands for the nationally televised game.
What they said
"We needed a big win," said coach Joe Golding, who went into the student section after the game with some of his team to celebrate with them. "Our school needed a big win, this city needed a big win.
"I'm happy we got it."
So were his players, who controlled the entire second half starting with an 8-0 run out of the locker room that broke the seventh and final tie.
"Our strength is trust," Hardy said. "A lot of belief in one another. Then confidence. Our confidence level is at an all-time high because we put in the work. I'm happy to play with these people.
"We've got a lot of room to improve and that's the scary thing about it."
Said Powell: "I love playing with this team. Nobody is selfish and we're all together. Coach tells us, 'Share the ball, keep doing what they are doing, trust the process."
How it happened
Tied at the half, UTEP opened the second period with an 8-0 run, grew the lead to as many as 17 and saw it home, leading by double figures all but a few seconds of the final 12 minutes.
The Miners forced 17 turnovers and outscored the Gauchos 28-7 in points off turnovers. They didn't have a raft of players in double figures this game, but Calvin Solomon had 12 points and 13 rebounds, and Otis Frazier, Corey Camper Jr. and Elijah Jones each scored nine points.
UTEP had 18 assists against seven turnovers. The Miners struggled some defensively in the first half when UCSB shot 58%, but adjusted and held the Gauchos to 39% shooting in the second half.
Along the way UTEP looked like a confident team finding itself.
"Winning helps, that's why this is a big game," Golding said. "It's a great opponent, a team that's had a ton of success. You've got to have that big win. We couldn't ever get it last year.
"We got a good one and it helps the buy-in. ... They like each other. They have real relationships. They play with each other and for each other. The ball movement was good. They definitely enjoy playing for each other."
Up next
UTEP closes out its season-opening homestand when it plays Austin Peay at 7 p.m. Friday. This is the opening game of the SoCal Challenge, which will conclude with UTEP playing two games in San Juan Capistrano, California.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at 915-546-6359; bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: UTEP Miners men's basketball runs past shorthanded Cal-Santa Barbara
