UTEP Miners (5-1) vs. New Mexico State Aggies (2-2)
The 2022-23 college basketball season goes on Wednesday, November 30, with the non-conference showdown between the UTEP Miners and New Mexico State Aggies at Pan American Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
The Miners meet the Aggies for the second time this season, and UTEP outlasted New Mexico State 67-64 as a 1-point home fave on November 12. This time around, the Aggies are listed as 4.5-point home favorites.
The UTEP Miners (5-1; 4-1 ATS) are coming off a 72-67 victory to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi this past Friday. It was their third game in just four days, and after a 73-61 double-overtime victory over Alcorn State and a 68-67 overtime victory to Cal State Bakersfield, the Miners barely covered a 4-point spread while extending their winning streak to five games.
UTEP nearly blew a 20-point lead last Friday. The Islanders cut the deficit to two points with 2:17 left on the clock in the second half, but the Miners kept their heads cool to make free throws down the stretch. UTEP shot 47.1% from the field and 35.3% from downtown (6-for-17), and Jamari Sibley (8.2 PPG) and Tae Hardy (11.8 PPG) led the way with 12 points apiece.
Congratulations to @sibley_jam ari on being the @pepsi Player of the Game in the @UTEPMBB win to finish the Jim Forbes Classic presented by Speaking Rock at 3-0??#RiseUp915 | #PicksUp pic.twitter.com/HaDUES1ST2
— UTEP Miners (@UTEPAthletics) November 26, 2022
The Miners are No. 181 in the KenPom rankings. They score just 96.5 points per 100 possessions (286th in the country) on 48.0% shooting from the field (63rd) and 23.2% from beyond the arc (361st). UTEP has only made 22 triples so far this season. The Miners lean on their stout defense, allowing 97.3 points per 100 possessions (92nd) on 40.8% shooting from the field (121st) and 25.5% from downtown (17th).