UTEP Miners
Conference USA (29-3, 15-1)
Coach Keitha Adams has done an amazing job at UTEP during her 11 seasons at the helm. This is not a program that has been a consistent contender in Conference USA, but they have had some very good seasons over the last decade and this is one of them. The Miners are an extremely balanced team that has some great senior leaders like Kim Smith and plenty of young talent that is getting better every day.
Big Wins: 1/8 Memphis (66-60), 1/15 at Tulane (65-64), 2/12 Tulane (80-65)
Bad Losses: 12/21 UCSB (48-49), 12/28 at Arizona State, 2/26 Rice (48-52)
Coach: Keitha Adams (11 seasons at UTEP)
Why They Can Surprise:
The best thing UTEP has going for it is numbers. Coach Adams can easily go 12 or 13 deep on any given day. Only a couple players regularly play over 20 minutes per game. That keeps the Miners fresh when other teams are wearing down. That is why this is one of the best teams in the nation in field-goal percentage defense and three point field-goal percentage defense. The fresh legs of those players will always play tough defense and always get a hand up on a shooter. If they fail to do so, Coach Adams can find somebody on the bench who will. The shot blocking prowess of 6-2 senior Gloria Brown helps those defensive numbers too. Brown is ironically the one player on the team who will almost certainly start on the bench, but she is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder. Add 6-4 Kristien Vitola to the mix and the Miners have a couple major shot blocking threats available.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Forward Kayla Thornton and Kelli Willingham are usually the other main scorers besides Brown. On UTEP the scoring can come from anywhere on any given night, but the key to success is the play of Willingham. The 5-6 sophomore is the only player who can consistently knock down the long ball. Many other guards like Chrishauna Parker, Jenzel Nash, Melisa Mendes and Briana Green will hoist up some three’s, and often times way too many of them, but Willingham is really the lone long range threat. If the frontcourt is being shut out, the pressure will fall on Willingham to open things up with her shooting. When she fails to do so, UTEP will likely be on their way out of the tournament.
Probable Starters:
Kim Smith, Senior, Guard, 3.0 ppg, 2.8 apg
Kelli Willingham, Sophomore, Guard, 7.8 ppg, 2.7 apg
Jenzel Nash, Freshman, Guard, 4.9 ppg
Kayla Thornton, Sophomore, Forward, 9.7 ppg, 7.2 rpg
Anete Steinberga, Junior, Forward, 5.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Gloria Brown, Senior, Forward, 11.9 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 2.9 bpg
Briana Green, Senior, Guard, 3.0 ppg
Melisa Mendes, Junior, Guard, 4.0 ppg
Chrishuna Parker, Freshman, Guard, 5.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg
Kristine Vitola, Junior, Forward, 5.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg
Erika Warren, Senior, Forward, 5.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 66.6 (87th in nation, 2nd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 52.1 (10, 2)
Field-Goal Percentage: 40.3 (107, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 33.2 (4, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 4.9 (154, 4)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 29.5 (179, 3)
Free-Throw Percentage: 68.2 (189, 1)
Rebound Margin: 9.3 (13, 1)
Assists Per Game: 14.8 (43, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 15.9 (79, 2)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
UTEP 2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Western Kentucky
UTEP 2008 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Stanford
*all team stats through 3/1
