UTEP Miners Set to Confront Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in Huntsville Showdown

As the University of Texas at El Paso Miners prepare to face off against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, fans are eager for what promises to be an electrifying encounter at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville. The Miners come into this game with a mixed bag of recent performances but have shown resilience and strategic prowess on court.

In their last outing, UTEP narrowly edged out a victory against Sam Houston with a final score of 65-63. Despite struggling with turnovers, having given up possession 17 times, they managed to maintain a solid field goal percentage at 44 percent and were particularly effective from inside the paint where they scored 26 points. Their free throw accuracy was decent at 68 percent, which could be crucial in tight endgame situations.

Defensively, UTEP showed tenacity by racking up an impressive total of 12 steals which contributed significantly to their 21 points off turnovers. However, fans will hope for improvement in assists where they only managed six throughout the game – indicating potential room for better ball distribution and offensive cohesion.

The previous game saw UTEP triumph over Liberty with a more comfortable margin (66-57), showcasing their ability to close out games effectively. They boasted an impressive two-point field goal percentage at 56 percent and excelled from the free-throw line hitting an outstanding 86 percent of their shots. This level of efficiency from close range and under pressure is something that could tip scales in their favor against WKU.

One area that might concern UTEP fans is rebounding; while they secured a total of 36 rebounds against Sam Houston, there's always room for improvement especially on offensive boards where opportunities for second-chance points can make all the difference.

As we look ahead to this matchup, it's clear that if UTEP can tighten up ball security and continue exploiting scoring opportunities inside while maintaining defensive intensity – particularly through steals leading to fast-break points – they stand a good chance against Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

Fans can catch all the action live on CBS Sports Network as these two teams go head-to-head on March 16th at Von Braun Center with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 PM Central Time (CT).