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UTEP Miners
RECORD: 24 - 7 REGION: Phoenix SEED: 13
COACH: Billy Gillispie CONFERENCE: C-USA |
RESULTS| STATS| HISTORY | MESSAGE BOARD | UTEP INSIDER 
Road to the Final Four ...................................................................................
| REGULAR SEASON STATISTICS |
| Points Per Game |
80.3 |
Rebounds Per Game |
38.0 |
| Assists Per Game |
19.0 |
Steals Per Game |
8.0 |
| Blocks Per Game |
4.7 |
Turnovers Per Game |
9.3 |
| Field Goal % |
.494 |
Free Throw % |
.633 |
| 3-Point % |
.370 |
3-Pointers Per Game |
0.5 |
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Will lose when ...
In each of their losses, the Miners were out-rebounded, sometimes handily.
Famous Last Words
There is little evidence to measure UTEP against Tournament-caliber competition. That and Rivera's tender ankle are enough to believe this is a one-and-done situation.
Complete team report
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TO THIS POINT
How They Got Here: At-Large Bid
Talk about your turnarounds. Coach Billy Gillispie and the Miners jumped from last place in the WAC in 2002-03 to a tie for first place this season. The Miners, who haven't been to the NCAA Tournament since 1992, lost to tourney-bound Texas Tech in the nonconfernce schedule, but handled things in the WAC regular season. UTEP enters the tournament on an 8-2 roll with one loss on the road to Boise State and the other to Nevada in the WAC final. The Miners are hungry, but might not have enough for ACC-tough Maryland.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Filiberto Rivera | G | Junior
UTEP's first First-team all-WAC player since 1995, Rivera makes things happen for the Miners. He averages 11.4 points (18th in the league), 4.7 assists (second) and 1.9 steals (first) while shooting 79 percent from the free throw line (sixth). He had 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Miners in the WAC title game and made the all-tournament team.
ROSTER
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Miner Mission
