C-USA Regular Season Title Down, Perfect C-USA Season To Go

In front of the largest crowd of the season, the Miners put together a strong performance and put away the SMU Mustangs 68-50 to clinch the outright C-USA Championship. With the win, UTEP moved to 25-2 overall and 14-0 in C-USA.

Funny thing though, the celebration you would expect following a regular season conference championship didn't happen. There was a huddle at mid-court with a throng of media around but that was it.

If you have not followed the team closely, it probably makes little sense to you. If you have followed this team, it makes perfect sense.

Every once in a while, a team will come together and take on the personality of their coach, well this is that once in a while and it is happening right in front of our eyes.

Now you can call it 'drinking the kool-aid' if you want but that is not what this is.

You can call it 'brain washing' like Coach Adams jokingly referred to in her press conference, if you want, but I call it conviction.

A conviction that takes the utmost trust. A conviction that causes you to hang on every word that someone tells you and believe it.

Her answers to questions are their answers to questions and trust me, they are not rehearsed. This team and staff truly are one with one another.

These girls see the big picture through Coach Adams eyes and this regular season crown isn't in the frame.

The Miners have goals to achieve and this is strictly my opinion. I feel next up, a perfect conference season is what they want to mark off the list. Then, the conference tournament championship, followed by not only a birth in the NCAA tournament but the Sweet 16. From there, it is game on, chips will be on the table and I would really like to see what happens.

By the way, Erika Warren lead the Miners with 13 points and 4 rebounds. Anete Steinberga added 12 points and 5 rebounds.

SMU was paced by Samantha Mahnesmith and Raven Short with 9 points each.

Do yourself a favor, there is one more home game left this year and it is this Sunday, February 26 at 2:05pm at The Don Haskins Center against the Rice Owls.

Trust me when I say this, GO.

Will it be a tough game, YES. Will the Miners be ready to take another step closer to another goal, YES!

#UTEPWBB

#minerstrong

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