UTEP Miners Win Fifth Straight Game 78-73 over Southern Miss

It appears that the UTEP men's basketball team are saving their best for last. The team won its fifth straight game last night 78-73 over Southern Miss. With the win, the Miners improved to 8-6 in Conference USA and they are a game and a half back of fourth place in the standings.

Despite a sub-par performance in the first half, Dominic Artis exploded in the second half and scored all of his 18 points in the final 20 minutes to lead UTEP to victory. Artis has played exceptional during the team's winning streak and has been valuable not only offensively but also handling the ball and dishing out assists. Omega Harris, Terry Winn, and Lee Moore also finished in double figures for the Miners.

Former UTEP men's basketball head Doc Sadler kept his team in the ballgame, and the Golden Eagles led by as many as 7 points with 11 minutes left to play. Sadler, who split the season series, told 600 ESPN El Paso that he still has fond memories of The Bear and his coaching days at UTEP.

Up next for the Miners will be a home game against Louisiana Tech tomorrow afternoon at 4pm. The Bulldogs are currently 9-4 and they currently occupy sole possession of fourth place in C-USA. A win over Tech can help the Miners continue their fine play in February and challenge for that coveted bye through the first round of the C-USA Tournament next month in Birmingham.