UTEP Women Outlast Marshall in Double Overtime

The UTEP women's basketball team needed a full 20 minutes to get comfortable in their opening round game of the C-USA Tournament. Despite scoring just 16 points in the first half, the Miners kept it close against Marshall. UTEP saved its best for last and needed an extra 10 minutes of basketball to outlast the Thundering Herd 64-56 in double overtime.

"I'm so proud of our team as they were so tough today," UTEP head coach Kevin Baker said afterwards. "Today was a testament to how it's been all year for us. We keep plugging away, we keep trying to get better. I'm proud of our team and our perseverance."

Three Miners finished in double figures, led by Jordan Alexander (16 points), Ariona Gill (14 points), and Katarina Zec (12 points). UTEP trailed by as many as 10 points late in the third quarter, but they took their first lead of the game with 2:03 left in the fourth. Marshall's Taylor Porter forced overtime with a pair of free throws with just 1.7 seconds left to play. In the first overtime, the Miners trailed by two in the final moments, but Gill drove to the basket and converted as time expired to force a second overtime. UTEP never trailed in the final five minutes and were powered by clutch three-point baskets by Zec and Alexander.

With the win, the 11-seed Miners will take on 3-seed Middle Tennessee at 1 p.m. tomorrow. 600 ESPN El Paso will once again have the call with Traci Miller joining me courtside for the all thee action. UTEP lost its only meeting with the Blue Raiders 79-49 on January 19th at the Don Haskins Center.