EL PASO — Omega Harris scored a game-high 16 points and UTEP held UTSA to a season-low 24.1 percent shooting en route to a 59-39 victory on Saturday night at the Don Haskins Center.
Giovanni De Nicolao led the Roadrunners (9-10, 4-2 C-USA) with eight points, while Jeff Beverly tied a season high with 10 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Harris was joined in double figures by Paul Thomas' double-double of 12 points and 13 boards to pace the Miners (5-13, 3-3 C-USA), who won their third consecutive game. Jake Flaggert added 11 points and UTEP outscored UTSA in the paint, 22-10.
UTSA made its first two shots of the night for an early 4-2 lead. The game remained close as Lucas O'Brien converted a three-point play and a free throw from Beverly pulled the Roadrunners within 12-10 before UTEP's game-changing 13-0 run.
The Roadrunners went cold from the field and the Miners took advantage. The home squad would shoot 64 percent in the first half, the best opening period for a UTSA opponent this season, to take a 39-21 lead to halftime.
The UTSA defense did its job in the second half, holding UTEP to just 20 points on 27.3 percent shooting, but the offense never got on track. Despite holding the Miners without a basket for six minutes, the Roadrunners could not get any closer than 18 in the final period as UTEP claimed the 59-39 victory.
UTSA will continue its three-game road trip at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26, when it travels to Huntington, W.Va. for a matchup at Marshall (12-8, 5-2 C-USA).
