EL PASO, Texas – Deon Lyle scored a game-high 18 points off the bench and UTSA made just enough plays down the stretch to defeat UTEP 63-59 Saturday night at the famed Don Haskins Center.
The Roadrunners, winners of four straight for the first time since January of 2012, are now 14-11 overall and 7-5 in Conference USA play. The 14 wins equal last season's win total with at least seven games to play. UTEP fell to 7-17 overall and 2-10 in league play.
Lyle finished the contest 6 of 12 from the field, including 5 of 8 from three, for his 18 points. Byron Frohnen finished with 12 points, while Giovanni De Nicolao and Jhivvan Jackson each had 10. Nick Allen posted a near double-double with nine points and a season-high 13 boards, as did Jackson with a career-high nine rebounds to go with his 10 points.
Matt Willlms paced UTEP on the offensive end with 12 points, Paul Thomas collected an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double and San Antonio native Kobe Magee reached double-figures with 11.
UTSA closed the game shooting 40 percent (21 of 53) overall and 40 percent (10 of 25) from three. UTEP shot 36 percent (18 of 50) and just 28 percent (7 of 25) from beyond the arc. The Roadrunners outrebounded the Miners 48-35, won the battle in the paint 18-16 and 21-16 in points off the bench.
UTSA led 40-36 after Jackson scored inside three minutes into the second half; however, the Roadrunners would not score for the next 3:30 as UTEP pieced together an 8-0 to take a 42-41 lead. Lyle broke the Roadrunners' scoreless drought at the 12:52 mark with a three from the left wing. He followed that with his third triple of the game on UTSA's next possession to put the Roadrunners up 46-44 before the under-12 media timeout.
UTEP regained the lead at 48-46 on an Isiah Osborne three from the left corner with 10:57 to play. Frohnen and De Nicolao would each score inside to regain the UTSA lead by two. UTSA never trailed the remainder of the contest, although UTEP kept it close down the stretch.
A Jackson steal and layup with 3:24 to go gave the Roadrunners a 57-51 lead. Minutes later and after another Allen free throw, Lyle made his fifth triple of the night for a 61-53 lead with 55 seconds to play. UTEP then scored the next six points via three free throws and a Trey Touchet three; however, it would not be enough as De Nicolao sealed the game with two at the line for the 63-59 final.
UTEP took a 23-18 lead on Tirus Smith's mid-range jumper at the 9:58 mark in the first half, but Frohnen would count the game's only basket on the five-plus minutes as the teams exchanged only a free throw apiece over the scoring droughts. Frohnen finally broke the UTSA scoring skid with a bucket inside at the 4:14 mark that cut the Miners' lead to 24-23.
The following UTEP possession a personal and technical foul were called against the Miners, allowing Jackson and Allen to make two each at the line and push the Roadrunners ahead by three. Allen then made a jumper and Lyle connected on an 18-footer to UTSA a 31-24 lead with 1:49 showing on the first-half clock. UTEP's Thomas and Jake Flaggert closed the stanza's scoring to send the teams into the locker rooms with the Roadrunners up 31-28.
Both teams shot 33.3 percent from the field in the opening half, but it was the Roadrunners that controlled the glass 25-19.
Up next
UTSA continues its three-game road swing at Old Dominion on Feb. 15 and Charlotte on Feb. 17.
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