MBB: Fans Show Up, Team Does Not 6

WBB: Team Needs No. 2 Scorer 8

MBB: Around the League 9

Memphis Madness: UTEP Trio Look For-ward To Tigers’ Chal-lenge 10

The Final Word 15

MINERILLUSTRATED

VOL 1 ISSUE 7 FEB. 23, 2011

MINERILLUSTRATED

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MINERILLUSTRATED

VOL I ISSUE 7 FEB. 23, 2011

I guarrantee I, along with a majority of Miner fans, circled Feb. 26, 2011 when the men’s basketball schedule was released last September. Before the season began, I knew the Memphis/UTEP game would be a marquee matchup but with the parity that has appeared, the game may have more implications than just bragging rights.

Alex Morales delved into the issue when he spoke to Randy Culpepper, Gabriel McCulley and Jeremy Williams. The Memphis trio is more than looking forward to playing against their hometown team, and they would love nothing more than to end their basketball careers with a win against the Tigers.

Speaking of the men’s basketball team, they were defeated, 74-68, by UCF in an early morning contest Monday. The Miners played another lackadaisical first half and then had to play catch up with the Knights for the rest of the contest. Chris Avila explains how, despite only witnessing one win, the Miner fans showed their support in the past two games.

The women’s basketball team is also in a bit of a slump, losing their last two games. Turnovers and a lack of physicality were the reasons the Miners could not pull out a victory on their Houston road trip. Gloria Brown has been a welcomed addition to the team, but cannot be relied upon to carry the scoring load by herself. Freshman Kelli Willingham needs to step up in the finals games before the Conference USA Tournament, writes Gus Contreras.

On the topic of the C-USA Tournament, Josh Puga writes that the Miners must “right the ship” to ensure a Top 4 seed and a bye, or they will suffer through a grueling schedule of four games in four days. With an NCAA at-large berth seemingly eliminated, the Miners need to win the C-USA Championship if they do not want to go through the pain of waiting to hear their name called on Selection Sunday.

The road does not get easier as the Miners travel to Greenville, N.C. to play against East Carolina at 5 p.m. tonight. If the team finds a way to nab this crucial road win, then Feb. 26 will take on a whole new significance.

Glad I had it circled on my calendar.

Carlos Silva, Jr.

a publication of Shamrock Media LLC

CHRIS AVILAPRESIDENT

CARLOS SILVA, JR.EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

JEFF TAYLORCHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

GUS CONTRERASREBECCA FRAZIER BURCH

ANGEL LUNAALEX MORALES

JOSH PUGA“UTEP66”

STAFF WRITERS

DANNY LEVARIODIRECTOR OF BUSINESS

OPERATIONS

ADAM DIAZSALES DIRECTOR

SUZETTE THOMPSONMAGAZINE DESIGN

Letters to the editor, general feedback and advertising

inquiries:show@minerillustrated.com

Cover photo: Randy Culpepper

split two Houston defenders as

he moved towards the basket

Saturday night in the Don Haskins

Center. Jeff Taylor

From The EDITOR

Claude Britten’s able hands helped get UTEP started Saturday night at the Don Haskins Center. The contest against Houston was intense, but the Miners won the tip off and led the entire game, winning 76-64.Jeff Taylor

THE BIG PICK

Gabe McCulley’s defense was notable on Saturday against Houston. However, against UCF, he only added four points and fouled out in the Miners’ tough loss Monday morning. Jeff Taylor

M I N E R I L L U S T R A T E D . C O M

MINER FANS SHOW SUPPORT YET TEAM FALTERS

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into the night. The win wasn’t easy. There were a couple moments when you had to wonder what was going on with the UTEP team, but for the most part, it looked like the team was back on the right track with some good defense. Then, there was Monday’s game against UCF. You would have thought it was a replay of UTEP’s second half demise at Southern Miss; the only difference this time--the problems began from the onset. UTEP looked as if they were still asleep at tipoff, and after getting the opening bucket, they trailed for the remainder of the game. The Miners shot terribly in the first half when even the easiest of layups were bouncing around the rim and out of the cylinder. The team looked lost, confused and downright dispirited throughout most of the game. UFC got an early jump on the Miners shooting 66 percent (16 of 24) from the field in the first half while UTEP only shot 33 percent (10 of 30) with most of the misses coming from attempts

within a few feet from the rim. UTEP was in a pretty deep hole, yet they found a way to fight back. At one point, the Miners chipped away at a 19-point UCF lead and narrowed the margin down to eight with 10 minutes left to play. Towards the end, the officials became part of the game when they made several poor calls that enraged Tim Floyd while the Miners continued to miss layups. This, along with some questionable shot selections, ultimately led to the Miner loss. UTEP now shares a two-way tie for second with Tulsa while Memphis, Southern Miss and UAB have taken over first place in the conference. Fans were asked to show their support for the team on Saturday and on President’s Day. They did exactly what they were asked to do; they were loud and boisterous. Miner fans showed up for both games and were the critical sixth man that has been coveted all season. Unfortunately, the ones who didn’t show up were the basketball team.

theNOTEBOOKMiners Win 20 Games for 24th TimeThis season marks the 24th in school history with 20 or more victories. UTEP has strung together three consecutive 20-win campaigns. Tim Floyd, meanwhile, is the second Miner coach to register 20 wins in his first season at the helm of the program, joining Doc Sadler who orchestrated a 27-8 mark in 2004-05.

Culpepper Explodes for 33 PointsRandy Culpepper put 33 points on the board against Houston on Saturday, his second-highest scoring output of the season. Culpepper tallied 34 points at UAB on Jan. 8. Culpepper now ranks third in school history for 20-point games (39) behind Stefon Jackson (68) and Brandon

CHRIS AVILA

At two games over a three-day course, Miner fans at the Don Haskins Center did their part. Yet sadly, there was only one win to show for it. Students were boisterous to the point of annoyance, and there were fans who cheered with such bravado, you could see their cheeks turn red. There was more yelling in two games than there has been for most of the season. It was music to one’s ears. Fans in attendance came to a roar Saturday when the Memphis-Rice score was announced on the public address system. Rice pulled off an upset, beating Memphis 67-52. From the sound of things, you would have thought that UTEP had just won another championship. Eventually, the Miners did add another win to their record Saturday night over Houston. And as fans left the arena, there were smiles and laughs all around. There may have even been people who gleefully skipped out of the Haskins Center and

Wolfram (40). He is tied for third in 30-point games (nine) behind Jim Barnes (16) and Jackson (15). Culpepper has had a 30-point game versus five C-USA schools -- East Carolina, Houston, Marshall, UAB and UCF. He pinned 39 points, including a school-record nine three-pointers, on UCF last season in Orlando.

Culpepper Goes 12-12 at the LineRandy Culpepper went 12-for-12 at the Charity Stripe for the second time this season against Houston on Saturday. He was also 12-for-12 versus Tulsa on Jan. 5. The 12 makes without a miss are tied for the sixth-highest single-game total in school history. Stefon Jackson holds the

UTEP record by going 20-for-20 versus Marshall on Feb. 14, 2009. Culpepper has had seven games in his career where he has made at least six free throws without a miss.

Miners 15-Game Home Streak EndsUTEP had won 15 consecutive victories in the Haskins Center since falling to Pacific, 66-61, in the season opener on Nov. 12. The Miner streak was the longest string of home wins since a 15-game streak spanning over the course of the 1991-92 and 1992-93 seasons. UTEP won 23 straight home games over the course of the 1987-88, 1988-89 and 1989-90 seasons.

M I N E R I L L U S T R A T E D . C O M 8

STRUGGLES CONTINUEAS MINERS WIND DOWN SEASONGUS CONTRERAS

It’s been a tough season for the Miners, and that’s exactly what this past week was-tough. UTEP (13-11, 5-7 Conference USA) went on the road to Houston, suffering two difficult losses to Rice and Houston. UTEP’s 76-69 loss against Rice (17-10, 9-4 C-USA) last Thursday came as a result of Houston’s physicality. The Miners saw themselves outrebounded 12 times and gave up 11 points on second chance shots. Rice’s forward Jessica Kuster scored 18 points and captured 14 rebounds. The Miners’ only response to Rice’s physicality came in the form of junior forward Gloria Brown, who managed to score 18 points and guard down in the paint throughout the game. The bench players did combine for a total of 38 points, which helped rally the Miners to within 7 points before giving up the game.

The Miners then played Houston (22-4, 13-0 C-USA) Sunday afternoon, where they were again greeted with defeat. Conference-leading Houston was piloted by Brittney Mason and Courtney Taylor, scoring 23 and 21 points respectively. Taylor also nabbed 11 rebounds in Houston’s 77-61 win over UTEP. Though, UTEP’s Ashley Milian scored eight points and had 12 rebounds while Dietra Caldwell added another 14 points, the Miners never found their rhythm and could not protect the ball. They can only blame themselves for this loss as they turned the ball over 20 times, resulting in 17 points for Houston. As seen throughout the season, the Miners have struggled with turnovers, though to their credit, they are a fairly young team. The tough conference season will only benefit the underclassmen who are moving forward. UTEP relied heavily on freshman guard

Kelli Willingham this season. Willingham was thrown in the mix early on due to Brianna Green’s and Whitney Houston’s season-ending knee injuries. Willingham seems to be adjusting to college play with every game, but it is a lot to ask a freshman point guard to come in and read the game as well as the more experienced guards. The only real upside to the situation is that by the time Willingham is a senior, she will be one of the most experienced players in the conference, forgoing any injuries. For now, the Miners will continue to rely on Willingham in the remaining three games of the season. And though two of those games are at home, UTEP at a disappointing ninth place, ensuring them a difficult first round game at the conference tournament next month. Meaning, despite how tough this past week may have been for the Miners, it’s only going to get tougher.

Freshman Kelli Willingham has been thrusted into the starting role and has had to carry the Miners this season after Whit-ney Houston and Briana Green both suffered season-ending knee injuries. Chris Avila

M I N E R I L L U S T R A T E D . C O M 9

MBB: AROUND THELEAGUEMINER ILLUSTRATED STAFF REPORTS

Tulsa 74, SMU 66DALLAS, Texas –The Tulsa men’s basketball bench totaled 38 points, while freshman Jordan Clarkson tallied 17 points, en route to a 74-66 win against SMU Saturday afternoon at Moody Coliseum. The Golden Hurricane improves to 15-11 overall and 8-4 in C-USA play with this road win. The Mustangs, fall to 16-10 overall and 7-5 in league play, after winning its last three home games. Tulsa’s Kodi Maduka scored 12 points, adding two blocks, while teammate Justin Hurtt tallied 14 points. Bryson Pope and D.J. Magley chipped in 11 points and nine points respectively. Robert Nyakundi, ended the contest with a game-high 22 points for the Mustangs. Papa Dia scored 18 points and Mike Walker added 10.

UAB 63, UCF 58BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Ovie Soko had a double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds) and helped lead UAB to a 63-58 win over UCF on Saturday at Bartow Arena. The Blazers improve to 19-7 overall and 9-4 in Conference USA, while UCF fell to 16-9, 3-9 C-USA. UAB senior guard Aaron Johnson scored 19 points, while his head coach, Mike Davis, earned his 104th win at UAB. Davis owns a 104-55 record during his five-year tenure at the helm of the Blazers’ men’s basketball program. Marcus Jordan and A.J. Rompza were the only players to score in double digits for the Knights, recording 18 and 15 points respectively.

continued on page 14

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MEMPHIS MATCHUP:UTEP PLAYERS FACEOFF AGAINST HOMETOWN TEAM

1 0

energy and power dunk against the Tigers last year quieted all 16,709 Tiger fans and helped propel UTEP to victory. This year, Williams said he’s going to once again bring his A-game against

ALEX MORALES

Randy Culpepper, Gabriel McCulley and Jeremy Williams remember their childhoods vividly. Growing up in Memphis, Tenn., they religiously watched the Memphis Tigers and had hoped to one day suit up for them. The trio’s dream didn’t exactly come to fruition, but playing against the Memphis Tigers has given them the same rush. The three have been afforded the opportunity to play Division I basketball at UTEP and have used the shunning by their hometown team as motivation. Last season, Culpepper and the rest of his Miner teammates snapped Memphis’ Conference USA winning-streak of 64 straight games when they handed the Tigers a 72-67 loss at the Fed Ex Forum. There was plenty of joy on the court for Culpepper, then a junior, and his squad. But that changed once he returned home and checked his Facebook. Messages flooded into Culpepper’s inbox from Memphis fans, who weren’t happy with the outcome, and the same thing has occurred in anticipation of this Saturday’s game against the Tigers at the Don Haskins Center. “I got a couple of threats on Facebook yesterday from Memphis fans saying, ‘Why is UTEP so overrated’ and ‘Just be afraid when Memphis comes to the building.’,” Culpepper said. “I wasn’t paying attention to it because I know once they (the fans) come here, we’ll just have to lace it up and show them how we do it on the court.” Not only are the fans talking, but Memphis’ young players and columnists from the Memphis Commercial Appeal have also given their opinion on the Miners. The young Memphis players have only added gasoline to the fire that has been burning between the two teams. Culpepper admittedly said that he and the rest of his teammates have not paid any attention to what the young Tigers, more specifically Will Barton, have had to say. “When he signed to Memphis he made a comment saying they were going to win a national championship. You know, they are young guys, they do not know any better,” Culpepper said, smiling. Culpepper knows that the younger players from the Tigers have yet to play in an atmosphere like the one that has been established inside the Don Haskins Center. “The Bear’s Den is a tough place to play especially with our fan base,” Culpepper said. “We are just ready for them to come in here so we can show them how a veteran ball club does it.” Williams, on the other hand, has never tasted a defeat against Memphis. Last year was his first game against the Tigers. His

continued on page 12

significantMEANING

significantMEANINGMemphis’ domination of Conference USA came to a screeching halt last season and, in the end, it took a bunch of hometown players to deal the Tigers its first league loss in nearly four years. Memphis natives Randy Culpepper, Arnett Moultrie and Jeremy Williams scored 10 of UTEP’s points during a 13-3 run midway through the second half that sent the Miners past the Tigers, 72-67, and ended a 64-game winning streak at theFedExForum during the 2009-10 season.

Since then, Memphis media, bloggers and Tiger fans alike have talked poorly about UTEP’s basketball team, coaching staff and why the conference tournament should not be in El Paso. Former Memphis Commercial-Appeal beat writer Dan Wolken has openly said that El Paso should have never been considered as a tournament site, citing violence and safety issues, travel costs, poor facilities and a lack of support for basketball in El Paso.

UTEP will have much to prove, while Miner fans will have much to cheer against when Memphis visits Saturday.

Jeremy Williams teamed up with Claude Britten on Houston’s Maurice McNeil during Satur-day night’s contest in the Don Haskins Center. Williams will have another opportunity to face his hometown team, Mem-phis, this weekend. Jeff Taylor

M I N E R I L L U S T R A T E D . C O M 1 2

“It’s going to be a memorable night not only because of that but because of my teammates, who are all from Memphis. We haven’t had a good history against Memphis, so for us to beat them our last two years of college is great.” McCulley, who would have been a senior this year, sat out last year’s victory against Memphis because of a wrist injury. The time on the bench only made him want to face the Tigers even more and hand the Tigers another loss to prove to all the prognosticators that there is a new sheriff in town. “I am really hungry, very hungry,” McCulley said. “I have seen them play this year against different teams and they are a good team, but I’m just ready to play. Play against them, play against anybody.

Being that it is Memphis, when they come in I’m going to take them like any other team and just go at them as if I’m going at Houston.” It is evident that there is now a rivalry brewing between these two teams, which is good to see since there hasn’t been a true conference rivalry since the glory days of the Western Athletic Conference in the ‘80s. Fans can expect a physical game. The crowd should be the loudest they have been all season, sans the first sellout against Pacific. With a win, Culpepper and the rest of his Memphis teammates can quiet the critics, especially the ones on Facebook. “Check your inboxes, you are sure going to have a message,” Culpepper said.

Memphis Matchup continued

the Tigers. “All energy man, all out energy,” Williams said. “You know dunks come and go, and if I can get a dunk, you know any chance I get to dunk it; I’m going to dunk it.” If the opportunity presents itself for another highlight-reel dunk, Williams said he won’t pass on the opportunity to throw down another jam on a Memphis player. If he can accomplish that, it will be something he will cherish beyond his years of playing basketball. “It’s going to be sort of memorable to say I looked back at college and went undefeated against Memphis, who’s been great the last decade,” Williams said.

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Gabe McCulley boxed out Houston’s Kendrick Washington during Saturday night’s contest at the Don Haskins Center. Mc-Culley will have an opportuni-ty Saturday night to shut down Memphs, his hometown team. Jeff Taylor

Softball: Freshmen teammates Laura Ramos and Camille Herrera made an impact this past weekend in their games against Houston Baptist. Ramos got the start in the circle in the second game Saturday; she pitched a complete game and earned the win. It was her first complete game as a Miner.

Herrera (left) made an impact on the offensive side of the ball by hitting a two-run home run in the same game, her first in her Miner career.

Track and Field & Cross Country: The U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association named the UTEP men’s cross-country squad and women’s track and field squads the 2010 Division I All-Academic teams.

“I am very happy and proud of our men’s cross country team for being recognized by the USTFCCCA on their academic performance,” head coach Paul Ereng said.

Two-time cross country All-American Risper Kimaiyo (left) was named an All-Academic selection as an individual by the USTFCCCA.

“The naming of Risper Kimaiyo as an All-Academic student-athlete and now the entire team named an All-Academic team indicates the quality of our student-athlete in our program,” Ereng said. “We are very proud as an institution on the representation we receive from our student-athletes both in class and on the court.”

The men’s cross-country team achieved a cumulative team GPA of 3.10 and finished seventh at the NCAA Mountain Regional Championships. The women’s track and field team achieved a cumulative team GPA of 3.13 and finished seventh at the NCAA Mountain Regional Championships.

Photos: Herrera - Jeff Taylor; Kimaiyo - Brian Kanof/UTEP Athletics

noteWORTHY

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M I N E R I L L U S T R A T E D . C O M 1 4

MBB: AROUND THE LEAGUE (continued)

Marshall 79, Tulane 75 (OT)NEW ORLEANS, La. - DeAndre Kane hit a 3-pointer with 42 seconds left in overtime, leading his team to a 79-75 victory against Tulane on Saturday night at Fogelman Arena. Kane, who scored a game-high 20 points, including the winning basket, made a pair of late free throws to get Marshall (18-9, 6-6 C-USA) its third-straight win. Tulane (12-14, 2-11 C-USA) was led by Kendall Timmons, who recorded 15 points. David Booker finished with 14 pointsd while Kris Richard had 12 points.

Southern Miss 78, Loyola-New Orleans 67HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Maurice Bolden and Gary Flowers each scored a double-double in Southern Miss.’ win Tuesday night against Loyola-New Orleans. Bolden, 22 points and 13 rebounds, and Flowers, 12 points and 14 rebounds, led the way for the Golden Eagles (21-6, 9-4 C-USA). R.L. Horton added 15 points and was 3 for 3 from the three-point line. Loyola’s (13-13) senior forward Ryan Brock led all scorers with 28 points.

Memphis 69, Houston 58MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Two threes from Memphis’ Charles Carmouche, 12 points, and Antonio Barton,10 points, helped seal the victory over the Houston Cougars (12-14, 4-9 C-USA). The Tigers (21-7, 9-4 C-USA) had four players score in double digits, including junior Wesley Witherspoon with 13 points off the bench. Memphis freshman Tarik Black had 16 points while Houston’s Alandise Harris added 16 of his own. Memphis’ win puts them in a three-way tie for first with Southern Miss and UAB.

M I N E R I L L U S T R A T E D . C O M 1 5

THE FINAL WORD:Much Left to be Done Before the MadnessJOSH PUGA

Following a disappointing home loss to the Central Florida Golden Knights (74-68) on Monday, the Miners find themselves trying to right the ship with only a few more games remaining on the schedule before hosting the Conference USA tournament. There was still a slim chance for the Miners to snag an at-large bid, but UCF all but burst UTEP’s bubble, not to mention severely derailing the team’s goal of repeating as C-USA champions. Miner fans can blame the winter storm that forced the UCF game to be rescheduled or even the referees of Monday’s contest who made a ton of questionable calls, but at the end of the day, the Miners lost an important home game and relinquished their lead in the conference. Don’t get me wrong; UCF played well, and no one should be shocked the Miners lost to a team that was once ranked in the top 25 and started the season 14-0. Though UCF did struggle mightily once conference play started, they are a talented basketball team that has been playing well as of late. The loss itself doesn’t concern me as much as the way the Miners lost-by being outplayed and outhustled for the majority of the game, which forced them to once again attempt a second half comeback. A trend that finally came back to bite the team. It also didn’t help that the Miners allowed UCF to shoot lights out in the first half; a huge concern for a team that prides itself on defense. Coach Tim Floyd couldn’t have been clearer following the game. “We gave up 66 percent in the first half, and you aren’t going to beat anybody like that.” Defense has been an issue especially in the first half, but it’s the offense that has been struggling to get things going. After all, Randy Culpepper can only do so much,

scoring 58 points over the last two games. One of the offense’s main concerns has been the play of Christian Polk. I am not one to single out a player since there are other factors that have led to UTEP’s struggles, but Polk has been a non-factor for the Miners the last two games. Polk has scored a total of 6 points, all from the free throw line and has gone 0-14 in games versus Houston and Central Florida. For a team like UTEP, which relies heavily on their backcourt for offense, Polk will need to start hitting some shots to help the Miners, especially with the tournament coming to town. Polk is too talented not to be more of a factor. Hopefully, the matchup with East Carolina will be just what the doctor ordered to get him out of his offensive funk. As for the silver lining; UTEP is still 20-7 overall and 8-4 in the conference;

leaving the Miners only half a game behind conference leaders Memphis, Southern Miss and UAB. There are some tiebreak scenarios that are concerning, but with four games left, there is still time for UTEP to improve their seeding for the tournament and an outside chance for them to capture another conference title. The Miners will need to regroup quickly and not look ahead to Saturday’s matchup with Memphis as they first head to Greenville, NC, to face the East Carolina Pirates. UTEP has been here before, enduring a tough loss and then bouncing back in their next game, so Miner fans should expect a much better effort than what was seen on Monday. Although the at-large bid is now out of reach, UTEP needs to get back on track to get ready for the conference tournament, and it all starts with the next game.

Randy Culpepper will have to do much more than just score points for the Miners if they want to go dancing. Jeff Taylor

signing OFF

Freshman Megan Atchinson Jeff Taylor