What to know: UTEP Miners women's basketball at Southern Miss Golden Eagles

Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times
·2 min read
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What, when, where

The UTEP women's basketball team (10-4 overall, 2-2 in Conference USA) looks to build on its biggest win of the year when it travels to Southern Miss for a make-up game Monday. Originally scheduled for Jan. 8 but pushed back because of COVID, the game in Hattiesburg will tip at noon Mountain time.

It will be streamed on ESPN+ and carried on 600 ESPN El Paso.

More: C-USA women's basketball standings

UTEP women's basketball team faces Southern Miss on Monday after defeating ODU on Saturday at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso.
UTEP women's basketball team faces Southern Miss on Monday after defeating ODU on Saturday at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso.

Who is Southern Miss?

The Golden Eagles won back-to-back games with Louisiana Tech to level their C-USA record at 2-2 and push their overall mark to 10-5.

One of UTEP's longest-running C-USA rivals, USM is led by point guard Dominique Davis, who averages 15.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. That assist total ranks third in the league.

Southern Miss leads C-USA in field-goal percentage and offensive rebounding.

What is the challenge?

UTEP is still finding its legs after the 10-day COVID layoff and this is its third game in five days, so the Miners' conditioning will be tested. This is also their first road trip in a month.

On the plus side, UTEP has a full roster for the first time since New Year's Day, as Elina Arike is the last player back from COVID protocol.

If the Miners are to contend for a league title, like their victories against Middle Tennessee and Old Dominion suggest they should, this is a game they have to win.

Quoting UTEP

"I like our momentum," coach Kevin Baker said. "We're playing pretty good basketball, it seems like we've got our legs back under us again, so Monday's game in Hattiesburg is going to be a really good game. It's going to be a fun game, I know our kids are going to enjoy it."

Said guard Katia Gallegos: "Monday is going to be another war, a battle. They are going to come after us."

Bret Bloomquist can be reached at 915-546-6359; bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: What to know: UTEP Miners women's basketball at Southern Miss