UTEP Women's Basketball: Miners outlast LA Tech 72-65

UTEP started off in a back-in-forth battle, opened up a large lead, and held off a late LA Tech run to secure win number 23 on the season, and inch a game closer to a regular season title with a 72-65 win in Ruston.

Jenzel Nash led the way with 24 points, Starr Breedlove was almost automatic from the free throw line adding 15 points, and Lawana Kennedy added 10 points as UTEP improves to 14-1 in C-USA play.

The teams would play to a 13-13 deadlock after the first quarter, but it was UTEP who made the game changing run to give themselves a double digit lead.

Agata Dobrowolska would break a 21-all tie with a jumper at the 3:20 mark of the second quarter that spurted at 19-1 UTEP run that lasted into the second half when Kennedy knocked down a pair of free throws to put UTEP ahead 42-22 with 6:12 left in the third quarter.

The Miners were well on their way for an easy win until LA Tech out scored UTEP 26-13 in the last eight minutes of the game and turned a 20-point UTEP lead with 8:30 to go, into a four point game with 40 seconds left.

Breedlove would sink two free throws with seven second left to seal the win, and push UTEP's current win streak to five games.

UTEP shot 43.6 percent from the field in the game, and 53.8 percent in the second half, but committed 18 turnovers which kept LA Tech in the game late in the fourth quarter.

Nash added nine rebounds to help UTEP own a 41-35 advantage on the glass. and held the Lady Techsters to a 39.7 shooting percentage in the game.

Even with the turnover bug, UTEP went 23-of-27 from the free throw line which ended up being the difference in the end.

Its back home for the final two home games of the season with Old Dominion, and Charlotte paying visits to the Don to close out the 2015-16 home schedule.