UTEP Women’s Basketball: North Texas hands UTEP its fifth straight loss 76-69

Sparkle Taylor poured in 32 points, but it wasn’t nearly enough as she was the only Miner to score in double figures in a 76-69 loss to North Texas.

UTEP shot 40.4 percent from the floor in the game thanks to a strong start, but went 3-for-11 in the final quarter and also turned it over 16 total times to drop their fifth straight game.

The Miners started off hot, scoring 24 first quarter points en route to a 24-16 lead after the first ten minutes.

UTEP led 32-25 at the 7:34 mark of the second quarter, but North Texas closed the half on a 17-8 spurt to take a 42-40 halftime lead. The Mean Green went 7-for-11 from long distance in the first half which sparked the run.

North Texas’ largest lead in the third quarter would be 60-54 with 1:32 left in the third, although Taylor scored six straight for UTEP and tied the game at 60 with 8:19 left in the final quarter.

The final seven minutes turned into the free throw shooting contest as North Texas, despite going the final 6:20 without a field goal, went 10-for-12 from the free throw line the fourth quarter.

UTEP trailed 72-69 with 2:05 left, but the Miners missed their final five looks from the field and drop to 6-19 overall and 3-10 in conference play. UTEP also went 25-for-35 from the charity stripe.

Terriell Bradley led the Mean Green with 18 points. North Texas went 22-for-27 from the free throw line and out rebounded UTEP 37-28.

Taylor was an efficient 11-for-16 from the floor, and 12-for-16 from the free throw line scoring 20 second half points. Although turnovers came an inopportune moments, and North Texas put 21 points on the board off those miscues.

UTEP hosts Rice Saturday at 2 p.m. Mountain Time in the Don.