In a heartbreaking overtime loss on New Year’s Eve, the UTEP men’s basketball team (8-6, 1-2 C-USA) fell to the Rice Owls (11-3, 2-1 C-USA) 72-67. This marks the team’s third straight loss and second straight overtime loss.
The Miners started out strong after going on a 5-0 run with 18:25 left in the first half. The lead would shift as both teams stayed neck and neck until just over the midway point of the half when UTEP managed to pull away a five-point lead thanks to a jumper by sophomore forward Ze’Rik Onyema, pushing the Miners to 20-15.