Start of UTEP game against North Texas Thursday night Rudy Gutierrez / El Paso Times
It seemed almost inevitable.
UTEP and Rice engaged in a wonderful duel — intense, entertaining, every player scrambling for every loose ball, fighting for every rebound.
Rice led 31-29 in a see-saw first half, a 20-minute session that saw the lead change 14 times. UTEP led 43-41 with just over 13 minutes remaining.
And then the Miners began to get shots to drop and then the bottom dropped out for Rice.
UTEP rolled on to take an 80-62 win over Rice in front of 6,147 satisfied Miner fans in the Don Haskins Center.