It all went according to the UTEP plan for the first 25 minutes. And then it simply unraveled.
The University of Texas at El Paso was on course to pick up a much-needed Conference USA road win, leading a struggling University of Texas at San Antonio team 52-37 with just under 15 minutes to play. The Miners were in complete control, just as expected against a team that was 3-14 on the season.
And then it was almost as if the basketball gremlins slipped in and put those small rebounding rims on the Miners' basket.
UTSA roared back from the deficit to douse the Miners 71-67 on Saturday in front of a tiny gathering of 1,550 fans at the Convocation Center in San Antonio.