This UTEP men's basketball team had too much toughness, too much resiliency and too much belief for its season to end any other way than the most painful way: heartbreak.
The underdog Miners battled back from a 12-point second-half hole against Middle Tennessee in the quarterfinals of the Conference USA tournament Thursday night, just missed a potential winner in the closing moment of regulation and lost 66-59 in overtime.
A Blue Raider team that UTEP largely shut down in the second half when the Miners rallied made five free throws in the final 1:37 of regulation then scored on eight of its nine overtime possessions to finally outlast the Miners.