It all came together Saturday night in Houston for the UTEP basketball.
A team that was 2-13 overall and 0-3 in conference just a month and some weeks ago sent a defensive statement that their climb into the middle of the pack from the depths of C-USA doom should be taken seriously.
Maybe even......very seriously.
The Miners led the entire game for the first time all season, got a another double-double from Paul Thomas, and battled through foul trouble all while putting on a defensive clinic in stretches to frustrate Rice in a 79-71 win.