The UTEP women's basketball team needed one more piece before it could claim to be a Conference USA contender.
The Miners needed to topple a league powerhouse. They needed to beat Middle Tennessee.
They just did.
UTEP defended four shots in a final 1:02 where the Blue Raiders had almost continuous possession of the ball, coming away with a 56-55 victory against the defending C-USA champions that atoned for Thursday's overtime loss to UAB.
Quoting the coach
"They've been really tough to beat," coach Kevin Baker said of Middle Tennessee, which was 9-1 all-time against UTEP before Saturday's game, including a blowout in the semifinals of last year's Conference USA tournament that ended the Miners' season.