(Photo: BRIANA SANCHEZ / EL PASO TIMES)
Former UTEP men's basketball coach Tony Barbee told me once that until both UTEP and New Mexico State made waves on the national scale, the rivalry would remain a nice local story, but not much more.
Barbee eventually left for Auburn in 2010 and UTEP has rarely mounted a challenge for the Aggies since.
UTEP hasn't beaten the Aggies for five years.
NM State leads the all-time series 115-101 according to NM State records. The Aggies have won the past nine games in the series and 12 of the last 13.