GAME NOTES: Instate foes collide in Lubbock today, as the Texas-El Paso Miners face off against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in non-conference play at United Spirit Arena. The Miners enter the matchup on a down note, as they dropped a heart-breaker against New Mexico, 86-85, in overtime on Wednesday. The loss brought the team's season-high five-game win streak to a close, as it dipped to a still solid 9-3 overall. UTEP now takes its show on the road, where it has gone an even 2-2 thus far. As for TTU, it kicked off the new year with a less than convincing victory over Lamar, 79-77, on Tuesday. It was the second win in a row for the Raiders, who improved to 8-5 overall and 6-1 at home. Following today's bout, the team will head into Big 12 play, starting with Oklahoma State a week from now. TTU leads the all-time series with UTEP by a count of 38-16 and it has won each of the past six meetings.

The Miners shot a dismal 33.3 percent from the field and they were outrebounded, 56-45, in a one-point overtime loss to New Mexico on Wednesday. UTEP gave itself a chance to win by converting 29-of-42 free-throw attempts and forcing 19 turnovers, but it wasn't enough in the end. Stefon Jackson and Randy Culpepper each scored 17 points to pace the team in defeat with, while Marvin Kilgore had 14 points and nine assists. For the season, Jackson ranks as one of the top scorers in the nation at 24.8 ppg and he has done a lot of his damage at the foul line, converting 74.6 percent of his 126 attempts. Culpepper is a distant second at 12.9 ppg, while Kilgore adds 12.6 ppg and a team-best 5.5 apg to the rotation. As a whole, UTEP has had no trouble at the offensive end of the court this season, averaging a healthy 80.2 ppg.

The Raiders are shooting an efficient 49.2 percent from the field and an equally as good 41.1 percent from three-point range and that has led them to a scoring average of 70.8 ppg. Martin Zeno tops the roster in scoring (15.8 ppg) as well as rebounding (5.1 rpg) and he is also dishing out 3.1 apg. Alan Voskuil is next in line with 13.1 ppg and he is shooting an unconscious 60.0 percent from beyond the arc. John Roberson is making good on 46.3 percent of his attempts from downtown and he rounds out the double-figure scorers with 12.5 ppg. In the team's last outing, Roberson converted a pair of free-throw attempts with 22 seconds left, lifting TTU to a 79-77 win over Lamar. Roberson finished the game with 21 points and seven assists, and he also went 5-of-6 from three-point land. Zeno led the Raiders with an all-around effort that consisted of 28 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Voskuil logged 16 points for TTU, which shot 57.8 percent from the floor, including a 7-of-11 effort from long distance.

TTU is the better shooting team here and its ability to make shots at an efficient rate is why it should prevail in this one.