#1 UTEP Miners Blast Southern Miss Eagles In C-USA Women’s Semifinal

By Julia M. Coleman: SPM FL Writer
Posted Saturday, March 8, 2008

Orlando, Fla – The second Conference USA women’s semifinal saw nationally ranked 19/25 University of Texas-El Paso against fifth-seeded Southern Miss. The UTEP Miners (26-2, 16-0 C-USA) were the regular season champs going undefeated in conference play while the Eagles finished 19-12 on the year (8-8 C-USA).

#1 seeded UTEP would get a convincing 86-69 victory to put them in the C-USA finals on Sunday against #2 seed SMU.

This game featured C-USA Player of the Year, sophomore guard Jareica Hughes, who less than 24 hours earlier scored 33 points (29 in the second half) to help UTEP recover from a slow start to defeat the Rice University Owls. UTEP also features C-USA Defensive POY in senior guard Natasha Lacy.

Unlike their last game, when UTEP opened slow and uninspired, Coach Keitha Adams' Miners started this semifinal game playing fast and furious. Hughes, the little engine that could, opened the contest by scoring on drives to the basket as well as hitting from the outside. Hughes had 11 points by halftime as did Lacy, her running mate at guard.

Southern Mississippi's 14 first-half turnovers became 16 points for UTEP. The UTEP guards defensive pressure forced the normally steady Eagles junior point guard Andrea Barber into four miscues. Barber, with 10 points at the half, was the only Eagle in double figures as UTEP took a 42-29 lead into the locker room.

Hughes found Lacy under the basket for an easy two to start the second half. After a Lacy block at the other end, she ran the floor and nailed a jumper. Southern Miss called time with only a little over a minute gone in the second half and UTEP up 46-29.

Coming out of the timeout, Hughes stole the ball at mid-court and fed Lacy who scored -- and was fouled going up. Southern Miss still had not scored with three minutes gone in the second half, so Eagles Head Coach Joye Lee-McNelis called her second timeout of the half.

Freshman guard Tanesha Washington finally scored for the Eagles, on a drive to the basket, to break the Southern Miss drought. But by this time, UTEP led by 18 with 15 minutes to go, 53-31.

Lee-McNelis admitted that this game got away from her Eagles early on. “Hats off to UTEP – they played a fabulous game. They really shot the cover off the ball. We fought hard. We had to depend on pressing and getting back in the ball game and we’re a little bit out of gas after last night.”

Adams --the C-USA Coach of the Year -- proclaimed this a very good win. “I thought we played exceptionally well today. We were good defensively, and on offense we shared the ball and made the extra pass and did what this team has done all year long, and that is being very unselfish with one another.”

Southern Miss made the game a bit interesting with some key outside shots late, but could never get the deficit under 14 points. For the duration of the second half it was the Hughes and Lacy show as the guards combined for 46 UTEP points overall.

Southern Miss placed four players in double figures with sophomore forward Pauline Love leading the way with 15 points.

The C-USA tournament championship final boils down to #1 UTEP squaring off against #2 SMU at 3:30 Sunday, March 09, 2008.