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University of Houston Athletics
Houston Returns to Action vs. UTEP on Thursday
12/18/2019 10:25:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Cougars meet Miners for first time since 2013 at 7 p.m., Thursday, in the Fertitta Center
HOUSTON – The University of Houston Men's Basketball program closes out its non-conference home schedule when it plays host to UTEP at 7 p.m., Thursday, inside the Fertitta Center.
The Cougars (6-3) look to return to their winning ways after falling to Oklahoma State on Sunday in the Fertitta Center. Trailing by as many as 18 points early in the second half, the Cougars mounted an impressive comeback and rallied to tie the game but fell short to see their four-game winning streak end.
For the second straight game, redshirt freshman guard Caleb Mills came off the bench to lead the Cougars in scoring. The Arden, N.C., native totaled a career-high 23 points against the Cowboys after scoring 17 in Houston's win against UT Arlington on Dec. 11.
For his impressive performance, Mills was honored as the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week, a first in his career.
With his scoring total last week, Mills moved into third among the Cougars and 25th in The American with 11.4 points per game.
Sophomore guard Quentin Grimes continues to lead Houston and rank sixth in the league with 15.0 points per game. Sophomore guard Nate Hinton ranks second on the team with 13.3 points per game and leads the Cougars and ranks third in the league with 9.3 rebounds per contest.
PROMOTIONS
• As the Cougars prepare to compete at the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic beginning Sunday, the first 300 students at Thursday's game against UTEP will receive a free lei.
• Students from Elmer Bondy Intermediate School will perform the national anthem.
• Calvin Murphy's The Marching Thunder will perform at halftime.
• University of Houston students can claim two tickets for Thursday's game against UTEP by clicking here.
• Fans are invited to take photos with Shasta and Sasha Claus on the concourse during pregame and halftime at all home games in the Fertitta Center through Dec. 20.
• Fans can participate in the KHOU Secret Santa Toy Drive. With the donation of an unwrapped toy at the Fertitta Center entrances, fans will receive a voucher for a discounted $10 ticket at a future home game.
ABOUT UTEP
• UTEP has posted an 8-1 record in 2019-20.
• Miners are 0-1 when competing on the road this season.
• UTEP has won its last four games... Only a 59-56 loss at New Mexico State on Dec. 3 prevents an undefeated season to date.
• Thursday's game will be the Miners' third in the last four days... UTEP captured the championship at its own Weststar Bank Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational with wins over North Carolina A&T (72-54, Monday) and UC Irvine (67-61, Tuesday) in El Paso.
• In its most recent action, UTEP outscored UC Irvine by six in the second half to take a 67-61 win on Tuesday inside the Don Haskins Center in El Paso and capture the Weststar Bank Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational.
• Against UC Irvine, junior forward Bryson Williams led all players with 22 points, thanks to 11-of-14 shooting from the free throw line... Sophomore guard Jordan Lathon added 13 points with a team-high-tying five rebounds and a game-high six assists, while sophomore guard Souley Boum totaled 11 points with a pair of steals.
• This season, Williams leads the Miners with 19.9 points and 7.0 rebounds per game... Boum stands second with 11.6 points per game, while Lathon is tops with 3.4 assists per contest.
Head Coach: Rodney Terry is in his second season at UTEP and his ninth season as a collegiate head coach.
• Terry has compiled a 16-22 record at UTEP and is 142-130 during his career... Previously built a 126-108 record at Fresno State (2011-18).
• Sunday's game will be the first time Terry has faced Houston or Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during his career.
• 1990 graduate of St. Edward's.
SERIES vs. UTEP
• UTEP owns a 16-10 lead in the series history.
• Miners have won the last two games and three of the last four... Only a 79-61 Houston win inside Hofheinz Pavilion on Feb. 13, 2013, prevents a longer streak.
• Thursday's game will be the first meeting between the two schools since an 80-69 UTEP in the Conference USA Championship Quarterfinals inside the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla., on Feb. 13, 2013.
• Teams competed as Conference USA rivals from the 2005-06 season through the 2012-13 season
• Series dates back to Dec. 28, 1979, when UTEP claimed a 78-65 win in Hofheinz Pavilion.
at Home: Houston owns a 7-2 record in Houston against UTEP.
• Houston has won the last two games and three of the last four in Houston... Only a 57-52 UTEP in Hofheinz Pavilion on Jan. 22, 2011, prevents a longer streak.
• Thursday's game will be the first meeting between the two schools in Houston since a 79-61 Houston win inside Hofheinz Pavilion on Feb. 13, 2013.
TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Thursday's game on ESPN3 by clicking here with David Saltzman (play-by-play) and Houston great Reid Gettys (analysis).
• Fan can hear Thursday's game on KPRC 950 AM or by clicking here with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play) and Houston Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes (analysis) calling. Fans also can hear the game on the TuneIn app by clicking here. The pregame show begins at 6:45 p.m.
UP NEXT
• Following Thursday's game, the Cougars will compete at the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic inside the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu on Dec. 22-25.
• Cougars open that tournament at 2 p.m. (CST), Sunday, against Portland... Game will be shown on ESPNU and can be heard on KPRC 950 AM.
• From there, Houston faces the winner/loser of Georgia Tech-Boise State at 3:30/6 p.m. (CST), Monday... Broadcasting network will be ESPN2 or ESPNU
• Houston's final game at the tournament will be on Christmas against an opponent and at a time to be determined... Broadcasting network will be ESPN2 or ESPNU.
JOIN the 50-50-CLUB
Fans are invited to join the 50-50 Club to support Houston Men's Basketball. 50-50 Club members help fund program necessities and enhance the experience for our student-athletes.
Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered Jordan Brand team apparel, a signed basketball, invitations to practice, a tour of the $25 million Guy V. Lewis Development Facility, regular updates about the program and much more.
To join the 50-50 Club, fans can call 713-743-9742 or email UHMensBasketball@uh.edu. For more information about the 50-50 Club, levels of giving and benefits, fans can click here.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team' Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or by visiting the team's Instagram page at UHCougarMBK.
The Cougars (6-3) look to return to their winning ways after falling to Oklahoma State on Sunday in the Fertitta Center. Trailing by as many as 18 points early in the second half, the Cougars mounted an impressive comeback and rallied to tie the game but fell short to see their four-game winning streak end.
For the second straight game, redshirt freshman guard Caleb Mills came off the bench to lead the Cougars in scoring. The Arden, N.C., native totaled a career-high 23 points against the Cowboys after scoring 17 in Houston's win against UT Arlington on Dec. 11.
For his impressive performance, Mills was honored as the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week, a first in his career.
With his scoring total last week, Mills moved into third among the Cougars and 25th in The American with 11.4 points per game.
Sophomore guard Quentin Grimes continues to lead Houston and rank sixth in the league with 15.0 points per game. Sophomore guard Nate Hinton ranks second on the team with 13.3 points per game and leads the Cougars and ranks third in the league with 9.3 rebounds per contest.
PROMOTIONS
• As the Cougars prepare to compete at the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic beginning Sunday, the first 300 students at Thursday's game against UTEP will receive a free lei.
• Students from Elmer Bondy Intermediate School will perform the national anthem.
• Calvin Murphy's The Marching Thunder will perform at halftime.
• University of Houston students can claim two tickets for Thursday's game against UTEP by clicking here.
• Fans are invited to take photos with Shasta and Sasha Claus on the concourse during pregame and halftime at all home games in the Fertitta Center through Dec. 20.
• Fans can participate in the KHOU Secret Santa Toy Drive. With the donation of an unwrapped toy at the Fertitta Center entrances, fans will receive a voucher for a discounted $10 ticket at a future home game.
ABOUT UTEP
• UTEP has posted an 8-1 record in 2019-20.
• Miners are 0-1 when competing on the road this season.
• UTEP has won its last four games... Only a 59-56 loss at New Mexico State on Dec. 3 prevents an undefeated season to date.
• Thursday's game will be the Miners' third in the last four days... UTEP captured the championship at its own Weststar Bank Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational with wins over North Carolina A&T (72-54, Monday) and UC Irvine (67-61, Tuesday) in El Paso.
• In its most recent action, UTEP outscored UC Irvine by six in the second half to take a 67-61 win on Tuesday inside the Don Haskins Center in El Paso and capture the Weststar Bank Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational.
• Against UC Irvine, junior forward Bryson Williams led all players with 22 points, thanks to 11-of-14 shooting from the free throw line... Sophomore guard Jordan Lathon added 13 points with a team-high-tying five rebounds and a game-high six assists, while sophomore guard Souley Boum totaled 11 points with a pair of steals.
• This season, Williams leads the Miners with 19.9 points and 7.0 rebounds per game... Boum stands second with 11.6 points per game, while Lathon is tops with 3.4 assists per contest.
Head Coach: Rodney Terry is in his second season at UTEP and his ninth season as a collegiate head coach.
• Terry has compiled a 16-22 record at UTEP and is 142-130 during his career... Previously built a 126-108 record at Fresno State (2011-18).
• Sunday's game will be the first time Terry has faced Houston or Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during his career.
• 1990 graduate of St. Edward's.
SERIES vs. UTEP
• UTEP owns a 16-10 lead in the series history.
• Miners have won the last two games and three of the last four... Only a 79-61 Houston win inside Hofheinz Pavilion on Feb. 13, 2013, prevents a longer streak.
• Thursday's game will be the first meeting between the two schools since an 80-69 UTEP in the Conference USA Championship Quarterfinals inside the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla., on Feb. 13, 2013.
• Teams competed as Conference USA rivals from the 2005-06 season through the 2012-13 season
• Series dates back to Dec. 28, 1979, when UTEP claimed a 78-65 win in Hofheinz Pavilion.
at Home: Houston owns a 7-2 record in Houston against UTEP.
• Houston has won the last two games and three of the last four in Houston... Only a 57-52 UTEP in Hofheinz Pavilion on Jan. 22, 2011, prevents a longer streak.
• Thursday's game will be the first meeting between the two schools in Houston since a 79-61 Houston win inside Hofheinz Pavilion on Feb. 13, 2013.
TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Thursday's game on ESPN3 by clicking here with David Saltzman (play-by-play) and Houston great Reid Gettys (analysis).
• Fan can hear Thursday's game on KPRC 950 AM or by clicking here with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play) and Houston Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes (analysis) calling. Fans also can hear the game on the TuneIn app by clicking here. The pregame show begins at 6:45 p.m.
UP NEXT
• Following Thursday's game, the Cougars will compete at the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic inside the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu on Dec. 22-25.
• Cougars open that tournament at 2 p.m. (CST), Sunday, against Portland... Game will be shown on ESPNU and can be heard on KPRC 950 AM.
• From there, Houston faces the winner/loser of Georgia Tech-Boise State at 3:30/6 p.m. (CST), Monday... Broadcasting network will be ESPN2 or ESPNU
• Houston's final game at the tournament will be on Christmas against an opponent and at a time to be determined... Broadcasting network will be ESPN2 or ESPNU.
JOIN the 50-50-CLUB
Fans are invited to join the 50-50 Club to support Houston Men's Basketball. 50-50 Club members help fund program necessities and enhance the experience for our student-athletes.
Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered Jordan Brand team apparel, a signed basketball, invitations to practice, a tour of the $25 million Guy V. Lewis Development Facility, regular updates about the program and much more.
To join the 50-50 Club, fans can call 713-743-9742 or email UHMensBasketball@uh.edu. For more information about the 50-50 Club, levels of giving and benefits, fans can click here.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team' Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or by visiting the team's Instagram page at UHCougarMBK.
– UHCougars.com –
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