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Sports

UTEP and UH gear up for rematch

Cougars look to make it 2-0 against Miners before C-USA tournament

by BEN GEGENHEIMER
The Daily Cougar

While enjoying its longest winning streak since 1993, the men's basketball team is also taking pleasure in the longest break it has had since mid-December.

The Cougars, who have won eight consecutive games, did not play on Wednesday. As a result, they will have had this entire week to prepare for this Saturday's game against Texas-El Paso.

"There are three games left with sort of a week off this week, in that we don't play, but we've got a lot of things that we think we can work on," head coach Tom Penders said. "I think it gives us some extra time to work on individual stuff with shooting and free-throw shooting and one-on-one play; basic fundamental stuff."

This weekend's game will be the second match-up between UH and UTEP this season. The Cougars (18-6, 8-3 in Conference USA) won the first meeting at Hofheinz Pavilion 63-57, handing the Miners their only conference loss of the season. 

However, UH has to travel to west Texas this time to face a 17-6 UTEP squad, who still has the second best C-USA record at 9-1.

"They're one of the best teams in the conference and a very tough team in their own building," Penders said. "Their only losses there were early on in the season when a couple of players were out with injuries, so we're going to have our hands full."

Miner senior guard Miguel Ayala was out with an injury during the first meeting between the schools, allowing the Cougars to focus their defensive effort on shutting down UTEP's 6-8 forward John Tofi, who entered the game averaging 14 points per contest. UH's defensive strategy proved successful as Tofi was held to 10 points in the game, including just two in the first half. 

However, Ayala is back and healthy this time around. Despite missing five consecutive games this year, Ayala leads the Miners with 42 three-point field goals on the season and is shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc.

While their defensive approach may be a bit different in the second meeting, UH's offensive philosophy remains the same.

"We try to run," Penders said. "I don't care who we're playing. We're going to try to get it out and go. That's our best offense. It keeps me out of the game; I don't have to call as many plays. I keep it in the hands of the players, and I like that."

As they look for their ninth straight victory at 8 p.m. Saturday (televised on CSTV), the Cougars are not focused on the winning streak itself, Penders said.

"We don't really talk about it that much," Penders said. "We're just trying to play our best basketball at this point in the season."

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