© by Ray Sanchez 06.19.16
There’s so much to brag about UTEP that my shirts are popping their buttons. UTEP has been named
And then there’s the Miners’ women’s basketball team, which won this season’s Conference USA championship.
Charles Hill, an El Paso historian and a statistician at UTEP basketball games, wrote an essay about the women’s team’s amazing success this year. It’s so good I thought I’d pass it on. It follows:
“I KNEW THE 2015-2016 edition of the UTEP women’s basketball team would be much improved the first time I saw the players at the annual Orange and White scrimmage. Chrishauna Parker and Jenzel Nash were returning while Starr Breedlove, a transfer from Louisville, was gaining her eligibility.
”The Miners now had a very strong starting five with Cameasha Turner and Lawna Kennedy joining those three players. Even more important was that UTEP now had tremendous bench support with Sparkle Taylor, Lulu McKinney, Daeshianna McCants, Agata Dobrowolska, Anete Kirsteine, Shaylan Coleman, Wiktoria Zapart, Najala Howell, Tamara Seda and Rudiane Eduardo.
“THE TRADEMARKS were speed and defense. UTEP’s pressure defense became its best offense. The Miners were quicker than most of their opponents and capitalized on turnovers their defense caused. Cameasha Turner, Jenzel Nash, Starr Breedlove, Lulu McKinney and Chrishuana Parker provided relentless defensive pressure during the entire season.
“UTEP’S offense never did quite come together. The Miners were not a good shooting team, especially from beyond the three point line. UTEP was also a poor shooting team from the charity stripe, which would be their undoing against Oregon in the WNIT.
“There were nights when the Miner offense did shine. UTEP was one of the best teams in the country when their 3’s were dropping in tandem with their great defense. The offense was usually spearheaded by Nash, Turner, Breedlove, and McKinney. Sparkle Taylor was usually instant offense coming off the bench most of the season. Parker, Turner, Eduardo, McCants, and Seda provided the rebounding for the team.
“I SAID THAT I knew the 2015-2016 UTEP team was going to be a much improved squad but I never dreamed it would be a 29-5 season with three wins in the WNIT. The Miners provided many highs and a few lows during the season. A regular season C-USA championship with a conference best 16-2 record, 29 victories and the WNIT wins were the highs.
”Losing to UTSA in the final regular season game and then losing in the C-USA Tournament were definitely low points. UTEP was an NCAA Tournament caliber team that fell victim to the selection committee’s penchant of choosing only power conference teams for the tournament.
“THE MINERS dominated the game against Oregon in the WNIT for the first quarter and a half, building an 18 point lead. The Ducks dominated the rest of the game. UTEP got in a three point shooting contest with the PAC 12 team and held their own but couldn’t get in the paint shots because of Oregon’s height. It would be the Miners poor foul shooting that proved to be their undoing.
“UTEP was the better team and I think the Miners would have won the WNIT title that was eventually won by South Dakota State. I base this on the fact that UTEP would have probably had two more home games because of the great support of the El Paso fans. The fans showed up and they provided a very loud 6th man. I only wish the same fans would attend the game during the regular season.
“I was sorry to see the season end but I am grateful for the thrills that Coach Keitha Adams and her team provided.”