Miners Clinch a first round bye by overcoming Charlotte

The Prospector

Gaby VelasquezThe UTEP men’s basketball team faced a must win situation playing for a first round bye in the upcoming Conference USA tournament when Charlotte came to the Don Haskins Center on Mar. 4. The Miners responded with a 74-67 victory on “senior day” and their last regular season game of the year.UTEP (14-16, 12-6 C-USA) has officially clinched the fourth seed and a first round bye in the league playoffs despite their rocky start to the season. In the last 15 games of the season, the Miners turned around their dreadful season by winning 12 of those contests, including their most recent victory over the usual high-flying offense of the 49ers (13-16, 7-11 C-USA).
The lone senior on the roster of UTEP, Dominic Artis participated in his last home game ever on Saturday, and he did not light up the scoring sheet like he had done all season. Instead, Artis found different ways to stride his team past Charlotte, like a leader would do. He totaled 10 points, eight assists, six rebounds and only one turnover even though the ball is in his hands the majority of the game.
“I thought D.A. (Artis) got us going in the second half by finding guys and getting them open shots. He was selfless on Senior Day and did helped us get this win. He’s had a great career,” head coach of UTEP Tim Floyd said. “He (Artis) has made great strides since coming from Oregon. He could have played for himself when our team was struggling, but, instead, he has played for the team down this stretch. Artis lives in the gym, more than anyone I’ve ever coached. He beats himself up over mistakes and turnovers. And it’s incredible to see the changes he has made in his life. He has prioritized and knows what is good for him.”
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