EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The UTEP men’s basketball team put up a strong fight against the top-ranked Liberty team on Saturday afternoon, January 17, but ultimately fell short with a final score of 80-69 in Lynchburg, Virginia.

The Miners remained competitive throughout the game, trailing by just three points at halftime (41-38). They managed to tie the game in the second half and even took a small lead before the Flames executed a crucial 15-3 run that sealed their victory.

UTEP’s performance in the game was a mix of strong offensive plays and some key defensive lapses. The team dropped to 2-5 in Conference USA and 6-12 overall, while Liberty improved its record to 7-0 in CUSA play and 15-3 overall.

Elijah Jones led the Miners with 21 points, while Caleb Blackwell delivered a career-high performance with 20 points. Kaseem Watson added 12 points, making it three players in double figures for UTEP.

One of the highlights of the game was UTEP’s shooting efficiency. The team connected on 54% of its shots (27 out of 50), including a season-best 11 three-pointers (11 out of 23, which is 47.8%). Despite this, it wasn’t enough to prevent Liberty from securing its first home or conference win of the year.

However, UTEP struggled in other areas of the game. They set a season low for free throws made and attempted, hitting just 2 out of 4. The team also committed 13 turnovers, which resulted in 19 points for Liberty. There were 17 fouls in total, with 10 called on UTEP.

Caleb Blackwell contributed seven assists, tying his career high, while KJ Thomas added six points and four assists. UTEP had 15 assists on 28 field goals, showing good ball movement. Elijah Jones led the team in rebounds with seven, though Liberty held a slight advantage in that category (23-21).

Liberty proved to be a tough opponent, shooting 59.3% from the field (32 out of 54). Their ability to get to the paint early and often (46-22 advantage) allowed them to score easy layups. UTEP managed to hold Liberty to 7 out of 20 from beyond the arc (35.0%).

Liberty finished the game at the free-throw line with a solid 9 out of 11 (81.8%). Brett Decker and Zach Cleveland each scored 20 points, leading a group of four players who reached double figures for the Flames.

“I thought it was very entertaining. First of all, respect to them. They’ve got a terrific team, a veteran team that is really, really good. They had a good night. They were in rhythm. They were moving it,” said UTEP head coach Joe Golding.

“They threw a punch, like they always do in the first half. We were able to withstand it. Caleb (Blackwell) hit some big shots. You’ve got to have some of that when you play here. It kept us in the game in the first half. I thought we came out the first five or six minutes of the second half and withstood another run, kept the game right there. Then we went four minutes without scoring. You can’t do that against Liberty. They’re going to score the basketball. When you have those spells like that against them, you put your backs against the wall,” Golding continued.

UTEP is set to return home for a four-game homestand. The Miners will take on FIU at 7 p.m. on Thursday, January 22, followed by a matchup with Missouri State at 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 24.

Looking ahead, UTEP has eight home games remaining in the season, and there are special pricing options available for fans. Fans can purchase all eight remaining home games and sit anywhere in the arena for just $73.20 ($9.15 per game). Additionally, fans can buy all five remaining Saturday home games for $60.

Every single-game premium-priced ticket (over $20) will be priced at $20 for the rest of the 2025-26 campaign. The lowest ticket price remains at just $9.15.

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