UTEP men ready for road game against C-USA leaders Florida Atlantic

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – UTEP (13-15, 6-11 Conference USA) men’s basketball will play Conference USA leaders Florida Atlantic (25-3, 15-2 Conference USA) in their final road game of the 2022-23 season on Saturday.

UTEP is coming off an 87-82 win at FIU on Thursday night. That was the Miners’ third road game win of the season. Winning on the road has been a difficult task to achieve for UTEP as they currently sit with a 3-9 away game record. UTEP will gun for their fourth road win of the season and one against Florida Atlantic.

Florida Atlantic will look to defend their homecourt as they’ve done all season. FAU has posted a 16-0 record when playing at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena this season. Along with the chance of securing a perfect record at home this season, FAU will want a win to make sure they clinch at least a share the Conference USA regular season title for the first time in program history.

FAU is coming off a 106-66 win against UTSA on Thursday. It was the second time this season that FAU scored more that 100 points in a game.

UTEP’s tough defense will clash with FAU’s red-hot offense for the second time this season. Last time the two programs faced each other, UTEP suffered a 67-59 loss to FAU, who was nationally ranked 24th- at the time, at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas on Jan. 21, 2023.

The series between UTEP and Florida Atlantic is tied, 6-6, with the then No. 24 Owls posting a 67-59 victory in El Paso on Jan. 21 in the first meeting of the season. All 12 of the contests have happened since FAU joined Conference USA. This is UTEP’s first trip to Boca Raton since the 2019-20 campaign and the fifth all time. The Miners won their first three trips to FAU before falling in their most-recent opportunity. Saturday’s contest also marks the initial occasion since the 2016-17 season that the two sides will have completed a home-and-home series. 

UTEP and Florida Atlantic will square off on Saturday at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena in Boca Raton, Florida. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. MT/2 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.