EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — On Sunday, the UTEP women’s basketball team found out its 2022-23 season would continue after the program earned an at-large bid selection for the 2023 WNIT. Less than 24 hours later, the Miners found out who and where they would be playing in the opening round of the tournament.
UTEP will play at Texas Tech in its first-round matchup on Thursday, March 16.
Texas Tech is 18-14 this season and went 6-12 in the Big 12 Conference. Texas Tech was bounced out in the first round of the Big 12 Championship as they suffered a 79-69 loss to No. 9 Kansas State last Thursday. Bre’Amber Scott leads the way offensively, averaging 17 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
UTEP Head Coach Kevin Baker and Texas Tech Head Coach Krista Gerlich were on staff together at West Texas A&M for five seasons where Baker was an assistant under Gerlich. The program was a top-10 team nationally in all five of those seasons, advancing to the NCC Tournament on four occasions.
UTEP, in their third trip to the WNIT in program history, aims to get past Texas Tech in the first-round of the tournament. Overall, the Miners are 8-2 in the WNIT and 9-4 across all postseason play.
In 2014, UTEP played all six games in El Paso, finishing as the runner-up after an incredible run to the championship game against Rutgers.
The 2016 team reached the quarterfinals after winning three games to start the tournament.
UTEP (20-11, 12-8 Conference USA) will go head-to-head with Texas Tech (18-14, 6-12 Big 12) on Thursday, Mar. 16 at the United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Tipoff is set for 5:00 p.m. MT/6:00 p.m. CST. The game will be aired on ESPN+.
