Another slow start doomed the UTEP women’s basketball team to its seventh consecutive loss, as the Miners fell to Liberty 67-53 to complete an 0-2 road trip.
The Flames, who improved to 11-2 in Conference USA and stayed in second place, scored the last eight points of the first period to take an 18-8 lead and never let it go.
The Miners, who fell to 9-13 overall, 2-10 in CUSA, were only outscored by four points in the final three quarters but couldn’t get back within single digits in the second half.
Thelma Barbitch, playing in just her sixth game of the season and having scored three points in those six games, notched a career-high 13 points in her most extensive playing time at UTEP.
She was the only player in double figures for a Miners team that shot 37%. UTEP was beaten 45-26 on the boards.
UTEP falls to Florida International 83-66
The UTEP women’s basketball team couldn’t quite overcome a slow start Thursday and fell to Florida International 83-66 in Miami for its sixth consecutive loss.
The Miners never led and were down 19-5 by the middle of the first quarter, but rallied to within 59-55 with a Luisa Vydrova jumper to close the third-quarter scoring.
The Panthers then opened the fourth quarter with a 14-3 run to take control. The Miners fell to 9-13 overall and 2-9 in Conference USA. FIU, the last team UTEP beat last month, improved to 10-13, 6-6.
Portia Adams led the Miners with 17 points, Vydrova scored 15 with seven rebounds and Ndack Mbengue added 13. The Miners shot 45% from the floor, but were 3-of-19 from 3-point range to FIU’s 10-of-25 beyond the arc. The Panthers shot 55% overall.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: UTEP women’s basketball falls to Liberty for seventh consecutive loss
