Western Kentucky (13-6, 2-3 C-USA) dropped their second-straight game in Conference USA play on Saturday night, falling 93-87 to UTEP (11-8, 2-2 C-USA) at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso to close out the two-game road swing.
In addition to falling short in their second conference matchup on the road, Saturday night's loss to UTEP marks the second loss to the Miners in program history as the Hilltoppers now hold an 8-2 lead in the series dating back to 2015.
Western Kentucky shot 61.9% (39-63) from the floor, 33.3% (4-12) from beyond the arc and 41.7% (5-12) from the free throw line in the close loss.
WKU junior guard Don McHenry was a gamechanger for the Hilltoppers once again, dropping a total of 18 points, three rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block.
Another Hilltopper to establish himself was WKU fifth year forward Rodney Howard, who picked up 16 points, one rebound, two assists and one steal.
WKU freshman guard Teagan Moore also had a great game, recording a grand total of 15 points, three rebounds and one assist in the loss.
Also adding to the Hilltoppers' effort offensively was WKU junior forward Babacar Faye, who collected 12 points, three rebounds, one assist, two steals and two blocks.
UTEP shot 46.3% (31-67) from the field, 35.0% (7-20) from three-point range and 82.8% (24-29) from the free throw line. The Miners additionally outrebounded the Hilltoppers 34-33 on the night.
Senior guard Tae Hardy led the Miners on the scoreboard, picking up a total of 27 points, four rebounds, one assist, four steals and two blocks.
Another Miner to contribute to the victory was UTEP junior guard Corey Camper Jr., who earned 19 points, three rebounds, three assists and one block.
UTEP senior guard Zid Powell was also a crucial weapon for the Miners, adding 17 points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.
Western Kentucky is set to continue conference play back in E.A. Diddle Arena on Thursday, Jan. 25th, hosting Florida International. The opening tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT as the game will air on ESPN+
****
Talk about it on RED TOWEL TALK.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL.
Follow us on Twitter: @WKU_Rivals, @SeanW_Rivals, @Drew_Toennies, @Derrick_Deen
Like us on FACEBOOK.