HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — In a competitive showdown at the Conference USA Tournament opener, UTEP emerged victorious against Sam Houston with a decisive 79-65 win on Tuesday. This victory ended an unfavorable seven-game losing streak for UTEP, the No. 8 seed, and catapulted them into a quarterfinal clash against the top-seeded Liberty scheduled for Wednesday.
Leading the charge for UTEP was Corey Camper Jr., who tallied an impressive 18 points. Camper showed efficiency, hitting 5 of 11 from the field and excelling beyond the arc with 4 of 6 tries hitting their mark. He was also perfect from the free-throw line, sinking all four attempts. Supporting Camper’s effort, Kevin Kalu contributed 15 points, matching Camper’s field goal attempts with 5 of 11, and showcased prowess at the line scoring 5 of 6 while also gathering 15 rebounds. Otis Frazier III chipped in with a valuable 12 points, including two successful three-pointers from five attempts, and managed 2 of 3 from the foul line.
On the opposite end, the ninth-seeded Sam Houston Bearkats fought back with vigor. Lamar Wilkerson stood out as their top scorer, achieving 22 points along with six rebounds and four steals. Not far behind, Kalifa Sakho supported the team with 18 points, eight rebounds, and contributed defensively with two blocks. Marcus Boykin added to the tally with 15 points.
The momentum shifted in favor of UTEP halfway through the initial period, specifically when they seized the lead with six minutes and 35 seconds remaining in the first half, from which they maintained control for the rest of the game.
