UAB vs UTEP Basketball Recap

UTEP 74, UAB 65 (2 OT)

The University of Texas- El Paso's men's basketball team showed a lot of character Saturday night on the road in Birmingham, Ala.

The Miners also displayed a great deal of Caracter as well... Derrick Caracter, that is.

After a troubled past and a failed stay at the University of Louisville under Rick Pitino, the New Jersey-bred power forward has found a new lease on life in the West Texas town where the late, great Don Haskins once won a national title. This year's UTEP team isn't about to contend for the Final Four, but after this thrilling and exhausting nine-point win against the leader of Conference USA, the Miners might have a shot at an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament. After multiple years in which Memphis (yes, the same Memphis program UTEP defeated on the road a few weeks ago) has been the only C-USA team to reach the field of 65, the two teams who warred at Bartow Arena might find themselves in the land known as Bracketville in mid-March.

If UTEP winds up with one of the most prized Dance tickets in college sports, Caracter will be substantially responsible for his team's return to prominence in a post-Haskins existence.

The Miners could have folded the tent after a lack of discipline dashed their hopes of a regulation-time victory. At the end of regulation with the score tied at 58, UTEP guard Julyan Stone floated up a shot that had an excellent chance of falling through the net. The orange sphere ultimately did tickle the twine, but there was just one problem: Miner forward Arnett Moultrie interfered with the ball, touching it while it was still in the cylinder above the basket. The brain cramp brought about an offensive basket interference call that sent this white-knuckler into extra stages. Given the fact that UAB has made a living out of winning close games this season (three wins by 1 or 2 points in its past four games), and given the fact that the Blazers were playing at home before a riled-up audience, logic suggested that UTEP would have a tough time bouncing back.

But after surviving the first overtime stanza, that infusion of character... and Caracter... came to the forefront for Coach Tony Barbee's Miners.

Caracter scored five of his 20 points in the second overtime, as UTEP raced past UAB, 11-2, to claim a richly satisfying win and tie both the Blazers and Tulsa (6-1 C- USA) atop the league standings. UAB - with wins over Butler, Green Bay and Cincinnati - still has the far better NCAA resume than UTEP does, but if Barbee's boys can over take Mike Davis's Blazers in the conference race, Selection Sunday could get very interesting if these teams fail to take home the C-USA Tournament.

Character counts in the crucible of double-overtime competition. UTEP had it, and UAB couldn't find it. As a result, Conference USA just became even more fascinating than it already had been before, in this weird but wonderful beginning of the post-John Calipari era at Memphis.