Miners take out second-place Marshall 112-108

Maybe it was the uniforms, maybe it was a one-game anomaly, or maybe it's a sign of a team finding chemistry in a league where your performance in the conference tournament is what really matters.

14 ties, 22 lead changes, and the second-most points scored in a half by UTEP in school history amounted to a thrilling 112-108 win for the Miners Thursday night -- donning their Texas Western unis for the first time this season.

To the delight of fans creating an electric atmosphere, Dominic Artis was on another level with 33 points (25 in the second half) and nine rebounds, Earvin Morris zoned in with 20 points (18 in the first half) and six assists, Lee Moore put up 17, Omega Harris scored 15, and Terry Winn added 13 in a game that saw UTEP get a 13-point deficit down to one then overcome a subsequent 14-point Marshall lead.

The teams were back and forth for the first 16:29 of the game until Marshall paved a way to its first high-advantage with lights-out shooting.

The Herd shot 53.5% from the field, 39.3% from three, and 84% from the free throw line.

But UTEP was better.

With Tim Floyd throwing out speedy four-guard lineup combinations to run the floor, the Miners created shots for themselves by gaining separation from defenders like football wideouts, en route to 56% shooting -- making 61% of their attempts from three.

After a 55-47 halftime deficit, Marshall spent the next 2:21 getting out to its second high-lead of 14 for a 66-52 count.

Dominic Artis then dropped two consecutive threes to get it down to eight again, but the Herd quickly put it back up to 13.

With 14:47 left, the Miners' rolling momentum began.

UTEP finessed its way to a 31-11 run through the next 7:16 that put the Miners up 92-85 with 7:31 to play.

The Herd answered with a 9-2 run of its own -- tying it up at 94 with 5:40 left.

Through the final minutes, the teams exchanged ten of the games 22 lead changes and tied seven times.

The win made UTEP's 65 second-half points a fitting preview to the '66 championship's golden commemoration.

The Miners play Western Kentucky on Saturday at 3 p.m. in the Haskins Center.