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SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Filiberto Rivera scored 21 points and Omar Thomas added 19 to help UTEP held off San Jose State 70-62 on Wednesday night.
Miguel Ayala added 12 points as the Miners (20-6, 10-4 Western Athletic Conference) recorded their first back-to-back 20-win seasons in eight years.
Marquin Chandler scored 19 points to lead the Spartans (6-16, 3-10), who have lost four straight to the Miners and four straight overall. Eric Bloom added 12.
Thomas, the Miners' leading scorer, sat out the first half for his involvement in a fight with Jermaine Washington during Saturday's game against Nevada. Even playing only one half, Thomas was able to become the 27th player in school history to top 1,000 career points, reaching 1,001.
Thomas Gehrke took Thomas' spot in the starting lineup, his second start of the season, and the first since the season opener.
Thomas was held to a season-low three points in 31 minutes the last time these teams met.
The Miners were playing their first of three road games in six days.
Several members of Pepperdine's men's basketball team were in attendance in support of former teammate Will Kimble, who transferred to UTEP following the 2002-03 season. The Waves were in town to play nearby Santa Clara on Thursday night.
The Miners scored 16 straight points, including the first 12 of the second half to erase a double-digit deficit. Thomas and Rivera combined for 14 of the points.
Texas-El Paso eventually took a 47-39 lead in the first six minutes of the second half but the Spartans kept it close and eventually regained the lead at 62-61 when Kareem Guilbeaux, who finished with 10 points, hit a short jumper nine minutes later.
The Miners scored the game's final nine points to win it.
San Jose State held the Miners scoreless for more than eight minutes while scoring 12 unanswered point in rushing to an 18-8 lead midway through the first half.
The Spartans were still up by 10 with 14 seconds remaining but Rivera hit a pair of free throws and turned a steal into another easy basket in the final five seconds as UTEP drew within 36-30 at halftime.
