UTEP tops Liberty 66-57 in Conference USA semifinal
AP
Mar 14, 2024
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) Zid Powell had 13 points in UTEP's 66-57 victory against Liberty Flames on Thursday night in the semifinals of the Conference USA Tournament.
The Miners, the tourney's fifth seed, advance to face top-seeded Sam Houston in the title game Friday.
Powell also added seven rebounds for the Miners (17-15). David Terrell Jr. scored 12 points while going 4 of 5 and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line. Tae Hardy had 11 points and shot 4 of 11 from the field and 3 for 4 from the line.
Kaden Metheny led the way for the Flames (18-14) with 20 points. Joseph Venzant added 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks for Liberty. Kyle Rode also had 10 points and five assists.
A 10-0 run in the first half gave UTEP a seven-point lead. The teams entered the break with UTEP ahead 31-30, while Derick Hamilton led their club in scoring with 10 points. UTEP pulled off the victory after a 19-2 second-half run erased a 12-point deficit and gave them the lead at 61-56 with 34 seconds remaining in the half. Powell scored nine second-half points.
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1st Half
UTEP
Miners
31
LIB
Flames
30
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Zid Powell vs. Colin Porter (Miners gains possession)
19:46
+3
Corey Camper Jr. makes three point jump shot (Zid Powell assists)
3-0
19:13
Colin Porter misses two point jump shot
19:11
Zid Powell defensive rebound
19:01
Otis Frazier III misses three point jump shot
18:59
Joseph Venzant defensive rebound
18:48
+2
Joseph Venzant makes two point layup (Kyle Rode assists)
3-2
18:17
Tae Hardy misses two point layup
18:17
Joseph Venzant defensive rebound
17:54
Otis Frazier III personal foul
17:36
Joseph Venzant misses two point layup
17:34
Zach Cleveland offensive rebound
17:29
+2
Joseph Venzant makes two point layup (Zach Cleveland assists)
3-4
17:08
Otis Frazier III turnover (bad pass)
16:40
Kaden Metheny turnover (out of bounds)
16:13
Corey Camper Jr. misses three point jump shot
16:11
Zach Cleveland defensive rebound
15:56
+3
Kyle Rode makes three point jump shot (Zach Cleveland assists)
3-7
15:56
TV timeout
15:39
Zid Powell misses two point layup
15:37
Joseph Venzant defensive rebound
15:13
+2
Joseph Venzant makes two point layup (Colin Porter assists)
3-9
14:45
Corey Camper Jr. misses two point jump shot
14:32
Zach Cleveland defensive rebound
14:32
Kaden Metheny misses three point jump shot
14:30
Tae Hardy defensive rebound
14:26
+2
Corey Camper Jr. makes two point jump shot (Tae Hardy assists)
5-9
14:03
Kyle Rode misses two point jump shot
14:01
Joseph Venzant offensive rebound
13:45
Joseph Venzant misses two point jump shot
13:43
Kevin Kalu defensive rebound
13:19
+2
Kevin Kalu makes two point layup (Calvin Solomon assists)
7-9
12:55
Zach Cleveland misses two point layup
12:53
Zach Cleveland offensive rebound
12:50
Zach Cleveland turnover (bad pass) (Corey Camper Jr. steals)
12:35
Kyle Rode shooting foul (Derick Hamilton draws the foul)
12:35
+1
Derick Hamilton makes regular free throw 1 of 2
8-9
12:35
+1
Derick Hamilton makes regular free throw 2 of 2
9-9
12:24
Colin Porter misses two point layup
12:22
Colin Porter offensive rebound
12:05
Kyle Rode turnover (bad pass) (Otis Frazier III steals)
12:00
Colin Porter blocks Tae Hardy's two point layup
11:58
Colin Porter defensive rebound
11:54
+2
Zach Cleveland makes two point layup (Colin Porter assists)
9-11
11:54
Derick Hamilton shooting foul (Zach Cleveland draws the foul)
11:54
TV timeout
11:54
+1
Zach Cleveland makes regular free throw 1 of 1
9-12
11:39
Tae Hardy misses three point jump shot
11:37
Derick Hamilton offensive rebound
11:34
+2
Derick Hamilton makes two point layup
11-12
11:08
Kyle Rode misses three point jump shot
11:06
David Terrell Jr. defensive rebound
10:52
+2
Derick Hamilton makes two point layup
13-12
10:28
Colin Porter misses three point jump shot
10:26
Tae Hardy defensive rebound
10:09
Shiloh Robinson personal foul
10:04
Kaden Metheny personal foul
9:55
Derick Hamilton misses two point jump shot
9:53
Kyle Rode defensive rebound
9:26
Kyle Rode misses three point jump shot
9:24
Tae Hardy defensive rebound
9:01
Brody Peebles shooting foul (David Terrell Jr. draws the foul)
9:01
+1
David Terrell Jr. makes regular free throw 1 of 2
14-12
9:01
+1
David Terrell Jr. makes regular free throw 2 of 2
15-12
8:44
Kaden Metheny misses two point layup
8:42
Calvin Solomon defensive rebound
8:32
Shiloh Robinson shooting foul (Zid Powell draws the foul)
8:32
+1
Zid Powell makes regular free throw 1 of 2
16-12
8:32
+1
Zid Powell makes regular free throw 2 of 2
17-12
8:00
Zach Cleveland turnover (lost ball) (David Terrell Jr. steals)
7:54
David Terrell Jr. turnover (lost ball)
7:54
TV timeout
7:42
Kyle Rode turnover (bad pass) (Zid Powell steals)
7:37
+2
Otis Frazier III makes two point dunk (Zid Powell assists)
19-12
7:25
+3
Kaden Metheny makes three point jump shot (Kyle Rode assists)
19-15
7:10
Otis Frazier III misses two point jump shot
7:08
Flames defensive rebound
6:50
+3
Kaden Metheny makes three point jump shot (Colin Porter assists)
19-18
6:29
+2
Zid Powell makes two point layup
21-18
5:59
+3
Kaden Metheny makes three point jump shot
21-21
5:43
Zid Powell misses three point jump shot
5:41
Miners offensive rebound
5:31
+2
Tae Hardy makes two point jump shot
23-21
5:11
Colin Porter turnover (bad pass) (Calvin Solomon steals)
5:03
Calvin Solomon misses two point layup
5:01
Kevin Kalu offensive rebound
4:55
Zach Cleveland blocks Kevin Kalu's two point layup
4:53
Kevin Kalu offensive rebound
4:46
Kevin Kalu turnover (lost ball) (Colin Porter steals)
4:39
+3
Kyle Rode makes three point jump shot (Colin Porter assists)
23-24
4:19
Zid Powell misses two point layup
4:17
Zach Cleveland defensive rebound
3:48
Zach Cleveland misses two point jump shot
3:46
Calvin Solomon defensive rebound
3:17
+2
Tae Hardy makes two point jump shot
25-24
2:58
Corey Camper Jr. shooting foul (Zach Cleveland draws the foul)
2:58
TV timeout
2:58
Zach Cleveland misses regular free throw 1 of 2
2:58
Zach Cleveland misses regular free throw 2 of 2
2:58
Otis Frazier III defensive rebound
2:45
+2
Derick Hamilton makes two point layup (Otis Frazier III assists)
27-24
2:13
Otis Frazier III personal foul
2:05
Kaden Metheny turnover (lost ball) (Corey Camper Jr. steals)
1:59
+2
David Terrell Jr. makes two point layup (Corey Camper Jr. assists)
29-24
1:40
+3
Brody Peebles makes three point jump shot (Kyle Rode assists)
29-27
1:18
+2
Derick Hamilton makes two point jump shot (Corey Camper Jr. assists)
31-27
1:00
+3
Kaden Metheny makes three point jump shot
31-30
0:45
Corey Camper Jr. offensive foul
0:45
Corey Camper Jr. turnover (offensive foul)
0:25
Brody Peebles misses three point jump shot
0:23
Zid Powell defensive rebound
0:03
David Terrell Jr. turnover (traveling)
0:01
Flames 30 second timeout
0:01
Kyle Rode misses three point jump shot
0:00
Miners defensive rebound
0:00
End of period
2nd Half
UTEP
Miners
35
LIB
Flames
27
Time
Team
Play
Score
19:42
+3
Kaden Metheny makes three point jump shot
31-33
19:23
Joseph Venzant personal foul
19:23
Kevin Kalu offensive foul
19:23
Kevin Kalu turnover (offensive foul)
19:08
Zach Cleveland misses two point layup
19:06
Otis Frazier III defensive rebound
18:57
+2
Kevin Kalu makes two point layup (Zid Powell assists)
33-33
18:57
Zach Cleveland shooting foul (Kevin Kalu draws the foul)
18:57
+1
Kevin Kalu makes regular free throw 1 of 1
34-33
18:43
+2
Joseph Venzant makes two point layup (Zach Cleveland assists)
34-35
18:12
Kevin Kalu offensive foul
18:12
Kevin Kalu turnover (offensive foul)
17:57
+2
Zach Cleveland makes two point layup (Colin Porter assists)
34-37
17:37
Tae Hardy misses two point jump shot
17:35
Zach Cleveland defensive rebound
17:26
+2
Joseph Venzant makes two point layup (Kyle Rode assists)
34-39
17:24
Miners 30 second timeout
17:24
TV timeout
17:00
Tae Hardy misses three point jump shot
16:58
Calvin Solomon offensive rebound
16:55
Kaden Metheny personal foul
16:46
Kaden Metheny shooting foul (Tae Hardy draws the foul)
16:46
+1
Tae Hardy makes regular free throw 1 of 2
35-39
16:46
+1
Tae Hardy makes regular free throw 2 of 2
36-39
16:30
Kyle Rode misses two point jump shot
16:28
Zid Powell defensive rebound
16:23
+2
Zid Powell makes two point jump shot
38-39
16:03
+2
Kyle Rode makes two point layup (Zach Cleveland assists)
38-41
15:44
Corey Camper Jr. turnover (lost ball) (Colin Porter steals)
15:18
+2
Zach Cleveland makes two point layup (Kyle Rode assists)
38-43
14:57
+2
Otis Frazier III makes two point layup
40-43
14:43
Joseph Venzant turnover (lost ball) (Calvin Solomon steals)
14:36
Joseph Venzant blocks Calvin Solomon's two point layup
14:34
Kyle Rode defensive rebound
14:22
Brody Peebles turnover (traveling)
14:22
TV timeout
13:58
Otis Frazier III misses three point jump shot
13:56
Joseph Venzant defensive rebound
13:37
Zid Powell shooting foul (Brody Peebles draws the foul)
