Another bout of Crunchitis for the UTEP Miners, as the UAB Blazers won their 20th game of the season, 88-81, by making big rebounds and sinking clutch free-throws down the stretch, erasing what, at one point, was an eight-point UTEP lead.
And then there was Robert Vaden. The Blazers' guard set a school record for three-pointers made, going 9-of-14 from the behind the line, torching the Miners for 41 points. No matter how off-balance, no matter how many hands UTEP got in his grill, no matter that his fade-away jumpers looked more like long jumps in reverse -- most everything Vaden threw up went in.
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It was enough to bum Marvin Kilgore and Gabe McCulley, whose Jedi skills were no match for Darth Vaden.
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UTEP head coach Tony Barbee had it right, though. In the end, one hot player won't matter as much as good defense, rebounding and free-throw shooting. The Miners were had by UAB in all three areas.
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