MBB | Gaels Host UTEP This Week, Seek Fifth Straight Win

MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary's (4-1) continues their stretch of home games this week as they host the Miners from UTEP tomorrow inside UCU Pavilion. The Gaels were originally scheduled to face Utah State on the road later in the week but the game was canceled last week.

GAME INFORMATION
Game No. 6 vs. UTEP Miners
Date/Time: Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 7:00 p.m. PT
Location: UCU Pavilion (Moraga, Calif.)
Live Stream: WCC Network (Brian Brownfield)
Radio: TuneIn (Alex Jensen)
WATCH | LISTEN | LIVE STATS
Gaels' all-time head to head record: 1-1 (Last meeting: 11/27/08, N, SMC 62 — UTEP 75)

LAST TIME OUT
Saint Mary's earned an 82-70 win last Thursday against Texas Southern in Moraga. Leemet Böckler had the best game of his young career as he put up 20 points off the bench in 15 minutes. The freshman was unconscious in the first half as he went 5-for-5 from three-point land for 15 points in just seven minutes of action.

Late in the first half, the Estonian knocked down three treys in a 49 second span to give Saint Mary's the lead, 33-30.

Quinn Clinton also had a great game off the bench with a personal-high of 15 points. The Kiwi hit four of his eight tries from beyond the arc, dished out three assists, and had four rebounds to boot.

Not to be overlooked was redshirt senior Tommy Kuhse's second career double-double. The redshirt senior had 15 points and a career-high 13 assists. Matthias Tass added 14 more points while going 6-for-7 from the floor as the team's fourth double-digit scorer.

ABOUT UTEP
The Miners are 2-0 this year with both wins coming against non-Div. I opponents. UTEP played D2 UT Permian Basin in their season opener before knocking off D3 Sul Ross State on Saturday. Last season, UTEP went 17-15 overall and 8-10 in Conference USA action.

Oakland native Souley Boom has led the Miners this year with 28.5 points per game while shooting 53 percent from beyond the arc. Bryson Williams is averaging a double-double through two contests with 20.0 points and 10.0 rebounds. As a team, UTEP is averaging 92 points per game and shooting over 50 percent from the floor.

Defensively, the Miners have been susceptible to the 3-ball this year as they've given up 57 attempts and allowed opponents to shoot 37 percent on those tries.

Saint Mary's and UTEP have met twice in the past and split the contests. The most recent matchup was in 2007 on a neutral court where the Miners came out victorious, 75-62. SMC previously defeated UTEP back during the 1951-52 season in El Paso by the score of 77-44.

HOW THE GAELS RANK

Saint Mary's currently leads the WCC in fewest personal fouls at just 15.0 calls per game. The Gaels have been one of the most disciplined teams in the country (35th overall) despite featuring five freshmen on their roster and just four upperclassmen.
SMC is 14th in the nation in total 3-point field goal attempts (131). The Gaels have quickly recovered from a rocky shooting night against Memphis in the season opener and are up to 36.6 percent 3-point shooting on the year, second in the WCC.
Tommy Kuhse leads the conference in assists per game and is currently 10th in the country at 7.8 helpers. The redshirt senior is also fourth nationally with 39 total assists.

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Players Mentioned

#2 Quinn Clinton: G; 6' 3"; Sophomore

#12 Tommy Kuhse: G; 6' 2"; Redshirt Junior

#11 Matthias Tass: F/C; 6' 10"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#2 Quinn Clinton
: 6' 3"; Sophomore
: G

#12 Tommy Kuhse
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Junior
: G

#11 Matthias Tass
: 6' 10"; Sophomore
: F/C

Players Mentioned

#2 Quinn Clinton

#12 Tommy Kuhse

#11 Matthias Tass

Players Mentioned

#2 Quinn Clinton

#12 Tommy Kuhse

#11 Matthias Tass