Perhaps the travel caught up to the Miners men’s basketball team on Friday or maybe it was the 8:30 a.m. mountain time zone start. Regardless, UTEP started slow and finished slower in a 80-56 loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks on Friday morning.
The first losers bracket game of the Puerto Rico Tip-off at Myrtle Beach began at 10:30 a.m. eastern time and the Miners looked as if they wanted to be in bed still. The game was already 7-2 Gamecocks at the first media timeout after the virtual home team – who lost to the outstanding defensive squad from Illinois State on Thursday 69-65 – went three-for-three to open the game.