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GAME NOTES: The red-hot Texas-El Paso Miners will try to keep rolling along, as they host the East Carolina Pirates in Conference USA action at the Don Haskins Center.

UTEP has won eight straight, all in league play, to take over first place in the C-USA standings. Most recently, the Miners notched a 62-51 win at SMU on Wednesday night. Currently, they hold a one-game lead over second-place Tulsa with five games remaining in the regular season after tonight.

Entering Wednesday night's matchup with Tulane, ECU had lost three straight and eight of its previous nine games, with the lone victory coming against the Green Wave in their first meeting. However, the Pirates came through with a 71-68 victory to earn their first-ever C-USA season series sweep. A follow-up tonight won't come easy for East Carolina, which is just 3-10 away from home.

UTEP holds a 3-1 lead in the all-time series with ECU.

The major caveat in East Carolina's victory earlier this week was the fact that Tulane played without its top two scorers. And even still, the Pirates needed a pair of free throws by Brock Young with nine seconds remaining to seal the victory. As a team, they shot a healthy 53.8 percent from the floor, but 19 turnovers allowed the Green Wave to hang around. Young finished with 18 points and nine assists to lead for Pirates in double figures. Jamar Abrams added 16 points, while Darrius Morrow and Jontae Sherrod tallied 11 apiece. On the season, Young leads the team with 14.6 ppg, though he is shooting just 35.3 percent from the floor. Morrow is next in line with 12.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest, followed by Abrams with 11.3 points and 4.9 caroms per contest. Wednesday's game was not an aberration as far as turnovers, as the Pirates are averaging 17.0 miscues per outing and are -5.2 in turnover margin for the year.

Scoring balance has carried the Miners during their hot streak, as five different players are averaging double figures on the year. Topping the list is Randy Culpepper at 16.4 ppg, while Derrick Caracter controls the paint with 14.2 points and a team-best 9.0 rebounds per tilt. Those two each registered 12 second-half points in Wednesday's win over SMU. Jeremy Williams (5.1 rpg) ranks third on the team with 11.1 ppg, followed by Christian Polk (11.0 ppg) and Arnett Moultrie (10.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg). With Culpepper and Caracter leading the charge on Wednesday night, the Miners shot an impressive 60.9 percent from the floor in the second half, while holding the Mustangs to 31 percent. Culpepper finished with 18 points and six boards, while Caracter posted 16 points and eight rebounds.

Wednesday's victory should inspire a little more confidence in the Pirates' locker room, but the Miners are simply too dominant and should control this one from start to finish.