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GAME NOTES: A pair of Conference USA foes at opposite ends of the spectrum will meet tonight in the Lone Star State, as the Texas-El Paso Miners play host to the Rice Owls.

The Owls limp into tonight's meeting having suffered losses in eight of their last ten, including four straight. This clash marks the second time this week that the Owls have had to face a 20-game winner, having most recently suffered 77-54 defeat at the hands of Marshall on Wednesday night. That setback dropped Rice to 8-19 overall and just 1-12 in conference.

As for the Miners, they are blazing hot these days and come into this matchup boasting an 11-game win streak. The squad last tasted defeat in a 75-65 setback at Houston on January 13th, which represented its lone blemish in league play. The Miners most recently edged Southern Miss in a 59-56 final on Wednesday night to push their overall record to 21-5.

The Miners hold an 11-9 advantage over the Owls in the all-time series between the two programs.

Rice converted just 32.8 percent of its attempts from the field in the recent loss to Marshall, including a dismal 4-of-21 performance from long range. The Owls struggled from the foul line as well, hitting just 10-of-28. Lawrence Ghoram scored 16 points to lead the way for the Owls, while Lucas Kuipers added 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Connor Frizzelle got into the mix as well, checking in off the bench to register 11 points. As a team, the Owls are shooting at a lackluster 40.3 percent from the floor, resulting in a meager 64.0 ppg. The Owls currently boast just two double-digit scorers, beginning with Tamir Jackson and his 11.1 ppg. He is joined in double figures by Arsalan Kazemi, who has been responsible for 10.4 points and a team-best 8.9 rebounds per game.

The Miners have had better days than what they showed on Wednesday night, but they still managed to slip by Southern Miss. The Miners converted just 37 percent of their field goal attempts, including 3-of-11 from three-point land, in addition to a 16-of-25 performance at the foul line. The Miners did, however, limit Southern Miss to 33.3 percent shooting and forced 14 turnovers. Derrick Caracter scored 17 points and collected eight rebounds to lead UTEP in the win, while Randy Culpepper tallied 17 points and Myron Strong contributed 11 points off the bench. The Miners average a healthy 76.6 ppg this year, thanks in part to a 47.5 percent shooting effort. UTEP has limited the opposition to just 64.2 ppg, and the squad currently boasts five players with double-digit scoring averages. Culpepper paces the squad with 18.0 ppg, while Caracter checks in with 14.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Arnett Moultrie and Christian Polk have been responsible for 10.5 and 10.4 ppg, respectively, while Jeremy Williams rounds out the group with 10.3 ppg.

UTEP should have no problem dispatching of an unimpressive Rice club, especially when you factor in the Miners' recent success and their home record.