EL PASO, Texas – The 64th Annual WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational, day one, took place on Sunday, Dec. 21 in the Don Haskins Center with UC Irvine defeating North Dakota State 74-73 in game one and Norfolk State beating UTEP 72-71 in game two.
GAME ONE RECAP (courtesy of UC Irvine SID, Stacey Shackleford)
Kyle Evans poured in a career-high 24 points to lead UC Irvine to a 74-73 victory over North Dakota State in the first game of the WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational Sunday at the Don Haskins Center.
Evans went 11-12 from the floor and 2-2 from the line for his career-best, while pulling down a game-high nine rebounds. His 11 made field goals is tied for second most by a Big West player this season. One of the country’s best shot blockers rejected three balls and had three assists and a steal in the win.
North Dakota State went 7-12 from three-point distance in the second half, knocking down a trey with 1:31 remaining to take a 73-72 lead. Evans answered with a basket in the paint to move UCI back in front with 57 seconds left. In a wild finish, NDSU would miss five shots while UCI could not convert on two free throws resulting in the Bison having one last shot that also missed the mark, giving the Anteaters the one-point victory.
The Anteaters shot 50 percent from the floor (29-58) for the game, going 14-25 (56.0%) in the second half.
UCI improves to 8-5 overall and will meet Norfolk State in the Championship tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. PT
COACH RUSSELL TURNER SAID: “It was a really good college basketball game between two quality mid-major teams and I feel fortunate that we came out on top. Our readiness showed up in the first half and our defensive level was really good after we settled into the game. We built enough of a lead and made enough plays to hang on, barely, and that’s because of the quality North Dakota State’s team and the competitive level that they brought. We are excited to be here and excited to play tomorrow in the title game of this tournament that is meaningful to us.”
“By winning tonight we have a chance to win a championship.This is a meaningful opportunity for us and what we want to grow into this season and beyond.We have tremendous respect for UTEP and Norfolk State who are playing now. Both teams are hungry and we will have to recover quickly and be at our best in order to win tomorrow.”
SENIOR FORWARD KYLE EVANS: “I have to give all the credit to my teammates. I work on being in the right spot at the right time and they delivered it at the right time so it was just up to me to finish. I thought our gameplan worked out well, stretching the big guys out away from the basket and making plays at the rim.”
REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE JURIAN DIXON SAID: “We are going to enjoy the win, but we have to get over it quick. Our team has been growing from our experiences so the next thing is to not get to high or too low and move on to the next one tomorrow.”
INSIDE THE NUMBERS >Guard Jurian Dixon added 16 points, including two three-pointers to go with three assists >Guard Derin Saran totaled nine points and five assists >Guard Jovan Jester Jr. went 3-4 from the field with two three-pointers for eight points. He had a career-high six steals >Center Elijah Chol grabbed eight rebounds and totaled five points >Guard Tama Isaac fired six assists, while forward Harrison Carrington had five points and three rebounds >North Dakota State (10-4) was led by Markhi Strickland and Damari Wheeler-Thomas with 14 points each >NDSU shot 46.6% (27-58) from the field and 11-25 from three (11-25), but went 47.1% (8-17) from the free throw line.
FIRST HALF >UC Irvine’s offense generated scores early on the back of Kyle Evans who scored six early points to keep the Anteaters even with North Dakota State at 9-9 headed into the first timeout >NDSU went on a 7-0 run over a three-minute span until a Jurian Dixon floater in transition, followed by another score transition on the next play, 13-14 (12:47) >The Anteaters got a big spark from Jovan Jester Jr. , who hit two straight threes before getting a layup to go, capping off a personal 8-0 run and giving UCI a 21-16 lead (10:35) > Derin Saran ripped off five straight points, hitting a three and putting in a reverse layup to give UCI a 34-28 advantage with just under five minutes to go in the half >A pair of free throw by Andre Henry and a layup by Tama Isaac closedout the scoring with UCI leading 40-33 at the break
SECOND HALF >A Saran layup and a three-pointer that was followed by a transition bucket from Dixon got the Anteaters out to a fast start in the second half, helping the Anteaters build a 47-36 lead (17:58) >A highlight from Isaac, with the freshman point guard finding Evans cross-court for a one handed slam in transition, 50-41 (16:19) >NDSU slowed the UCI momentum with a 9-1 run to cut the lead to just one, but an Andre Henry jumper got the Anteaters back on the board after a short scoring drought (11:59) >A Bison three-pointer tied the game at 60 with just under seven minutes to go in regulation >Evans got back-to-back buckets to go inside to retake a 68-66 lead (4:08) >NDSU tied it at 70 and with just over two minutes to go, Saran got a jumper to go from the right corner to put the Anteaters ahead >A NDSU three gave the Bison the 73-72 lead (1:31), but Evans hit a floater to give UCI a 74-73 advantage >After a late UCI turnover, the Anteaters walled up in transition, resulting in an Evans block. Despite a pair of missed free throws on the ensuing possessions by UC Irvine, the Anteater defense stood strong to close a 74-73 victory
NOTES >UCI will make its third appearance in the championship game, winning in the title in 2015 against Norfolk State and losing to UTEP, 61-67, the last time at the event in 2019 >Evans’ 24 points is tied for second most by an Anteater this season >UCI has shot over 50% from the field three times this season
GAME TWO RECAP (courtesy of UTEP SID, Mark Brunner)
Jamal West Jr. registered his second double-double (16 points, 13 rebounds) of the year while Caleb Blackwell (career-high 18 points, career-best seven assists), Kaseem Watson (17 points) and Elijah Jones (10 points) got after it as well, but the UTEP men’s basketball team suffered a hard-fought 72-71 loss at the hands of the defending MEAC champions Norfolk State in the opening round of the 2025 WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational Sunday Night.
After the Miners (3-7) bolted to 21-15 lead midway through the first half, the Spartans (6-8) punched back and closed the period on a 27-11 surge to send UTEP down by 10 (42-32) at the break. The deficit eventually swelled to as many as 13, but the Orange and Blue refused to quit and fought all the way back to tie the tilt at 68 with 1:06 remaining in regulation. NSU scored the next four points at the line to regain the advantage, allowing it to hold on even after Blackwell banged home a 3-pointer with 0.9 seconds left.
UTEP shot 47.3 percent (26-55) from the floor, won the rebounding battle (38-33) and registered 10 steals, but the Miners couldn’t overcome a tough night at the charity stripe (12-27, 44.4 percent). NSU filled up 45.1 percent (23-51) of its shots while also doing enough at the line (19-30, 63.3 percent) to stem the rally. There were six ties and four lead changes, but the visitors never trailed in the second half.
Blackwell ran the offense effectively as well with his seven helpers. KJ Thomas made a contribution from the bench with five points and four assists.
“The tougher team won the basketball game tonight. Give Norfolk State credit, they were the tougher team,” UTEP head coach Joe Golding said. “It started in the last 10 minutes of the first half, and they deserved the game. They made the tough plays. Credit to them, they’re a well-coached team. We’ve got to make winning plays and have guys step up. We can’t go 12-27 from the free-throw line. I’m the head coach. It starts with me. It’s my responsibility.”
NSU took a 4-0 lead two minutes into the game before UTEP answered with six straight. Jones started it with a hook shot that was followed by back-to-back buckets from West Jr, including a dunk on a fastbreak with the feed from Blackwell. The Spartans tied things up on their next possession, but Jones splashed home a trey to immediately reinstate the lead.
After the visitors got within one (9-8), Blackwell flew to the hoop for an athletic layup that split the defense. A mini push from NSU allowed it to snag a one-point edge (15-14, 12:28), but Blackwell’s 3-pointer on the ensuing trip sent the Miners back in front. The bucket sparked a 7-0 run, with West Jr. slamming home a dunk on a bullet pass by Thomas and Blackwell putting the defense on skates for another layup. The result was UTEP leading by six (21-15) midway through the half.
The advantage remained at six (25-19, 7:32, 1H) before a 9-0 push over the next four minutes allowed NSU to pull ahead by three (28-25, 3:29, 1H). Kaseem Watson splashed home a corner 3-pointer to stop the surge and tie the tilt. NSU countered with a 14-4 push as UTEP fell behind by 10 (42-32) heading to halftime.
The Spartans sank a trey on the first possession of the second stanza, going out by 13. UTEP answered with a 7-0 run to creep within six (45-39, 17:40, 2H). West Jr. started things with a basket before a floating layup from Blackwell and an old-fashioned 3-point play by Jones. NSU nailed a triple to end the sequence and eventually reinstated a double-digit cushion (51-41, 15:37, 2H).
UTEP still was down by 10 (53-43, 14:38, 2H), but it didn’t fret. Rather, the Orange and Blue peeled off six straight, including a tip-in from Mouhamed Mbaye and a dunk by Jones to cut the margin to four (53-49, 11:31, 2H). NSU punched back to go ahead by seven, but the Miners kept coming to get within two (60-58, 7:56, 2H) after two free throws from Thomas and a layup from Kaseem Watson.
NSU got a putback and a make at the charity stripe to extend the differential to five (63-58, 4:48, 2H). Kaseem Watson sank two free throws, allowing the Orange and Blue to bring it to a one-possession affair (63-60). NSU had a response, though, with a triple from the left corner.
The Miners tallied the next four points, including three straight free throws after Kaseem Watson, to come within two (66-64, 3:19, 2H). NSU got two free throws, but West Jr. matched those points with a transition layup as UTEP once again found itself down by just two (68-66, 1:28, 2H). The Miners then got a steal and a score to tie the tilt, with Blackwell finishing in transition. The Spartans split a pair of free throws on the next trip, taking a one-point edge (69-68) as result.
UTEP misfired on its next trip, and it was forced to foul. NSU made both to make it a three-point game (71-68) with 20 seconds remaining in regulation. After another missed shot, the Spartans got a much-needed insurance free throw. That allowed them to survive Blackwell’s trey with 0.9 seconds left.
UTEP will lock up with North Dakota State at 5 p.m. in the third/fourth-place game of the event on Monday. Jon Teicher (45th year) and Steve Yellen (23rd year) will be on the call on “The Home of UTEP Basketball” 600 ESPN El Paso and the UTEP Miners’ App. It will also be streamed on the Sun Bowl Association’s YouTube channel and broadcast locally on KFOX.
