Box Score

EL PASO, Texas – Houston Baptist freshman guard Caleb Crayton scored a career-high 14 points, grabbed six rebounds and three steals, but the Huskies dropped a 72-44 decision to UTEP Monday night at the Don Haskins Center.
 
Crayton went 7-of-10 from the field for the Huskies (4-13). Senior forward Art Bernardi shot 4-of-13, scored all 10 of his points in the second half and tied for the team lead with six boards. Freshman guard Rob Lewis scored seven points and handed out three assists.
 
Konner Tucker scored 12 points to lead UTEP, while Julian Washburn and Cedrick Lang added 11 points each. C.J. Cooper and John Bohannon had nine points apiece and McKenzie Moore led the Miners with eight rebounds to go with eight points.
 
UTEP shot 44 percent from the field for the game, 6-of-16 from 3-point range and 18-for-25 from the free-throw line. HBU shot 32 percent from the floor, 2-of-12 from behind the arc, and 4-of-11 from the free-throw line. The Miners outrebounded the Huskies, 43-37, and won the turnover battle, 13-11.
 
The Miners took an early 15-8 lead behind six points from Washburn, then went up 20-10 after a jumper off the glass by John Bohannon and a 3-pointer from Tucker. HBU got a pair of jumpers from Crayton and a layup from Lewis to outscore UTEP, 6-1, and cut the deficit to 23-19 with 4:37 left.
 
Washburn hit a three, then Lang made three free throws over the final 2:08 to give the Miners a 31-21 lead at halftime. Crayton led HBU with eight points in the half as five freshmen accounted for all 21 Husky points. Washburn and Lang had nine points each for UTEP.
 
The Miners shot 43 percent from the field in the first half, while the Huskies shot 38 percent. UTEP went 8-for-13 from the free-throw line, while HBU went 0-for-2 from the stripe and did not have an attempt until 27 seconds remained in the half.
 
Crayton opened the second half with a jumper for the Huskies, but the Miners scored eight-straight to take a 39-23 lead. Bernardi  converted a three-point play, then Lewis made a steal and passed ahead to sophomore guard Marcel Smith to make it an 11-point game with 16:06 left.
 
HBU would get no closer as UTEP scored nine of the next 10 points to take a 19-point lead with 10:43 remaining. The final margin was the Miners' largest lead of the game.
 
HBU wraps up this four-game road swing with a league matchup against Chicago State Saturday in Chicago, followed by a non-conference game at UMKC Tuesday, Jan. 22 in Kansas City, Mo.