GAME NOTES: The Marshall Thundering Herd continue to search for their first Conference USA win of the season, as they host the Texas-El Paso Miners at the Cam Henderson Center on Saturday afternoon.

UTEP is hoping to bounce back after falling into a tie for fourth place in the C-USA standings on Thursday with a 71-66 overtime loss at Western Kentucky. The setback put the Miners two games behind the league-leading Hilltoppers. Coach Tim Floyd's team nearly defeated WKU despite finishing 0-of-17 from 3- point range and 12-of-24 at the free-throw line. As per usual, the Miners used a balanced attack with five players scoring in double figures. Vince Hunter recorded a double-double with 13 points and 13 boards, while Cedrick Lang netted a team-high 14 points.

Hunter is trying to become the 13th player in C-USA history to average a double-double, as he comes into Saturday's contest scoring 15.9 points and grabbing 10.2 caroms per contest. The sophomore forward is ranked eighth nationally with 11 double-doubles. Junior guard Earvin Morris chimes in with 10.7 ppg, while Lang helps out with 10.3 points and 6.1 boards per tilt. Julian Washburn, who leads the team with 74 career double-digit scoring games, had 12 points on 6-of-14 shooting from the floor the last time out. The Miners have performed well away from home, winning 12 of their last 14 C-USA road games. During that stretch, UTEP has limited the opposition to 58.6 pg on 37.2 percent efficiency from the floor. Hunter has connected on 60.2 percent of his field goal tries in his 12 C-USA road appearances.

The Miners are 9-2 versus Marshall all-time, which includes a 3-1 record at the Cam Henderson Center.

Marshall endured its ninth consecutive setback on Thursday when it dropped an 82-68 decision to Texas-San Antonio at home. The loss lowered coach Dan D'Antoni's team to 4-15 overall, which includes an 0-6 mark in C-USA play. The Thundering Herd have defeated only two Division I opponents this season. They are ranked near the bottom of the conference in scoring margin, having been outscored by an average of 5.7 ppg.

Marshall struggled offensively against the Roadrunners, hitting just 38.1 percent of its shots from the floor and 7-of-27 beyond the arc. The Herd also committed 16 turnovers and 28 personal fouls. Sophomore forward Ryan Taylor spearheaded the charge for Marshall with 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Austin Loop had 12 points and three steals. D'Antoni's squad is led by Taylor's 14.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. The Thundering Herd are averaging 66.2 ppg and they are shooting 38.6 percent from the field, making them the only C-USA program with a field goal percentage lower than .400. Loop is second on the team in scoring with 11.1 ppg, while Aleska Nikolic leads the team with 71 assists.

The Herd have shown flashes of potential this season, but they are very inconsistent and clearly have plenty more rebuilding to do. UTEP should have no problem picking up its fifth C-USA win, especially since it has multiple players capable of effectively defending Taylor.