EL PASO, Texas — The UTEP women started the 2026-27 season by topping 100 points, beating Western New Mexico 100-64 Monday night on their home floor in El Paso.
Seven Miners finished in double figures. Zainab Olalekan led the way in her first game for UTEP with 19 points and seven rebounds. Krista Lukasevica, playing her first college game, scored 14 with five rebounds, and Tatiana Collazo had 13. Four more players, Woldai, João, Warren and Moses Amaniyo, each finished with exactly 10, and no Miner who played was held scoreless.
UTEP made 39 of 65 shots, a 60% clip, while holding the Mustangs to 35.3%. The Miners also pulled down 43 rebounds, handed out 19 assists and came up with 19 steals. Western New Mexico shot better from 3-point range and at the line.
The start was lopsided. A 14-0 run put UTEP ahead 18-4 in the first quarter, with Olalekan scoring 10 points in the period. The Mustangs answered, closed to 21-17 by the end of the quarter and tied it at 21 early in the second. Warren then scored seven points in a row during a 12-0 UTEP surge, and the Miners led 45-34 at the half.
The second half belonged to UTEP, which outscored Western New Mexico 55-30. Collazo scored 10 points in the third quarter as the lead grew to 74-50, and the margin later reached 36. Freshman Apostolia Zormpala reached the century mark with a putback with 42 seconds to play.
Tess Taylor and Jordan Sapien each scored 20 for Western New Mexico. It was the second season in a row UTEP hit 100 points; UTEP last did it on Dec. 29, 2025, when it beat the University of the Southwest 102-43.
Next up is Incarnate Word, which visits the Don Haskins Center on Saturday, Nov. 7. The game starts at 1 p.m. Mountain time.
Section: More El Paso TX sports news
Filed under: El Paso TX Sports News
