Marshall faces UTEP in CUSA tourney

No. 11 seed UTEP (17-14, 8-10) vs. No. 6 seed Marshall (16-15, 10-8)

Conference USA Conference Tourney First Round, Ford Center at The Star, Frisco, Texas; Wednesday, 9 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: UTEP and Marshall are prepared to square off in the first round of the CUSA tourney. The only meeting between the teams this season came on Feb. 15, when the Thundering Herd outshot UTEP 42.4 percent to 35 percent and hit seven more 3-pointers on the way to a 10-point victory.

BIG MEN ON CAMPUS: Marshall’s Taevion Kinsey has averaged 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists while Jarrod West has put up 14.4 points, four rebounds and 4.1 assists. For the Miners, Bryson Williams has averaged 17.6 points and 7.1 rebounds while Souley Boum has put up 12.9 points.

FACILITATING THE OFFENSE: Daryl Edwards has made or assisted on 51 percent of all UTEP field goals over the last three games. Edwards has accounted for 30 field goals and eight assists in those games.

WINLESS WHEN: Marshall is 0-6 this year when it scores 66 points or fewer and 16-9 when it scores at least 67.

PERFECT WHEN: The Thundering Herd are 5-0 when at least five of their players score 10 or more points and 11-15 when any fewer than that achieve double-figures. The Miners are 10-0 when they score at least 71 points and 7-14 on the year when falling short of 71.

DID YOU KNOW: Marshall is ranked ninth in all of Division I with an average of 75.3 possessions per game. The fast-paced Thundering Herd have pushed that total to 77.8 possessions per game over their last five games.