March 12, 2008
Season Stats in PDF Format 
Box Score vs. UTEP in PDF Format
Quotes | Notes | Photo Gallery 
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Randy Culpepper scored 25 points, matching a UTEP record of seven 3-pointers, to lead the Miners to a 71-49 victory over SMU in Wednesday's opening round of the Conference USA tournament. Bamba Fall scored 13 to lead SMU while Jon Killen added 10 points and nine assists.
Culpepper, who averages 12.4 points a game, fell one short of the C-USA tournament record for 3s. His trio of shots outside the arc in the middle stages of the second half built the UTEP lead to 17. The Miners (18-12) will face third-seeded Houston in the quarterfinals Thursday.
Seniors Jon Killen, Derrick Roberts and Paulius Ritter played their last game for the Mustangs. Killen finished in the top ten at SMU for career steals (8th at 144), career 3-pointers (8th at 119) and career assists (10th at 371). He is one of three Mustangs to be in the top ten in all three categories, joining Jeryl Sasser and Bryan Hopkins. Sasser is 3rd in assists (469), 4th in steals (197), and 6th in 3FG (133). Hopkins is 1st in steals (225), and 2nd in 3FG (256), 8th in assists (396). Killen's nine assists were two off the Conference USA Tournament record. His 154 assists for the season are the 13th-most in a year at SMU.
Roberts finishes with 985 points in his career after scoring eight in the tournament game. He his 2-of-6 from 3-point range and finishes at 33.6 percent for his career from long range. That ranks 13th at SMU.
Ritter scored six points in the game and finishes with 25 points over his final four games, including a career-high nine against UTEP on March 1.
Bamba Fall's team-leading 13 points made it 22 double-figure outings for the season. He had just 10 in his first two seasons combined.
No. 6 seed UTEP scored the first six points and never trailed. The Miners closed the half with a 13-5 rally sending them to intermission with a 37-22 lead. Culpepper, who hit four of his first five shots, already had three field goals from outside the arc at the break, leading the way with 11 points.
The Mustangs were stymied by 33 percent shooting in the half and 13 turnovers.
Marvin Kilgore had 14 points for UTEP. Stefon Jackson, the Miners' leading scorer at 24.4 points a game, was held to 10 on 4-of-12 shooting as SMU focused on shutting him down with a variety of defenses.
