HOUSTON (AP) — Randy Culpepper scored 18 points and Julyan Stone had four crucial points in the final minute to help UTEP defeat Houston 57-52 Saturday night.
Jeremy Williams added 15 points for the Miners (16-4, 4-1 Conference USA), and Stone also had 14 rebounds.
Adam Brown scored 22 points and Kirk Van Slyke 12 for the Cougars (11-7, 3-2), who had their three-game winning streak snapped.
UTEP trailed 50-49 before Williams hit two free throws with 1:54 to play to put the Miners up by one. Stone then added a 3-pointer with 19 seconds remaining and a free throw 13 seconds later, and UTEP held on to win its third straight and for the seventh time in eight games.
Houston took a 29-28 lead into halftime, and neither team led by more than four in the second half until Stone’s free throw made it 55-50.
