Hawai'i, down by eight at halftime, stormed back behind the hot hand of senior guard Jake Sottos, taking a nine-point lead just a little more than five minutes into the second half. But the 'Bows again faltered down the stretch, as a crucial foul by sophomore guard Matt Gibson on a 3-point attempt by UTEP's Miguel Ayala allowed the Miners to cut the deficit to 70-69 with 1:10 remaining.

Another Hawai'i foul with 5.1 seconds remaining gave UTEP's Omar Thomas a chance to sink two free throws for the margin of victory as the Miners improved to 15-3 and 5-1.

Another game, another heartbreaking, gut-wrenching loss.

"When you put the other team on the free-throw line 38 times and you only shoot 13, you're going to get beat," Hawai'i head coach Riley Wallace said after the Miners made 30 of 38 to UH's 8 of 13. "And that's what happened tonight. They make their free throws. They're one of the best free-throw shooting teams in the country. We played too much with our hands and not our heads and our feet defensively. And they called it prtty tight that way."

The 'Bows were led by Sottos, who shot 7 for 7 from the field, and set a school record for 3-point percentage by going 6 for 6 from long range.

Also big was junior forward Julian Sensley, who had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

But in the end, Hawai'i was cursed by needless fouls.

"That's four losses within three points," Sottos said, shaking his head. "We don't know what to think right now. We just have to keep battling."

Early on, it didn't appear Hawai'i would even get a chance to make it a close game.

The Miners took control in the first half behind senior guard Filiberto Rivera, who finished the game with 18 points and eight assists, and senior forward Thomas, who finished with 18 points and 15 rebounds. The 'Bows' defense appeared nonexistent as the Miners led by as much as 13 points.

Junior point guard Deonte Tatum's air-balled free throw was a microcosm of the first half for Hawai'i. UTEP led 45-37 at halftime.

Then things changed.

Hawai'i picked it up on defense and forced UTEP into mistakes. A missed free throw here and a charge there and, suddenly, the 'Bows had a 68-64 lead with 3:51 to go.

"We weren't trailing that bad," Sensley said. "We just wanted to pound the ball inside and try to get good shots, and we were able to do that."

Wallace said: "We tightened up our defense and got away with some of our hands, because we jarred some passes. Then this great crowd they have down here started officiating and the officials listened to them and started calling all those possible fouls. I would say they have the best referees in the stands at UTEP."

Gibson's foul on Ayala was the beginning of the end for Hawai'i. Ayala, a deadly 3-point shooter, hit two of three.

Hawai'i got the ball back with 58 seconds remaining, but Jeff Blackett missed a jumper. The Miners got the rebound, and Tatum fouled Thomas, who calmly stepped up and nailed the go-ahead free throws.

Hawai'i had one more chance, but Tatum's desperation shot was an air ball.

"We were afraid of the start of the game because it always gets us here," Wallace said. "We struggled a little bit. We came in early to try and get adjusted to the dry air and the altitude that always affects us coming out of sea level. They still got us. We still were sluggish."

Wallace said he used a different lineup in the second half because of Sottos' hot hand.

"(Sottos) didn't miss a shot," he said. "He should've had that last shot, but (Tatum) didn't see him."

Sottos started the second half, but had to leave the game briefly with what was later diagnosed as a sprained right foot.

Wallace said the 'Bows need improved guard play to start winning the close games.

"Decision-making and ball-handling and defense at the guard position," he said. "And they are getting better. But they're still making some of the same mistakes. We fouled a 3-point shooter. And even if it wasn't a foul — (Gibson) said he got ball — you don't put your hands in there to give the official a chance to make the call."

Sensley added: "We're just not executing when the game starts to get into crunch time. We tend to fold. I don't know if it's people getting nervous or what it may be. We just have to learn how to execute and close out when it comes to close games."