HUNTINGTON -- UTEP is trying to keep pace with SMU in the Conference USA women's basketball race and visits Marshall University for a 7 p.m., Thursday, game in Cam Henderson Center.

SMU leads the conference standings at 9-0 followed by UTEP, Tulane and East Carolina all at 6-3. Marshall sits last in the 12-team conference at 1-8.

UTEP has an 18-4 season record and is the defending conference season and tournament champion.

The Miners are the top rebounding team in the C-USA with a plus-8.0 margin and are led on the boards by 5-foot-10 sophomore Chrishauna Parker who is tied for second in the conference with 8.9 per game. Kayla Thornton, a 6-1 senior, averages 8.3 rebounds and 6-2 senior Anete Steinberga gets 7.2.

Thornton also leads the Miners in scoring (15.0); Steinberga averages 14.1, Parker 9.6 and 5-6 senior Kelli Willingham 9.0.

Parker is one of the league's best shooters at 51.8 percent. Willingham is a 3-point shooter making 35.4 percent.

Steinberga posted a double-double with 17 points and 16 rebounds Sunday in a 60-55 victory over Southern Miss. The Miners trailed by seven with less than two minutes to go.

Marshall 5-10 junior Suporia Dickens had 12 points and 11 rebounds Sunday in a loss at SMU, 67-50. Chuckwuka Ezeigbo added 12 points with nine rebounds and 5-9 junior Erica Woods scored 10.

The Thundering Herd is last in C-USA scoring with a 54.6 average and led by 5-9 sophomore Shay Weaver with 9.5 a game. Weaver is shooting 35.3 percent (53 of 150) on 3-point attempts while making 2.4 per contest.

Ezeigbo, a 6-3 sophomore, averages 8.5 points as a 51.5 percent shooter and 6.4 rebounds

Norrisha Victrum, a 5-5 freshman, averages 7.5 points, Dickens 6.9 and Woods 6.5.

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