EL PASO, Texas – The University of St. Thomas men's basketball team delivered a statement performance on the road, taking Division I UTEP to the wire before falling 84-83 in overtime during Wednesday night's exhibition matchup.

The Celts opened the first half with confidence and energy, quickly building a 12-6 lead behind strong defensive pressure and efficient scoring. Following a media timeout, UTEP regrouped, but UST responded with poise. Brennan Webb sparked momentum with a three-pointer, a midrange jumper, and another bucket that extended the Celts' lead to 19-11. The Miners later countered with a run highlighted by a dunk that tied the game at 21-21. With five minutes left in the half, Corey Thompson took over the scoring load, catching fire and finishing the half with 23 points. His surge pushed St. Thomas into the locker room with the lead at 41-30

The second half featured relentless back-and-forth action. UTEP chipped away, trimming the lead to 43-39 before both teams traded baskets. A late push by the Miners brought the score to 58-56, and missed opportunities from UST allowed UTEP to briefly take control at 61-57. The Celts answered with key points from Angel Johnson and Reyce Allen to tie the game at 63. In the final minutes, UST regained the edge at 72-69 with contributions from Allen and Thompson. But with eight seconds remaining, UTEP drew up a play and hit a three to force overtime, tying the game at 72.

In Overtime it was intensity and grit. UST jumped ahead ahead onthe Miner with a Thompson three and a fastbreak finish from Nathan Kongolo to lead 81-76. But UTEP responded with three-pointers and defensive possessions and layups.  A late free by Legborsi Mato  briefly put the Celts back on top, but the Miners scored on a tip-in in the final seconds to escape with the 84-83 win.

Stat Leaders
Corey Thompson led all scorers with 34 points on 10-of-21 shooting. Brennan Webb added 11 points, shooting 4-of-8 from the field and 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Angel Johnson contributed 11 points while going 2-of-2 from three and 4-of-4 from the line, adding 7 assists and 4 steals. Reyce Allen finished with 8 points and a team-high 7 rebounds.

Up Next
UST returns home to host Hardin-Simmons on Tuesday November 25 at 5 PM. Stay connected with UST basketball by following @ustmbasketball on Instagram or visiting ustcelts.com.