UTEP 70, East Carolina 56

Jan 18, 2012, 11:48 pm

EL PASO, Texas -- John Bohannon had 17 points and 14 rebounds and UTEP closed the game on an 18-6 run Wednesday night to defeat East Carolina 70-56.

The Miners (10-9, 3-2 Conference USA) led 52-50 with 8:25 left in the game, but pulled away when East Carolina missed all eight of its 3-point attempts, was 2 for 12 overall from the field and committed two turnovers down the stretch.

Gabriel McCulley added 16 points for UTEP, which shot 52 percent from the field and outrebounded the Pirates 39-19. Julian Washburn had 12 points and Michael Perez 10.

Maurice Kemp and Miguel Paul each had 14 points, and Darrius Morrow added 12 for East Carolina (9-8, 0-4), which has lost four straight.

The Pirates held brief leads on three occasions against UTEP -- at 7-6, 42-41 and 45-43 -- marking the first times at any point in the last four games they have been ahead on the scoreboard.