Marshall University’s women’s basketball team (15-6) handed the University of Texas at El Paso (18-2) its first Conference USA loss of the season Thursday at the Cam Henderson Center.

The Herd defeated the Miners, 79-64, and improved its conference record to 5-5.

The Miners came into the game after receiving 29 points in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll

“I think this is a name-win for Marshall,” head coach Matt Daniel said. “The program is headed in the right direction.” 

The Herd took control of the game early and led by eight points going into the second quarter.

During the second quarter, technical fouls were called on each teams’ point guards after an altercation between the Herd’s Norrisha Victrum and the Miners’ Starr Breedlove.

“UTEP was playing kind of scrappy, but [Norrisha] bounced back,” senior Leah Scott said. “We were all like, ‘Oh it’s that type of game. Okay, let’s go.’” 

Scott was the game’s leading scorer with 26 points. Senior Teliqua Hamilton and freshman Shayna Gore chipped in with 15 points and 14 points, respectively.

Daniel said Gore, who sat out the team’s last game against the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has the potential to be one of the best players to ever play at Marshall.

Gore said the game off turned out to be beneficial to her.

“It definitely got my mind right because that was the first game I ever had to sit out,” Gore said. “And it did teach me a lesson.”

Marshall returns to the Cam Henderson 1 p.m. Saturday to face the University of Texas at San Antonio (7-12).

Danielle Wright can be contacted at [email protected].