The UTEP Miners played spirited, and gritty in stretches, but it wasn't enough to slow down Ian Baker who dropped a career high 26 points to sweep the Battle of I-10 in a 73-53 drubbing.
UTEP scored on just 38.5 percent of their 67 total possessions, and shot 34.5 percent from the field to mark UTEP's fourth straight loss once the calender flipped to December.
Pascal Siakam added 14 points, and 10 rebounds, while Jalyn Pennie chipped in 14 points, and eight rebounds for NMSU who shot 49 percent from the field, and outscored UTEP 18-12 in the paint in the second half.