For 54 years, the UTEP Miners sat alone as the only Division 1 basketball program in the state of Texas to win a National Championship. On Monday night, the Baylor Bears changed that with a dominating 86-70 win over the Gonzaga Zags, spoiling the hopes of loyal Miner fans that have a yearly ritual of rooting against all other state teams.
In the half a century since the Miners won the 1966 National Championship, only three other Texas teams have previously made it to the championship game. In 1983 the University of Houston Cougars and its team nicknamed “Phi Slama Jama” featuring Hall of Famers Akeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler were heavy favorites as a 31-2 No.