JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Interstat) — A dominant first-half performance propelled the William & Mary Tribe to a 74-63 victory over the UTEP Miners in a non-conference men’s basketball game Monday at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.

The Tribe established control early, opening the game on a 17-0 run and holding the Miners scoreless for nearly the first six and a half minutes of play. William & Mary’s defense was suffocating in the opening period, forcing 10 UTEP turnovers and converting them into 12 points to build a commanding 35-23 lead by halftime.

Reese Miller and Kyle Pulliam led the offensive charge for William & Mary, each scoring 16 points. Miller, a guard from Round Rock, Texas, added three rebounds and three assists in 24 minutes, while Pulliam, from Silver Spring, Maryland, contributed five rebounds.

UTEP emerged from the locker room with renewed energy, outscoring the Tribe 40-39 in the second half. The Miners chipped away at the deficit, multiple times cutting the lead to single digits, but could never fully recover from their initial offensive woes.

Caleb Blackwell led the Miners’ second-half push, finishing with a team-high 13 points. Cassius Brooks added 11 points and five rebounds, while Elijah Jones and Jamal West each scored 10 points. Jones and West also pulled down five rebounds apiece.

Despite the Miners’ improved second-half shooting, William & Mary consistently answered every run. The Tribe’s ability to capitalize on mistakes was a key difference, as they outscored UTEP 21-15 in points off turnovers. The teams were even in the paint with 32 points each, but William & Mary’s bench outscored UTEP’s reserves.

Kilian Brockhoff provided a strong interior presence for the Tribe, scoring six points, grabbing six rebounds, and recording two blocks. Chase Lowe added nine points and two assists.

With the win, William & Mary improved its season record to 5-2. The Tribe will look to continue their momentum Tuesday against Abilene Christian, also in Jacksonville.

UTEP fell to 3-3 with the loss. The Miners will also remain in Jacksonville for their next contest, facing UAB on Tuesday. The game was part of a multi-team event hosted at the neutral site venue, which saw an announced attendance of 246.