El Moutaouakkil’s Buzzer Beater Lifts Gamecocks Past UTEP

Saturday, March 7

El Paso, Texas

2 PM

Jax State

15-16,10-10CUSA

UTEP

11-20,7-13CUSA

Team	1	2	F
Jacksonville St.	32	32	64
UTEP	29	32	61

3/7/2026 6:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

EL PASO, Texas—Conference USA's leading scorer converted a 3-pointer from the corner at the buzzer to give his team a 64-61 win over UTEP on Saturday at the Don Haskins Center.

After falling behind 39-36 at the 15:17 mark of the second, Jax State responded with the next 14 points of the game to take a 50-39 advantage on a free throw by Emondrek Erkins-Ford with 9:33 left. In total, the Miners were held scoreless for 6:26 until splitting a pair of free throws with 8:51 to play.

El Moutaouakkil immediately ripped through the lane to convert a layup to put Jax State up 12. UTEP was able to cut it to 3 with a 9-0 run when they held the Gamecocks scoreless for four-and-a-half minutes until Jamar Franklin buried a triple from the left wing with 3:46 left.

The senior finished with a game-high 23 points and a team-best seven rebounds.

UTEP forced a turnover with 1:54 left down 56-55 but then committed a turnover of their own. The Gamecocks took advantage when El Moutaouakkil converted a 3-pointer at the top of the key with 93 seconds left to go up four.

After Jacoby Hill split a pair of free throws with 20 seconds left to give the Gamecocks a 61-59 advantage, Jamal West converted a pair of free throws to tie the game and set the stage for El Moutaouakkil.

"I wasn't afraid he was going to hold it, I was just hoping he was going to make it," said cocah Ray Harper of El Moutaouakkil's shot. "I knew what direction it was headed."

Hill finished in double figures for the second straight game with 11 points and five rebounds.

Eight first half turnovers were a concern, but they only led to six UTEP points. The Miners were successful on four 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes, but did so on 12 attempts.

"I thought we hung in there," said Harper of the first half. "We had too many turnovers but we fought through it and got a good road win to end the season."

The Gamecocks committed 15 total turnovers which led to 11 UTEP points.

Jax State will play on Tuesday in the first round of the 2026 Air National Guard Conference USA Basketball Tournament.