FACTS & STATS: Site: Don Haskins Center (12,000) -- El Paso, Texas. Television: HDNet. Home Record: OSU 13-7, UTEP 13-4. Away Record: OSU 4-10, UTEP 8-6. Neutral Record: OSU 0-1, UTEP 2-3. Conference Record: OSU 7-11, UTEP 10-6. Series Record: Series is tied, 2-2.

GAME NOTES: The CBI champion will be crowned at the Don Haskins Center tonight, as the Texas-El Paso Miners host the Oregon State Beavers in the rubber match of the three-game series.

OSU came out on top in the first game of this best-of-three championship series, notching a 75-69 decision in Corvallis on Monday night. The Miners, though returned the favor on Wednesday, capturing a 70-63 triumph in front of a sold out Haskins Center.

UTEP, representing Conference USA, has now won 23 games overall, including 13 at home, and that should give the team plenty of confidence tonight.

On the flip side, the Beavers sit at 17-18 overall and could earn a .500 finish with a win. That would be a remarkable feat for this Pac-10 program, which finished a dismal 6-25 overall just last season.

OSU worked its way into the finals of this tourney with wins over Houston, Vermont and Stanford, while UTEP bested Nevada, Northeastern and Richmond on its way here.

The all-time series between the Beavers and Miners is knotted at 2-2, with the teams last meeting in the 1980s prior to this event.

After shooting a sizzling 60.5 percent from the floor in the opening game on Monday, the Beavers fell off to just 43.6 percent on Wednesday, as UTEP knotted the series at a game apiece. OSU was also outscored at the foul line, 22-8, and it made just 7-of-26 shots from long range after going 8-of-15 in the first game. Roeland Schaftenaar paced the team in defeat with 17 points and eight boards, a nice follow-up to his 19-point, six-assist effort in the first game. Calvin Haynes chipped in with 10 points, while Seth Tarver hauled in 15 caroms. On the season, Haynes tops the roster in scoring at 13.3 ppg and he is a 36.4 percent shooter from three-point range. With his recent surge, Schaftenaar is now averaging 10.4 ppg and he will once again be counted on to produce in this critical game.

With their backs against the wall and trailing 35-30 at the break, the Miners went all out over the final 20 minutes, shooting 52.2 percent from the floor on their way to a 70-63 win over OSU on Wednesday night. UTEP also got to the foul line 26 mores times than the Beavers, helping it hold a 22-8 advantage in free-throw points. The Miners even did an outstanding job of protecting the ball, committing a mere two turnovers, their lowest in a game since 1984 against Wyoming (one). After posting 17 points and six boards in the opening game of this series, Stefon Jackson went off for 28 points and 10 rebounds in game two. Randy Culpepper tallied 17 points and Arnett Moultrie had a double- double consisting of 12 points and 11 boards. On Monday, Culpepper guided UTEP with 20 points, while Moultrie finished with 16 points and six boards. For the season, Jackson has clearly been the team's main threat and he is one of the elite scorers in the nation, averaging 24.5 ppg. Culpepper has provided a nice complement with 17.6 ppg, and Moultrie checks in with 8.5 ppg and a team-high 8.2 rpg.

Behind the support of the home crowd and another big game from the tandem of Jackson and Culpepper, expect the Miners to take the CBI title.

Predicted Outcome

Texas-El Paso 75, Oregon State 61