For a series that usually features competitive, close basketball games, the UTEP women have hit a run of success against their archrivals from New Mexico State.
The winning streak is now five straight against the Aggies, though the 71-65 game last season decided in the final minute is typical of how this series has gone.
What is different about Thursday night's game is that for the first time in that stretch, the first time in more than a decade really, the 2-6 Miners are a decided underdog against 6-3 New Mexico State.
A young, rebuilding UTEP team with one senior is facing an Aggie team coming off back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances that features four seniors and three juniors, the same number of upperclassmen as the Miners have freshmen.