EL PASO, Texas (AP) Keonte Kennedy tossed in 22 points, Souley Boum scored 20 and UTEP breezed past Western Illinois 80-54 in the first round of The Basketball Classic on Saturday.

Jamari Sibley added 11 points for the Miners (20-13). Tydus Verhoeven scored 10.

Western Illinois totaled 21 points in the first half, a season low for the team.

Tamell Pearson had 15 points to lead the Leathernecks (16-16). Will Carius added 13 points and Cameron Burrell scored 10.

---

For more AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and http://twitter.com/AP-Top25

---

Portions of this story were generated by Automated Insights, http://www.automatedinsights.com/ap, using data from STATS LLC, https://www.stats.com

Copyright 2025 STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.