EL PASO, Texas -- The books took a back seat to basket on UTEP’s campus Thursday night as fans watched the UTEP Miners defeat the UCF Knights 76 to 54.

Fans cheered as UTEP started with a commanding lead over UCF in the first half of the Conference USA basketball tournament in Tulsa, Okla.

“That’s going to be huge, I’m really glad we’re getting this type of exposure for the school, so that people don’t think of UTEP as like some joke school of the UT system,” said UTEP student Justine Lopez.

A win Thursday night will help give UTEP a better chance of advancing to the NCAA Tournament, also known as the biggest dance in college basketball.

Friday the Miner's take on Tulsa.

“It’s a great time to be a Miner,” said Alejandro Munoz, president of UTEP’s Student Government Association.

And for other teams, UTEP fans have a warning.

“UTEP is a threat to everybody else. UTEP is here to stay and you better watch your back,” said Lopez.