The News staff report

UTEP coach Tim Floyd apparently had enough.

Following Lamar’s 66-52 win in El Paso on Monday, the longtime Miners’ head coach resigned following the defeat, according to an El Paso TV station. Assistant coach Bobby Braswell announced Floyd’s resignation during the Miners’ postgame conference, according to CBS affiliate KDBC.

Lamar (5-1), meanwhile, equaled its best start since the 2008-09 season behind double-doubles from Zjori Bosha and Josh Nzeakor. Bosha finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Nzeakor had 15 points and 12 rebounds.

The Cardinals made 23 of 59 from the floor (39 percent) but sank 9 of 18 three-point attempts. They held the Miners (1-5), however, to 21-of-63 shooting (33.3 percent), including 7 of 26 (26.9 percent) from the arc.

“At the end of the day, we held them to 32 percent from the field in the opening half and just 33 percent for the game,” Lamar coach Tic Price said in a news release. “We always try to play the percentages on defense and that is where we want to hold opponents. I’m most proud of Zjori Bosha’s performance on defense. Keith Frazier is a big-time scorer and Zjori held him to four points on 2-of-10 shooting. I’m real happy for these guys tonight.”

Frazier made only 2 of 10 from the floor.

Lamar jumped to a 13-0 lead, keeping UTEP scoreless until the 16:45 mark of the first half. The Cardinals were ahead by as many as 22 points before UTEP went on a 9-2 run to trim the edge to 59-46 with 3:14 left.

Joey Frenchwood and Colton Weisbrod scored 12 and 11 points, respectively, for Lamar. Trey Wade led UTEP with 13 points and five rebounds off the bench.

Floyd’s abrupt resignation ends a seven-year stay with the Miners, and it came on the day Jim Senter was announced as UTEP’s athletic director.

A reporter for KDBC quoted Floyd on Twitter as saying: “It’s time. It’s time for somebody else… I hate it but it’s something I’ve been fighting for some time.”

In three decades as a college and NBA head coach, Floyd won an American South Conference tournament and Sun Belt Conference regular season title with New Orleans, the final Big Eight tournament championship with Iowa State and a Pac-10 (now Pac-12) tournament with Southern California. Floyd also coached the Chicago Bulls and the New Orleans Hornets.

He left New Orleans for Iowa State in 1994. Price was elevated to Privateers’ head coach later that year after recently hired Tommy Joe Eagles died.

The Cardinals will play at Coastal Carolina at 6 p.m. Saturday. Lamar beat Coastal 66-60 on Nov. 14.