HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (Interstat) — A spot in the Conference USA women’s basketball tournament semifinals is on the line Tuesday when seed Jacksonville State faces seed UTEP at Propst Arena. The Gamecocks (15-15) and Miners (13-16) split their regular-season series, each winning on their home floor. Jacksonville State rolled to a 73-60 victory on Jan. 24, but UTEP answered with a 66-64 win in El Paso on Feb. 26. That recent result ensures this championship opener carries a palpable revenge factor. Both teams enter having snapped losing streaks in their regular-season finales. Jacksonville State ended a two-game skid with a 70-62 overtime win against Kennesaw State on Saturday. UTEP fell 91-87 in overtime at Louisiana Tech the same day, but showed potent offense after being held under 60 points in its two prior games. The matchup features two of the league’s top scorers in UTEP’s Ivane Tensaie and Jacksonville State’s Kyera Thornsbury. Tensaie is coming off a career-high 26-point performance in 42 minutes against Louisiana Tech. The guard has scored in double figures in six of her last seven games. Thornsbury was instrumental in the Gamecocks’ last win, erupting for 26 points against Kennesaw State. However, she was held to just one point in 16 minutes in the loss at UTEP last month, a subpar performance she will be eager to rectify. UTEP’s path has been inconsistent, with its win over Jacksonville State representing one of only two victories in its last seven games. The Miners will need another strong showing from Portia Adams, who had 23 points and six assists Saturday, to complement Tensaie. Jacksonville State has found success with defense, holding opponents to 38 and 62 points in its last two wins. Containing UTEP’s backcourt will be critical. The winner advances to face seed Middle Tennessee in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. EDT.