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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The University of Texas at El Paso men's basketball |
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| 6 | 7 | | team celebrated the 50th anniversary of its landmark national |
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| 7 | 8 | | championship win with a game against Western Kentucky University on |
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| 8 | 9 | | February 6, 2016; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, On March 19, 1966, The University of Texas at El |
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| 10 | 11 | | Paso, then known as Texas Western College, defeated the University |
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| 11 | 12 | | of Kentucky 72-65 in the finale of the NCAA tournament; at a time |
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| 12 | 13 | | when black athletes were woefully underrepresented in college |
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| 13 | 14 | | sports, Miners head coach Don Haskins started five African |
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| 14 | 15 | | Americans, something that had never been done in an NCAA |
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| 15 | 16 | | championship game; that historic contest, against an all-white team |
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| 16 | 17 | | that was ranked No. 1 in the nation, came at the height of the civil |
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| 17 | 18 | | rights era and called attention to the issue of segregation in |
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| 18 | 19 | | college basketball; the game also marks the only national |
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| 19 | 20 | | championship title ever won by a Division 1 men's college |
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| 20 | 21 | | basketball team in Texas; and |
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| 21 | 22 | | WHEREAS, In the anniversary matchup, UTEP beat Western |
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| 22 | 23 | | Kentucky 93-89 in overtime; significantly, the Hilltoppers had also |
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| 23 | 24 | | competed in the 1966 NCAA tournament, starting two African American |
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| 24 | 25 | | players; and |
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| 25 | 26 | | WHEREAS, The achievements realized by Coach Haskins and the |
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| 26 | 27 | | 1966 Miners team helped expand opportunities for players of every |
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| 27 | 28 | | race to excel based on their hard work, skill, and talent, and it is |
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| 28 | 29 | | indeed fitting that they be honored for their contributions to the |
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| 29 | 30 | | sport; now, therefore, be it |
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| 30 | 31 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 31 | 32 | | Legislature hereby commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1966 |
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| 32 | 33 | | NCAA national championship victory by The University of Texas at El |
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| 33 | 34 | | Paso men's basketball team and congratulate the 2016 team on its win |
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| 34 | 35 | | in the anniversary game; and, be it further |
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| 35 | 36 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 36 | 37 | | prepared for The University of Texas at El Paso men's basketball |
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| 37 | 38 | | team as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of |
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| 38 | 39 | | Representatives. |
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