by LONG BEACH, Calif. – The New Mexico State women’s basketball team was down by as many as 19 with under 17 minutes left in their matchup with Pacific on Friday, rallied to cut the lead to as little as three with under three minutes left, but eventually lost to the Tigers, 67-62, during the first day of the Beach Classic hosted by Long Beach State.
The Aggies (4-6) allowed a 19-0 Pacific (8-2) run in the first half to fall in a deep hole. But 14-straight NM State points late in the game cut the Tiger lead to three with just over two minutes left in the contest. After a Pacific bucket, two Brianna Freeman free throws once again cut the lead to three at 65-62 with 55.1 seconds left in the matchup.
It seemed as though the Aggies were going to get a chance to tie the game or at least come to within a single point after what seemed to be a clear traveling violation on the Tigers’ ensuing possession. But NM State did not get the call and Pacific would go on to mark the final basket of the game to hold on to the five-point win.
The Aggies lose for the first time in five games and first time in December after allowing season highs in shooting percentage (51.9) and 3-point shooting percentage (52.6).
The Tigers came into the game only shooting 29 percent from beyond the arc on the season and had gone 7-of-51 from 3-point land during their previous two games combined. On Friday night, however, they sank 10-of-19 shots from 3-point range.
“I’m proud of my kids, this team (Pacific) is one of the favorites to win the West Coast Conference but my young group came out and battled,” Aggie head coach Mark Trakh said, “but they can’t wait a half to get started. I thought the team did a really good job of fighting back, we shouldn’t have put ourselves in that position, but we competed in the second half. We’re doing a good job, we’re improving with these young kids, I’m proud of the effort, but no more moral victories, we got to start winning these games.”
Juniors Sasha Weber and Abby Scott (Warm Springs tribe) both finished with 13 points to lead NM State, while freshman Zaire Williams adds another 11 points. Weber also led the team with eight rebounds.
The Aggies started the game shooting well, sinking three of their first five shots to take an early 7-6 lead, but it would turn out to be NM State’s only lead of the entire game. Things quickly turned for the Aggies as they would not find the bottom of the net for the next seven and a half minutes.
Pacific embarked on a 19-0 run over that span that gave the Tigers a commanding 25-7 lead with 11:29 left in the first half. A Weber bucket finally broke the run with just over 10 minutes left in the half.
NM State attempted to get back in the game, a couple of Moriah Mack buckets began an 11-3 Aggie rally that cut the lead down to 11 at 31-20 with just under three minutes left in the opening half.
NM State, however, would only score three more points in those final minutes as Pacific held a 15-point lead, 38-23, at the half.
The Aggies allowed the Tigers to shoot over 50 percent in the half. Pacific also sank 8-of-12 3-pointers in the opening frame en route to its double-digit halftime lead.
With 16:53 remaining in the game, the NM State deficit once again grew to its biggest of the game, 19 points at 45-26. The Aggies would keep on fighting, however, once again cutting the lead down to 11 with just under 13 minutes left. But NM State just could not get the lead to single digits as they saw Pacific once again extend the lead to as many as 18.
But again, the young Aggies continued to fight and soldier on, and with 6:43 left and the Tiger lead at 63-46, NM State embarked on its 14-point run to cut the lead to three in the waning moments. Unfortunately, it would be too little too late for the Aggies.
NM State now quickly turns around and plays Florida Atlantic on Saturday during the second and final day of the Beach Classic. The Owls also fell on Friday, losing to host Long Beach State, 85-60, to fall to 5-4 on the season.
Saturday’s game is set for a 4 p.m. (MT) start and will air live over the Las Cruces airwaves on AM 570 with Adam Young on the call.
