EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The New Mexico State University men’s basketball team opened Conference USA play with an impressive win on Sunday, Dec. 21, beating visiting Sam Houston 87-78 at the Pan American Center. New Mexico State is now 7-3 overall and 1-0 in CUSA. Sam Houston fell to 7-4 overall and 0-1 in […]
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The New Mexico State University men’s basketball team opened Conference USA play with an impressive win on Sunday, Dec. 21, beating visiting Sam Houston 87-78 at the Pan American Center.
New Mexico State is now 7-3 overall and 1-0 in CUSA. Sam Houston fell to 7-4 overall and 0-1 in CUSA.
After using a dominant first-half performance to build a 20-point advantage at the break, the Aggies withstood a second-half rally that saw the Bearkats trim the deficit to 10 before NM State responded with a run to pull away and seal the win.
NM State finished the afternoon shooting 51.5% from the field (35-68), while receiving a decisive lift from its bench, which outscored Sam Houston 46–17.
After Sam Houston briefly took an early 3–0 lead, the Aggies quickly took control of the game. NM State went on a 10–0 run in the opening minutes, sparked by five points from Jemel Jones, to set the tone for the remainder of the half.
Later, NM State pieced together another extended scoring surge that ballooned its advantage to 20 points. A three-pointer from Elijah Elliott in the closing seconds capped the half and sent NM State into the break with a 48–28 lead.
The Aggies’ depth proved pivotal throughout the opening 20 minutes, as the bench accounted for 30 first-half points.
Sam Houston showed resilience coming out of the break, trimming the Aggie lead to 10 midway through the second half.
The Aggies answered with an 8–0 run to re-establish some separation, halting the Bearkats’ momentum and pushing the lead back to a comfortable margin for the remainder of the contest as they would walk away with the win.
Off the bench, Elijah Elliott led all Aggies with 18 points, tying his season high. Jayland Randall followed with 16 points, his second-highest scoring total of the season. The duo has now combined to lead NM State in scoring off the bench for the second time this year.
The Aggies also received balanced contributions from the starting group, as Anthony Wrzeszcz and Jemel Jones each finished with 11 points to give NM State four players in double figures.
This win marks the third consecutive season the Aggies have opened league play with a victory, following last year’s conference-opening win against Sam Houston and a home victory versus UTEP during the 2023–24 season in head coach Jason Hooten’s first year.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
Category: General Sports
