LAS CRUCES, N.M. – They say victory is sweet, but revenge is sweeter.
 
After dropping a tight contest in El Paso three weeks ago, the NM State Aggies (3-2, 0-0 WAC) easily handled rival UTEP (5-2, 0-0 C-USA) in Las Cruces, 95-70. Anthony Roy led the way for the Aggies with 23 points, while Xavier Pinson (18), Issa Muhammad (15) and Deshawndre Washington (10) rounded out the double-digit scorers.
 
The Aggies controlled the game for much of the night, holding the lead for 36 minutes and 17 seconds of the 40-minute contest.
 
NM State's three-point defense was crucial in the outcome of this game, holding the Miners to 17% from distance while the Aggies posted a mark of 45%, including three apiece for Anthony Roy and Xavier Pinson.
 
FIRST HALF

• After a quick score by the Miners, NM State rattled off an eight-point swing to go up 8-2 thanks to a pair of baskets by Xavier Pinson and an Anthony Roy three-point play.
• A fastbreak bucket by former Aggie Mario McKinney Jr. put UTEP up (12-11), but this would be the last time the Miners had a lead in the game as a Kyle Feit triple gave the Aggies the advantage.
• UTEP would tie the game up at 16 with 11:05 remaining, but the Aggies responded by pouring in a 10-0 scoring run over the next 1:47 to post their first double-digit lead of the night (26-16).
• A defensive breakdown by the Miners gave Doctor Bradley a wide-open lane to power home a two-handed slam to put the Aggies up double-digits (39-29) with 2:25 left to go in the half.
• Bradley's dunk preceded Anthony Roy's second three-pointer in less than three minutes to give NM State a 13-point lead with 1:42 left to play.
• Xavier Pinson finished the first half with a putback layup just before the buzzer to put the Aggies up 44-31 at the break.
• Following the first 20 minutes, Roy's 15 points paced all scorers while the Aggies limited the Miners to 32 percent from the field. 

SECOND HALF

• The Aggies would keep their foot on the gas as they opened the second period on a 10-2 scoring run to take a 54-33 lead just 2:47 into the second half.
• The backcourt trio of Washington, Pinson and Gordon then helped the Aggies rattle off six unanswered points to claim a 22-point cushion with 12:30 to play.
• UTEP's first sign of life followed the Aggie run as they scored 15 of the ensuing 18 points to pull to within 11 points with just over eight minutes left on the clock.
• Defensive lapses were a theme for the Miners on Wednesday night and yet another mistake left Marchelus Avery wide open in the corner to end the UTEP run by knocking down a timely three-pointer.
• Avery's triple served as a catalyst for a seven-point Aggie burst that put the Crimson & White back ahead by 18 points (75-57) with 7:27 in the second half.
• This resistance to the Miners' second-half surge would prove to be the difference as NM State went on to turn in its largest margin of victory over the Miners since before VCRs were introduced. 

NUMBERS OF NOTE

• Anthony Roy finished with a career-high 23 points, pouring in a trio of triples and a perfect 6-6 from the line.
• Xavier Pinson recorded his fourth-straight game with double-digit points, finishing with 18 points on the night while adding four assists.
• Issa Muhammad posted his third double-digit scoring output of the season with 15 points. Muhammad also recorded eight rebounds and three steals.
• Washington's 10-point night marked the fourth time in the team's first five games that he finished with double-digits.
• The 25-point victory over the Miners was the biggest win for either side since January 20, 1968, when the Aggies routed the Miners 96-64 inside the Pan American Center.
• NM State's bench played a pivotal role in the win over UTEP, chipping in 36 points. This marks back-to-back games that the reserves scored 30 or more points.
• The Aggies were dialed in from the charity stripe – knocking down a season-high 23 free throws on 29 attempts.
• Wednesday also marked the best that the Aggies have shot from the field all season as they finished 30-of-52 from the floor to post a 57.7 shooting percentage.
• Once again, the Aggies defended the three-point arc extremely well as they limited UTEP to the same number of threes as they did in El Paso – three.