SEATTLE – The NM State women's basketball program nearly pulled off a stunning victory as they scored nine points in the final 30 seconds of play to force the contest into overtime. However, the Redhawks used a 13-0 run in extra time to collect the 81-73 win.

The Aggies were led in the scoring column by Bigue Sarr for the eighth time this season as the graduate student scored 22 points while also pulling down 13 rebounds to record her sixth double-double of the season. Soufia Inoussa and Molly Kaiser also entered double-digits as Inoussa finished with 13 points and six rebounds while Kaiser posted 11 points.
 
With the help of Sarr's 13 board, the Aggies dominated the glass as they outrebounded the Redhawks 45-32. They also led in the category of second-chance points as they got 18 points of second opportunities compared to the Redhawks' nine.
 
FIRST QUARTER
· The Aggies began the game with a new-look starting lineup as Moe Shida began at the point guard position. The South Georgia Tech transfer made an immediate impact as she knock down the first three-pointer of her season to start the scoring for both sides and give the Aggies an early lead.
· Seattle U quickly responded as they scored the next five points before a jumper fell from the hands of Tayelin Grays to even the score a five apiece with 8:29 to play in the opening period.
· The Aggies' next field goal came in the form of a three-pointer as Jade Bradley found Soufia Inoussa for the triple to put the Aggies up 10-7 at the 6:30 mark.
· The Redhawks then went on a pair of four-point scoring runs split by three Aggie free throws to cut the Aggie lead to two points upon the end of the first quarter.
 
SECOND QUARTER
· The Redhawks came out firing in the second quarter as Bree Calhoun knocked down a three-pointer at the 8:42 mark to give SU its second lead of the contest.
· NM State immediately regained the lead as Fama Thiam came off the bench to hit a three-pointer on the following possession, putting the Aggies ahead by two.
· About a minute later, mid-range specialist Molly Kaiser hit a jumper from the left baseline to give the Aggies a 22-18 lead with 7:26 remaining.
· Unfortunately, the Aggies then went on a dry spell as Seattle U outscored the Aggies 12-2 over the next 5:21 with Jade Bradley scoring the lone Aggie bucket.
· Bigue Sarr would then score her first field goal of the game when she scored with just under a minute left in the first half to cut the lead to just four points before Seattle U scored once more before the quarter ran out and gave the Redhawks a 32-26 lead at the break.
 
THIRD QUARTER
· Sarr picked up right where she left off in the second quarter as she began to take over down low in the third quarter.
· In total, the Dakar, Senegal, native scored 15 of the Aggies' 17 third-quarter points with eight points coming from the free-throw line.
· Sarr outscored the Redhawks alone 6-5 in the first five minutes of game time in the third quarter as she knocked down four free throws and hit a layup.
· The next six combined points for the two sides would also come from the charity stripe as Sarr knocked down three and the Redhawks got three from the combo of Vice-Neat and Clark.
· Isbell was one of the other two Aggies to score in the third quarter as she knocked down a free throw at the 3:26 mark.
· Later in the quarter, Sarr scored three the old-fashioned way when she got a layup to fall through contact and put the score at 40-45 with just under two minutes remaining.
· Sarr also scored the next two points to help the Aggies rattle off a 5-0 scoring run and cut the deficit to just three points.
· In total, exactly half of the total points scored in the three quarter came from the free-throw line as the Redhawks and Aggies combined for 16 made free throws in the period.
· Entering the final 10 minutes of play, the Aggies would find themselves trailing, 43-47.
 
FOURTH QUARTER
· After a Williams layup for the Redhawks got the scoring going in the fourth, Mel Isbell and Molly Kaiser each knocked down three-pointers to help the Aggies go on a 6-2 run to come within two points of the opposing Redhawks.
· The next 4:03 of play was perfectly even as both teams scored seven points and put the score at 58-56 in favor of the Redhawks with just 3:46 to play in regulation.
· The following three minutes went the way of Seattle U as they outscored NM State 8-3 and took a commanding 66-59 lead with just 36 seconds of play.
· However, the next 30 seconds to the Aggies needed it with Brooke Atkinson's team making every play it needed to make to have a shot at winning the contest.
· With 30 seconds to play, Mel Isbell hit her second three-pointer of the game to reduce the lead to lead to four points before Shania Harper corralled an offensive rebound and connected on a put back in which she also got fouled in the act of shooting.
· Harper would knock down the free throw and put the score at 65-66 with just 15 seconds to play.
· The Aggies were then forced to foul and the Redhawks knocked down a pair to claim a three-point advantage with 10 seconds remaining.
· Mel Isbell then pushed the ball into the front court, drove base line and found Soufia Inoussa who spotted up and drilled a three-pointer to tie the score with just under five seconds to play.
· A missed last-second heave was the Redhawks' last opportunity to claim victory in regulation as the contest entered overtime tied at 68.
 
OVERTIME
· In overtime, the Aggies would score the first and last points of the period, however, Seattle U scored 13 points in between the Aggies' made baskets to earn an eight-point win over the visiting Aggies.
· The first Aggie points in overtime came in the form of a layup from Soufia Inoussa while Molly Kaiser hit a three-pointer on the final possession of the tilt.
 
UP NEXT
· After dropping their ninth road game of the season, the Aggies will now return to the friendly confines of the Pan American Center where they hold a record of 6-2 this season.
· They will welcome these same Seattle U Redhawks on Tuesday afternoon with tip-off set for 2 p.m. (MT).
· Fans can purchase tickets to the mid-week matchup here.