LAS CRUCES, N.M. - Returning to action on the floor of the Pan American Center on a gusty Thursday night, NM State Women's Basketball looked to avoid falling to 0-2 in CUSA play as they hosted FIU. The Panthers boasted the conference's highest scoring offense, and were held to just 57 points by the Aggies' stout defense. Unfortunately for the home team, an 8-0 FIU run to open the fourth quarter was too much to overcome. Despite NM State's best attempts at a comeback, the lead never shrunk to less than three, and FIU held on for a 57-52 win in a defensive battle. NM State fell to 6-9 with the loss, dropping to 0-2 in conference play and losing its fifth straight game overall. 

First Quarter

As has been the case in conference USA, the action started with defense first, with neither team able to score until a beautiful dish by Molly Kaiser who attacked down the lane to find an open Loes Rozing. FIU returned the favor with a triple to take the lead from the Aggies after just 19 seconds. Molly Kaiser drew the assignment of guarding Ajae Yoakum, with the senior forward doing the same at the other end of the floor. Kaiser caused problems for Yoakum, forcing her into three turnovers and a pair of early fouls, sending the Panther starter to the bench with 4:49 remaining.

Ene Adams spun off her defender and put it down for her first basket of the night, giving NM State a 9-8 edge. A quick turnover forced by Sylena Peterson allowed Jaila Harding to bank home a jumper from the left wing, giving the Crimson & White a three-point advantage with 3:19 to go in the first quarter. Kaiser was fouled with 2.2 seconds left, splitting a pair of free throws to tie the game at 12 apiece after 10 minutes of action. 

Second Quarter

FIU opened the second quarter by making their first layup of the contest to take a quick 14-12 lead. Femme Sikuzani Masudi scored her first points of the night, and first bucket since Dec. 30 against UT Arlington. Sabou Gueye collected an offensive rebound and took the ball down the lane for a score, putting in her first points of the night, giving the Aggies a 19-17 edge with 5:08 remaining in the first half.

In total, all nine Aggies who entered the contest in the first half scored. Nine lead changes were exchanged in the first twenty minutes. The Panthers came into the game leading the conference in scoring at 72 points per contest, though managed a season-low 23 first-half points on 33% (8-24) shooting from the field, due in large part to 14 turnovers. 

Third Quarter

Molly Kaiser recorded her fourth foul early in the third as the Aggies' leading scorer was forced to the bench. Ene Adams stepped up, scoring a pair of baskets down low to help NM State outscore the Panthers 6-0 out of the break and take their largest lead of the night at 28-23.

A Tanajah Hayes triple tied the game at 28, but Jaila Harding would answer with a deep ball of her own. The 3-pointer would grant a 31-28 advantage, which was subsequently followed by an FIU bucket, leading to NM State's final lead of the game, occurring with 3:19 remaining in the frame. The potent Panther offense would manage six straight points over the ensuing 47 seconds to take a 34-31 lead with 2:32 to go in the third. FIU maintained a slim 38-35 advantage heading into the final frame. 

Fourth Quarter

FIU opened up the final 10 minutes with its best stretch of the night. The Panthers scored the first eight points of the quarter, pulling ahead by 11. Later, Gassama poked the ball away and found Loes Rozing on a fast break, who got the layup to drop and earned a chance at a three-point play. Molly Kaiser came into the game with four fouls and provided the instant offense the Aggies needed, falling behind by as many as 11 points with 5:43 to go. Kaiser would record her first points since the first quarter on a pair of free throws, and then put in back-to-back buckets for the Aggies to cut the margin to 50-45. Sylena Peterson later sank a pair of free throws make it a three-point game. With both teams looking to avoid a loss early in the conference season, open space came at a premium, and points were nearly impossible to come by. The teams combined for 46 fouls and 44 turnovers in the game. After teams exchanged multiple free throws each, Jaila Harding made her second 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds to end the game 57-52.

Head Coach Jody Adams, on the loss: "I thought we were gritty. That's the top scoring team in the league. We did some great things defensively. I thought we executed some things offensively, but we just needed to finish in the paint. If we finish our layups, to me, it's a different story. I'm proud of the changes this team is making. We're beginning to put the pieces together and connect the talent. I think that's really important."

Numbers of Note

• Fanta Gassama's 11 rebounds were a career high and equaled the most by any Aggie this season. Sabou Gueye also accomplished this feat on Nov. 25, 2023, versus CSU Bakersfield. Gassama also posted career highs in both free throws made (4) and free throws attempted (6).

• FIU entered the game averaging 71.8 points per game to lead all CUSA teams, however, the Aggies held the Panthers to just 57 points to mark their lowest point total since Dec. 3. Thursday also tied the second fewest points scored by the Panthers this season. 

• Thursday marked the seventh time this season that the Aggies have held their opponent to fewer than 60 points.

• The Aggies' 23 free throw attempts marked the most this season and most since March 18, 2023, when they also attempted 23 free throws in the WBI Semifinals.

• Loes Rozing came away with a pair of steals to match her career best in that category. She last notched two steals against Utah Valley on Dec. 16.

• Jaila Harding paced the Aggies in scoring with 10 points to mark the fourth straight game that she has posted double digits and fifth time in the previous six outings. This marks the fewest points scored by the Aggies' high-point person this season.

• Thursday's loss was only the third time this season that Molly Kaiser did not reach double figures in the scoring column and the first time since Dec. 2 versus New Mexico (4 points). The matchup also marked the sixth time in her career that she has fouled out of a game and the first time this season.

• NM State finished the game 18-53 (33.9 percent) from the field for the second lowest shooting percentage for the team this season. This led to the Aggies matching their season low in scoring with 52 points. Meanwhile, FIU also struggled to score as they produced their fifth lowest field goal percentage of the season, going 21-56 (.375).

• The Aggies turned the ball over a season-high 26 times on Thursday versus the Panthers.

Up Next

The Aggies will continue the hunt for their first CUSA win with a pair of road contests, taking on Western Kentucky in Bowling Green on Thursday, Jan. 18 before heading down to Murfreesboro for a bout with Middle Tennessee on Saturday, Jan. 20. This season, NM State is 3-6 in games away from home, and 1-5 in true road contests. Both matchups will be streamed live on ESPN+ and available to follow via StatBroadcast.

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