EL PASO, Texas. - New Mexico State Women's Basketball opened a new chapter on Saturday, as the program played its first game as a Conference USA member. Despite the new stage, the opponent was as familiar as it gets; rival UTEP from 45 miles south along I-10.
Jaila Harding's 22 points and five 3-pointers highlighted the afternoon for the Crimson & White, but the Miners (6-8, 1-0) secured the 81-72 win. NM State fell short in its fourth straight contest, dropping to 6-8 overall and 0-1 in CUSA action.
First Quarter
Following a UTEP opening-possession miss,
Jaila Harding scored the NM State program's first points in CUSA, canning a 3-pointer from the right wing. The team would go on to miss the other five deep balls attempted in the opening quarter, finishing 1-for-6. A
Fanta Gassama hook shot would later give NM State a 12-10 edge, but the Aggies would never lead for the remainder of the contest. UTEP took nine trips to the free-throw line in the opening 10 minutes, converting on seven of them. The home team held an 18-14 lead heading into the second frame.
Second Quarter
The bulk of UTEP's production came in the second period, when they outscored NM State 26-16. The home team was efficient from all three levels in the frame, shooting 7-for-13 on field goals, 5-for-6 from beyond the arc and 7-for-10 from the free-throw line. The Miners sank their first six 3-pointers of the ballgame, starting perfect from deep until less than two minutes remained in the first half. UTEP took a 44-30 lead into halftime in what was the largest mid-point deficit NM State has faced this season.
Third Quarter
The two sides came out more even to start the final half, as they traded the first eight scores of the quarter. For the first 8 minutes and 39 seconds of the frame, the Miner lead was never greater than 16 or less than 13.
Loes Rozing continued her improved performance, scoring five of her seven points in the third quarter. The Netherlands native hit a 3-pointer midway through the frame for her third make from beyond the arc in the past two outings. A late 7-0 UTEP run in just over two minutes pushed the lead to 20. After a pair of
Molly Kaiser free throws, UTEP held a 63-45 advantage with 10 minutes remaining.
Fourth Quarter
Sabou Gueye scored back-to-back buckets in the first 48 seconds of the final frame, prompting a timeout from the home bench as the once 20-point lead shrank to 14. The margin further dwindled to eight when another
Jaila Harding 3-pointer made the score 67-59 with 5:24 remaining. The Aggies then allowed a 10-2 stretch that got the Don Haskins Center crowd involved as the Miners held a commanding 77-61 lead. Staring down a 16-point deficit with just 2:36 remaining, the Aggies' fate was effectively sealed. NM State went on to hit three 3-pointers and a pair of free-throws to close the gap to 81-72; the final score.
Numbers of Note
- Saturday's contest marked the 97th matchup between the I-10 rivals. NM State now holds a 54-43 advantage in the all-time series.
- 27 personal fouls marked the team's season high, surpassing the previous mark of 25 against UC Irvine.
- 30 UTEP free throws were good for the most by any opponent in 2023-24. At the third quarter media timeout, NM State had already allowed their third-most opponent free-throw attempts of the year (21).
- Forcing 26 turnovers, NM State tied its season high in takeaways. The Aggies also matched that mark against Portland State (Nov. 18) and Arizona (Nov. 6).
- Jaila Harding scored 22 points and hit five 3-pointers. The junior guard tied her career-high in points (vs. Hampton; Nov. 24) and came one deep ball short of matching the mark she also set against the Pirates.
- Loes Rozing hit a 3-pointer in the third quarter for her third triple in the past two games. Before taking on UTA, Rozing had yet to make a deep ball for the Aggies, and has now drained three of her last seven attempts.
Up Next
Following a four-game road trip, NM State will return to the Pan American Center to make its CUSA home debut. On Thursday, Jan. 11, FIU (10-5, 1-0) will roll in to Las Cruces for what will be the second conference game for both teams. The Aggies and Panthers will tip off at 6:00 PM MT. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and will be available to follow via StatBroadcast.
For complete coverage of NM State Women's Basketball, follow us on Twitter (@NMStateWBB), Instagram (@NMStateWBB) and like us on Facebook (NM State Women's Basketball). You can also follow along with Aggie Women's Basketball via NMStateSports.com.
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