ABILENE, Texas – NM State (6–2) suffered its second consecutive setback, as Abilene Christian (7–3) held strong at home to take a 77–69 decision at Moody Coliseum. Despite a strong second-half scoring effort that saw the Aggies shoot 52.6% from the field, an early shooting slump proved too much to overcome.  

After Abilene Christian opened the game with a three from Joseph Venzant to take an early 3–0 lead, the Aggies answered with a 12–5 surge early in the first half. The run was capped by a driving finish from Jemel Jones that put NM State in front, 12–8, with 14:26 on the clock. ACU quickly countered, though, stringing together an 8–0 run as part of a larger push that swung momentum back to the Wildcats and gave them a 24–18 edge with 8:30 remaining. 

From there, ACU continued to surge, capitalizing on second-chance opportunities and turnovers to close the half on an 8–4 run. NM State entered the locker room trailing 35–27 after shooting just 27.6% (8–29) in the opening frame. 

The Aggies came out of the break with urgency, opening the second half on a 5-0 run fueled by Cyr Malonga and Chris Terrell to trim the deficit to 35–32. Yet every time NM State threatened to regain the lead, ACU answered with a timely shot.  

After NM State kept Abilene Christian within reach for much of the second half, the Wildcats delivered the deciding blow with a 12–2 run capped by two free throws from Yaniel Rivera at the 6:30 mark, stretching their lead to a game-high 62–47. 

NM State trimmed the deficit to five on multiple occasions in the second half. Jones posted nine of his team-high 19 points in the second half, including a jumper at the 3:10 mark that made it 67–58. However, NM State's late surge wasn't enough as the Wildcats held on for a 77–69 win. 

NUMBERS OF NOTE    

• NM State shot 52.6% from the field in the second half after posting just 27.6% in the first half. 

• The Aggies finished 27-35 (77%) from the free-throw line to mark their most makes in a game this season. 

• Kyrese Mullen delivered a new season-high with 13 points, knocking down his first two threes of the year on a 2-3 effort from deep. He also chipped in two rebounds, an assist, and a steal. 

• Jemel Jones extended his double-figure scoring streak to eight straight games, finishing with another steady all-around performance that included 19 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals. 
   

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