LAS CRUCES, N.M. – NM State opened its 2026-27 season on Tuesday night, welcoming in the Western New Mexico Mustangs to begin year four of the Jason Hooten era. Newcomer DJ Dudley led all scorers with 22 points, while fellow first-year Aggie Mark Lavrenov recorded a double-double in his first game with the Crimson & White.
A sluggish first half saw the Aggies struggle from the field in the first half, shooting just 9-for-31 overall, including a 2-12 mark from 3-point range. LA Tech transfer and Preseason All-CUSA selection DJ Dudley led the Aggies in the opening 20 minutes with nine points.
Senior guard Gabe Warren notched the first made triple of the night for the Crimson & White, making it a 12-10 contest with 12:08 to go in the opening stanza.
Dudley and Sacramento State transfer Mark Lavrenov combined for six consecutive points down the stretch; however, NM State entered the halftime break trailing 31-26.
The Aggies opened half two with an 11-2 scoring run, powered by Leopold Levillain, Jae'coby Osborne, and Mark Lavrenov. A fastbreak dunk by Osborne gave the Aggies their first lead of the contest (34-33) since the 18:18 mark in the first half.
DJ Dudley tallied eight consecutive points for NM State, pushing the home side lead to 45-37. Jermaine Washington buried a three to put himself on the scoreboard, finishing with six points and three assists on the night. A 5-0 individual scoring run by Dudley gave him 22 points to put the Aggies ahead 62-47 - their largest lead of the night.
A late surge by WNMU brought the contest within single digits, though free throws down the stretch secured the NM State victory, 73-63.
NUMBERS OF NOTE
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DJ Dudley recorded 22 points on Tuesday night to mark the second season in a row that an Aggie posted 20 or more points in the season opener after Jemel Jones scored 23 in last year's opener.
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Mark Lavrenov became the first Aggie to record a double-double since Jemel Jones logged 19 points and 12 rebounds against Kennesaw State on March 7, 2026.
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NM State improved to 68-21-1 all-time against and notched its 12th consecutive win over Western New Mexico.
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NM State improved to 11-1 in its last 11 season openers.
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The Aggies are now 184-32 at the Pan American Center since the 2011-12 season.
For complete coverage of NM State men's basketball, visit NMStateSports.com – the official home of the Aggies – and follow the Aggies on Facebook (NM State Men's Basketball), X (@NMStateMBB) and Instagram (@NMStateMBB).
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