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NM State (16–15) opened its run at the Conference USA Tournament with a hard-fought 68–63 victory over Jacksonville State March 10 inside Propst Arena. With the win, the Aggies move on to the quarterfinal round where they will face No. 2 seed Sam Houston on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. MT.
The Aggies wasted little time finding their rhythm offensively, coming out firing from long range. NMSU opened the contest by knocking down four of its first five attempts from beyond the arc, with Gabe Pickens accounting for two of those early triples to help the Aggies establish momentum in the opening minutes. The early perimeter success allowed NM State to dictate the pace while building an early advantage.
Jacksonville State answered with a push midway through the first half, tightening the margin as both teams battled through a physical stretch on both ends of the floor. However, the Aggies maintained control by continuing to generate quality looks and converting at the free throw line. Behind steady offensive production and timely defensive stops, NMSU carried a slim lead into the halftime break.
Coming out of the locker room, the Gamecocks mounted a second-half rally and briefly threatened to swing the momentum. The Aggies responded with poise, leaning on their backcourt to steady the offense while finding timely scoring when it mattered most. Pickens continued his efficient shooting night while Jemel Jones provided key baskets during crucial stretches to keep NMSU in front.
Down the stretch, the Aggies delivered defensively to preserve the lead. NM State forced difficult possessions for Jacksonville State in the final minutes and converted at the line to hold off the Gamecocks’ late push, securing the five-point tournament victory.
Jones led the Aggies offensively with 17 points while Pickens delivered his most productive performance of the season to help power NMSU to the opening-round win. Pickens finished with a career-high 16 points on an efficient 6-for-8 shooting from the field. The sophomore guard was perfect from beyond the arc, going 3-of-3 to also mark a career high in 3-pointers while adding two rebounds and one assist.
The victory also marks the first Conference USA Tournament win for head coach Jason Hooten since taking over the NMSU program ahead of the 2023–24 season.
NM State has now defeated Jacksonville State three times this season. The last time the Aggies defeated a team three times in a single season came during the 2021–22 campaign when NMSU earned three victories over Grand Canyon.
