Aggies close road trip in with loss in Lynchburg

Playing in its second and final game of the weekend on Valentine’s Day, 

NM State (8-17, 4-9 CUSA) visited “Hill City” for a matchup with the Liberty Lady Flames (13-11, 7-6 CUSA). Falling behind 18-5 in the first quarter, the Aggies were unable to rally from the deficit, dropping the contest by a score of 67-42.

After tallying the first two baskets of the contest, the Aggies allowed an 18-1 run over last eight minutes of the first quarter to trail 18-5 at the end of one. Improvement on defense saw NMSU turn the Lady Flames over six times in the second quarter compared to just once in the opening stanza, but the offensive woes followed the Crimson & White as they entered the locker room trailing 36-15. 

Imani Warren proved to be the most effective for the Aggies in the opening half, totaling nine points and a pair of steals. Lucía Yenes added four points, three rebounds, two blocks and one steal in 18 minutes of action.

Warren was the first and only Aggie to finish with double-digit points, scoring NM State’s first basket in the second half. She ended Saturday afternoon with 11 points, two rebounds and two steals. The junior guard has now led the Aggies in scoring 11 times this season, including seven instances in CUSA action. 

Senoj Jones scored the last five points of the frame, including a tough and-one layup through contact. The freshman forward would tally the first Aggie points of the fourth. Jones recorded seven points off the bench, going 3-for-4 from the field in 12 minutes. The freshman forward finished the weekend averaging 9.0 points and 3.5 rebounds on 63.6% shooting. 

DeAvion Wilson notched five points to lead the scoring effort in the final 10 minutes, totaling seven points, a new career high. The Houston, Texas, native added three rebounds, three assists and one steal. 

NMSU tied its lowest point total of the season (42), while posting a new season low in 3-pointers made. Lucia Lara added the Aggies’ lone 3-pointer of the afternoon. 

“This was a tough one for us,” said head coach Jody Adams. “We just didn’t knock down shots and they did. Us playing hard will never be the issue and I’m grateful I don’t have to coach effort. I have challenged this group to make the team their team. They have been taught what it takes to win, they know everyone matters, and I know deep down that they can finish a four-quarter game if they allow the fight in their hearts to lead them. It will be good to get back to Las Cruces tomorrow and regroup for UTEP at home.”

Yenes failed to tally 10-plus points, posting four points along with five rebounds, two blocks and one steal. 

“This team hasn’t learned how to win on the road, which makes our home games must-win situations,” said Emma Christiano. “That’s completely on us. Our coaching staff puts together great scouts, game plans, and we are well-fed and taken care of on the road. I don’t know what the solution is, but it needs to be player-led. We have no time left to not get it done on the road. The tournament is on the road and it’s vital we find out how to bring the same juice we do at home on the road.”

We can’t take any game for granted, we need to win out and keep control of our own destiny for the conference tournament,” Christiano said. “We have played good defense at home, and we need to put four quarters of complete play together during our home stand. If we execute what the coaches give us, play unselfish ball, knock down our shots, and give effort, we can beat anyone. We have to play each game like it’s our last. Every single one of us has to sell out.” 

The Aggies return home to the Pan American Center on Saturday, Feb. 21, to conclude the season series with rival UTEP. Action begins at 2 p.m. with ESPN+ hosting the 101st meeting between the programs, and live stats available at nmstatesports.com/stats.