Aggies fall to Liberty at the buzzer

NM State (11-13, 4-10 CUSA) went toe-to-toe with the top team in Conference USA Wednesday, pushing the Liberty to the brink before ultimately falling in a tightly contested battle 77-75 on a buzzer beater inside the Pan American Center. 

After an early deficit, NM State responded with a decisive first-half surge, stringing together a 12-2 run fueled by aggressive defense and efficient halfcourt execution. Jemel Jones ignited the stretch with back-to-back scores in transition, while Julius Mims controlled the paint on both ends to help the Aggies reclaim momentum. The run allowed NM State to settle in and keep pace with the conference frontrunner heading into halftime. 

In the second half, the Aggies again answered adversity. Trailing midway through the period, NMSU pieced together a 10-0 burst that electrified the home crowd. Chris Terrell orchestrated the offense during the run, dishing assists on consecutive possessions, while Mims converted inside through contact to trim the deficit.

Jones capped the stretch with a tough finish at the rim, cutting the margin to a single possession and forcing the Flames to regroup. 

Despite facing a late push from the league leaders, the Aggies refused to fold. NM State continued to attack downhill and extend possessions on the glass, keeping the contest within reach in the final minutes.

A late 3-pointer from Jones and clutch free throws by Terrell brought the Aggies within striking distance in the closing seconds, but the comeback effort ultimately came up just short as a last-second shot by Zach Cleveland gave Liberty the victory. 

Jones poured in 23 points to lead the Aggies, adding four assists, three steals and two rebounds. The outing marked his third consecutive 20-plus point performance after posting 26 points in each of his previous two contests, continuing his recent offensive surge. 

Mims delivered another dominant effort in the paint, finishing with 21 points and 13 rebounds to secure his third double-double in the last four games. The junior consistently established position on the interior and provided key second-chance opportunities that kept NMSU within striking distance throughout the night. 

It was the first time this season NM State had two players score more than 20 points in the same game.

Chris Terrell tied his season high with 12 points while shooting 80% from the field and dishing out a team-best six assists.