NM State bounces back, beats Grand Canyon U

What kind of team are we going to be?

That question was hanging over the New Mexico State University men’s basketball team as it headed into its Western Athletic Conference showdown with visiting Grand Canyon University Saturday, Jan. 29.

The Aggies were coming off a tough road trip where they lost to Sam Houston State 71-46 Jan. 20 in one of the worst losses of the Chris Jans era.

NM State bounced back with a 72-58 win over Stephen F. Austin Jan. 22 to complete the trip to east Texas. But questions continued to hang over the team.

Well, the Aggies answered with a 71-61 win over Grand Canyon in front of more than 12,000 fans at the Pan Am Center, the largest crowd of the year so far.

“We didn’t want to forget that feeling, that taste in our mouth,”  Jans said about the Sam Houston loss.

Instead, the Aggies showed that they are the type of team that can thrive under adversity and win when not playing their best.

The Aggies are now 17-3 overall and 7-1 in conference play.

They shot just 23-of-41 from the free-throw line and 2-for-11 from 3-point range.

At one point midway through the second half, the visiting Lopes hit five straight free throws to take a 6-point lead after Jans was called for a technical after arguing a foul call on a three-point attempt by Grand Canyon.

For a while, Jans said he was looking like he might be “the MVP” for Grand Canyon.

But the Aggies were able to fight back using the hot hands of Jabari Rice and Teddy Allen, and their defense and rebounding.

Rice finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Allen finished with 28 points. For the rest of the team, it seemed like “there was a lid on the basket,” Jans said.

“We talk about this. The ball may not go in the basket, (but) if you defend and rebound and have that with you at all times… It was a great example of that and getting through that and getting through some rough patches offensively,” Jans said.

Rice, a redshirt junior from Houston, said they have been down multiple times this season. He cited a December win over Pac-12 opponent Washington State, where they trailed by 18 points in the second half.

“We just had to lock in on defense, really lock in and make stops happen and make them miss,” Rice said.

Johnny McCants, a sixth-year senior from Las Cruces, struggled at the line shooting 2-for-8 but made up for it with his energy and intensity.

“We have a bunch of dudes, a bunch of guys who just love to win,” McCants said.

McCants said the team has bonded like “family.”

“When you have that bond, you are going to fight for one another, no matter if you are hurt, not playing, regardless of what it is,” McCants said.

Jans said the team genuinely likes one another and that allows them to get around any frustrations over playing time or any other frustrations that build up over the course of a season.

“A huge key for us is to stay together: Your time will come, be prepared for it and take advantage of that opportunity,” Jans said.

Up next: The Aggies will host California Baptist at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3 and Seattle U at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 5 at the Pan Am Center.

Cal Baptist was 12-9 overall and 2-6 in the WAC, heading into this week. The Cal Baptist game was past our deadline so we don’t have results.

Seattle U, meanwhile, was 17-4 and 8-0 in conference, heading into the week.