NMSU knocks off Grand Canyon to win 14th straight game

New Mexico State won its 14th straight game Thursday night, beating Grand Canyon 81 to 69 in front of frenzied Aggies and Antelopes fans.

The win was extra sweet for the Aggies as Grand Canyon was picked by many as the team most likely to win the WAC in preseason polls.

But the Aggies took the upper-hand in the WAC race with a dominant first half that saw them leading by as much as 18.

NMSU turned in a well-balanced offensive performance with six players scoring in double figures. Jemerrio Jones led the way with 19 points off the bench and Eli Chuha turned in a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.

The Aggies are now the proud owners of the third-longest active winning streak in the nation. Only Gonzaga and Kansas have longer winning streaks that are still in progress.

The win was also the 600th all-time for the Aggies at the Pan American Center.

NMSU will face CSU Bakersfield on Saturday at home. Bakersfield defeated the Aggies on a buzzer-beating three-pointer last year in the WAC tournament, so expect the Aggies to be plenty motivated for this one as well.