NMSU defeats CSU Bakersfield in pivotal WAC contest
The New Mexico State men’s basketball team beat CSU Bakersfield Saturday at the Pan American Center in a pivotal WAC contest, 73-62.
The Roadrunners entered the game with a perfect 3-0 record in WAC play, good enough to sit atop the standings heading into the tilt.
The Aggies were fresh off a dramatic win over Grand Canyon Thursday night in which Johnny McCants hit a half-court buzzer-beater to stun GCU and send the Pan American Center into a frenzy.
However, NMSU did not carry that momentum into the first half against CSU Bakersfield. The teams would trade baskets early in the first stanza, but CSUB was ignited by a backdoor alley-opp dunk by Taze Moore that fired up the team.
CSUB would rally after that play to take a double-digit first half lead and would close out the half leading 29-22.
Whatever head coach Chris Jans said to his team during the break must have worked, because NMSU looked like a different team in the second half.
Shunn Buchanan led the charge in the second half, connecting on two three-pointers early in the half to get the crowd fired up. NMSU also got stellar guard play from Terrell Brown, whose 19 points and eight rebounds proved to be the difference Saturday evening.
NMSU would outscore CSU Bakersfield by 18 points in the final 20 minutes of the game to improve to 2-1 in WAC play and 13-4 overall.
After falling in their WAC opener against Cal Baptist, NMSU knew it would have some work to do to catch the top teams in the standings. In fact, their 1-1 record entering Saturday’s game had them in fourth place in the WAC – something they’re not used to seeing.
“And we talked about that, the fact that we’ve got to be the hunter for a while,” said head coach Chris Jans earlier in the week. “You know, and we’ve got to be the one chasing teams above us. And we’ve got to show everybody how bad we want it.”
NMSU will next leave the friendly confines of the Pan Am for three straight road games beginning with a trip to Seattle on Thursday.
