NMSU runs past Western New Mexico, 78-43

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico - The New Mexico State Aggies got their second win of the season taking down division 2 opponent, Western New Mexico Tuesday at the Pan American Center.

The final score was 78-43.

The WNM Mustangs put up a valiant effort in the first half as they were down 13 points at halftime.

However, the Aggies blew the doors wide open in the second half scoring a total of 43 points, and holding the Mustangs to just 21 points.

The Aggies were led offensively by Jaden Harris who turned in 24 points while shooting 9-14 from the field.

NMSU improves to 2-2 on the season, and will look to get their first win of the season against a division 1 opponent when they host Northern Colorado Saturday.

Tipoff is a 7 p.m. from the Pan American Center.

(Information below is courtesy of NMSU Athletics)

FIRST HALF

• The first 12 minutes of the half was a fight with both teams consistently getting stops on the defensive end. The Mustangs eventually went on a 7-0 to take the lead with 7:54. The Aggies leading big man also struggled to stay on the floor – collecting two early fouls.
• Jaylin Jackson-Posey played a big part in the Aggies' first half success with a pair of threes that ultimately put the Aggies back in front. Head Coach Jason Hooten also got big minutes from Robert Carpenter who appeared in the starting lineup for the first time this season and pitched in six first half points.
• The Aggies pulled it together and went on a 19-3 run to create separation to end the half. The run was capped off by a statement three from Jaden Harris who finished the half with 10 points to lead the Aggies.

SECOND HALF

• Five minutes into second half, Clarence "Monzy" Jackson hit a three from the top of the key to spark a 12-0 run that extended the Aggies' lead to 22 points.
• Later in the half, Jaden Harris demonstrated his offensive skills and scored 11 straight points for the Aggies. Meanwhile, Harris' burst was followed by another eight straight Aggie points – helping NM State build a 30-point advantage with less than three minutes to go.
• As it did in the first half, NM State ultimately ended the second half on an impressive 18-2 run to come away with their second home victory of the season.

Numbers of Note

• With the win, NM State improves to 65-23-1 (43-13-1) against the Mustangs, including a current winning streak spanning 17 games.
• Jaden Harris' 24-point night is the highest scoring output for any Aggies this season. En route to his career night Harris also went 5-8 from downtown to finish as the Aggies' top three-point shooter.
• Jaylin Jackson-Posey was a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line to become the fourth Aggie this year to have a perfect shooting percentage from the charity stripe.
• The Aggies finished the night with a season high 18 assists. This charge was led by Jordan Rawls who posted seven helpers to mark the highest total of the season.
• NM State's offense was locked in from deep range – knocking in 13 triples to mark the highest total by the Aggie program since Dec. 7, 2022, when they made 13 on the road at Santa Clara.
• The Aggies held the opposition to just 25% shooting from the field to mark the lowest success rate from an Aggie opponent since Simon Fraser shot 21% inside the Pan Am on Dec. 24, 2022.