NMSU Men’s Basketball fall on the road vs. Louisiana Tech

RUSTON, Louisiana (KVIA) -- Playing in its second road contest in less than 48 hours, NM State battled with Louisiana Tech, the Aggies still looking for their first road victory of the season. Despite a strong first half, NM State couldn't keep pace with the Bulldogs, falling 73-53 in Ruston.

Jordan Rawls led the Aggies with 10 points in a team-high 33 minutes of action, while big man Kaosi Ezeagu had a near double-double, finishing with seven points and nine rebounds – just the second time this season Ezeagu has reached that mark.

After making each of their last three 3-pointers to end the first half, the deep ball went flat in the second half – the Aggies went 0-7 from beyond the arc to finish the night shooting 21%. While NM State held a slight edge in second-chance points (16-14), LA Tech controlled the boards, securing 48 compared to 39 for the Crimson & White.

First half

• Jordan Rawls opened the game's scoring, driving down the lane for a strong layup. The NM State lead would be brief, as LA Tech star Isaiah Crawford drew a foul and notched a pair of free throws to even the contest. Throughout the contest, the Aggies lead for just three minutes and three seconds. 
• After a layup by Kaosi Ezeagu gave the Aggies their largest lead of the afternoon (7-4), LA Tech responded with a 10-2 run to give them a lead they would never surrender. Points by Brandon Suggs, Robert Carpenter and Jordan Rawls kept the game within one (16-15) with 9:42 left to go in the half, but a run by the Bulldogs would see the Aggies down double-digits (27-17) with 3:35 left before the break.
• A trio of triples shrunk the LA Tech lead to close out the first half, with spark plug Tanahj Pettway sinking two 3-pointers, and leader in 3-pointers made Robert Carpenter burying one of his own to make it a 33-28 contest in favor of the Bulldogs at the break. 

Second half 

• Looking to answer in the second half, NM State and LA Tech traded points early, making it a 35-30 contest with 18:49 left. From that point, the Bulldogs took advantage of a cold-shooting Aggie team, ballooning their lead to 22 (58-36) with 10:29 to play. Femi Odukale and Kaosi Ezeagu lead the Aggies in scoring down the stretch as they tried to mount a comeback, but never brought the deficit less than 15 down the stretch. 

NUMBERS OF NOTE

• With the loss, the Aggies fall to 0-11 outside the confines of the Pan American Center, where NM State has posted a 9-1 record this season.
• Jordan Rawls paced the Aggies in scoring for the fourth time this season, and second-straight contest after posting a team-high 18 points against Sam Houston.
• Scoring nine points and pulling down seven rebounds in just 22 minutes of action, Robert Carpenter fouled out of the game for a team-high sixth time this season.
• Mustering 53 points on the day, the Aggies posted their lowest point total against a non-Power Five opponent this season – in the season opener, NM State totaled 46 points against then-sixteenth-ranked Kentucky in Rupp Arena. 

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