Kaiser’s 25 points not enough at Jax State

JACKSONVILLE, Alabama (KVIA) -- On Thursday, NM State played Liberty for the first time in program history. On Saturday, it was Jax State's turn to make its first appearance opposite the Aggies. Molly Kaiser poured in 25 points to lead all scorers, but a raucous Gamecock crowd propelled their side to victory in the fourth quarter. After clawing back for a lead with just over five minutes remaining, the Aggies allowed a 9-0 Jax State run that was far too much to overcome in a low-scoring affair. The defeat was the eighth in the past 11 games for the road team, dropping NM State to 9-12 overall and 3-5 in CUSA play. 

First Quarter
The first four points of the game went to junior forward Fanta Gassama off a layup and a pure shot from the free-throw line. NM State allowed an 8-3 run but still maintained a one-point edge at the first media timeout. After the teams exchanged buckets, Tylie Jones nailed a 3-pointer as time expired to beat the buzzer and cut the deficit to one. Jax State held a 15-14 advantage heading into the second frame.

Second Quarter
Senior Molly Kaiser erupted in the second quarter, pouring in 11 points on just six shots. Kaiser  sank four of them and hit all three of her free throw attempts in the stanza while playing all 10 minutes. The star guard matched the point total for the home team in the frame, as the Gamecocks went 4-for-9 and scored just 11. NM State, behind 15 first-half points from Kaiser, held a 30-26 advantage heading into the break. 

Third Quarter
The home team came out of the locker room with momentum, cutting the deficit to just one at the media timeout. While the Gamecocks were just 1-for-9 behind the arc in the quarter, they hit three of five shots inside the line and three of four at the foul line. Meanwhile, Fanta Gassama and Molly Kaiser split the only two field goals for NM State, posting just seven points. Jax State pulled ahead 38-37 with 10 minutes remaining in the contest. 

Fourth Quarter
Following another Tylie Jones triple to open the Aggies' fourth-quarter scoring, Kaiser canned two more field goals to surpass 20 points. Later, Femme Sikuzani Masudi finished through contact and a foul with a chance at a 3-point play that would have put the visitors ahead by two with six minutes and 17 seconds remaining. The free throw went off rim, however, allowing a Jax State bucket on the other end. Kaiser would answer with her final field goal of the evening, with her 25th point securing a 48-47 lead with 5:25 remaining. The Aggies did not hit another field goal in the game and went the next 5:02 without scoring. Fanta Gassama added a free throw with 23 seconds left, but a 9-0 Jax State run had already passed, effectively sealing the Aggies' fate. The final score was 56-49 in favor of the home Gamecocks.

Numbers of Note

• For the second straight game, NM State faced a first-time opponent. The Aggies had never taken on Jax State on the hardwood, and will meet again on Mar. 2 in Las Cruces. 
• Molly Kaiser scored 15 in the first half and finished with 25 points on 10-for-19 shooting and hit all five shots from the charity stripe.
• NM State was called for 22 fouls, while Jax State was on the wrong side of the whistle just 11 times. That margin (-11) was the worst for the Aggies this season and worst since a -12 margin against Utah Tech on Feb. 11, 2023. 
• Jax State's 11 personal fouls were the fewest by an Aggie opponent this season. The last time an opponent had 11 or fewer fouls was Dec. 20, 2022 when Northern NM committed eight.
• The Aggies are now 0-12 when trailing or tied after the first quarter. They are, however, 9-0 when outscoring opponents in the first quarter this season.
• With today's results, road teams are 12-23 in CUSA this season. Four of those wins have come from Middle Tennessee (17-4, 7-0), the unanimous selection to win the conference in the CUSA Preseason Poll. Outside of the Blue Raiders, CUSA Women's Basketball has a combined 8-23 record on the road this season. 
• The Aggies are no exception to the road woes. The game against Jax State concluded a 55-day span that had NM State play just three games at home and eight on the road. Coincidentally, the Aggies' record over that span was 3-8.

Up Next
Following the loss, NM State will make its long-awaited return for a two-week, three-game homestand. First up, the UTEP Miners (8-13, 3-5) will make a trip up I-10 to take on the Aggies on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 2:00 PM MT. The rivalry matchup will be streamed live on ESPN+ and available to follow via nmstatestats.com. 

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