Aggies Fall to Lady Hilltoppers to Split Series
BOWLING GREEN, Kentucky (KVIA) -- The Aggies closed out their final road trip for the post-season conference tournament by taking on the WKU Lady Hilltoppers once again. Although the squad was able to set the tone first, NM State was unable to keep up with their opponent and eventually fell, 85-68.
The Aggies started with an early layup from Jaila Harding, but WKU quickly responded with a barrage of three-pointers. Despite a strong defensive presence from NM State, WKU's sharp shooting put the Aggies in an early hole. Lucia Yenes provided a spark off the bench with a pair of key baskets, but the Aggies trailed 26-11 after one.
The Crimson and White found more success in the second quarter, led by Yenes’ dominance inside. She racked up multiple rebounds and efficient scoring, helping trim the deficit. Harding also added to the offensive effort with a deep three-pointer. However, the Lady Hilltoppers’ ability to capitalize on turnovers extended their lead to 46-26 at halftime. WKU also kept the Aggies’ leading scorer, Molly Kaiser, from playing any type of significant role in the first half as she finished with a season low of just three points in the first half, which would be the only points she would tally all game long.
The Aggies came out determined after the break, with Harding sinking a tough layup and a deep three to keep the offense going. Yenes was active on both ends, recording multiple steals and converting fast-break layups. However, WKU's efficient perimeter shooting and aggressive defense pushed the gap wider, leaving the Aggies to trail 69-37 heading into the final frame.
NM State refused to go down quietly, putting together an impressive 31-point fourth quarter. Harding caught fire from deep, draining multiple three-pointers, while Yenes continued her strong performance with key baskets and rebounds. The Aggies outscored WKU in the final stretch, showing resilience despite the deficit. While the comeback fell short, their late-game energy was a bright spot in the tough road loss.
NUMBERS OF NOTE:
-For the first time this season, the Aggies’ scoring offense was led by Lucia Yenes, who finished with 16 points against WKU. She also led the team defensively as she picked off a season high of five steals along with six defensive boards.
-Yenes and Harding combined for 31 total points in today’s matchup, which was almost half of NM State’s total.
-The Aggies scored a whopping 31 points in the final quarter. This is the most the Aggies have scored in a single quarter this season.
-Four separate players scored above 50% on FGs including Yenes (8-for-12), Sylena Peterson(3-for-5), Imani Warren (3-for-4), and Fanta Gassama (3-for-3) to comine for 39 of the 68 Aggie points.
-Despite their slow start, the Aggies picked off 6 more steals and had two less turnovers than the Lady Hilltoppers.
UP NEXT:
The Aggies will finish their regular season at home this week as they look to maintain their fourth seeding in the CUSA tournament. NM State will first take on LA Tech on Thursday, followed by Sam Houston State on Saturday for Senior Night.
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