After a previously devastating 106-62 loss, the New Mexico State University men’s basketball team brought the heat in their second contest against their I-25 rival, the University of New Mexico Lobos, but were narrowly defeated 73-72. Junior guard Jaylin Jackson-Posey lit the spark for the Aggies, recording 22 points with four rebounds and two assists, but was outshined by the game winning basket from UNM’s Donovan Dent.
The Lobos made an aggressive statement coming into the game, but after several missed shots, Jackson-Posey nailed his first three-pointer to put the Aggies on the board. The Lobos quickly retaliated with a 7-0 run before the Aggies regained control after a shot from senior guard Brandon Suggs, which triggered a 7-0 run of their own to take the lead 12-7.
After a layup from UNM’s Joseph Nelly, the Lobos led 15-14 before Jackson-Posey returned the favor to get the Aggies back on top. Both sides continued to trade points before Dent powered through to put up a shot in the paint to gain momentum for the Lobos. Despite successful free throws from forward Kasoi Ezeagu and a crucial block from forward Robert Carpenter, the Lobos grabbed the 32-30 lead heading into the half.
Refusing to back down, the Aggies retook the lead, 33-32, after a fast three-pointer from junior guard Christian Cook. With the momentum still on their side, the Lobos responded with a 12-0 run fueled by six points from veteran Jalen House. The Aggies continued to battle and complimented the effort with a 12-1 run of their own ignited by six points from Suggs and a Jackson-Posey layup.
With it still being any team’s game late into the second half, both sides were pushing for a breakthrough. Propelled by a 17-7 run, capped off by a free throw from Cook, the game appeared to fall in favor of the Aggies after taking the 72-68 lead.
Despite the energy inside the Pan American Center from Aggie fans, the Lobos rallied in the last minute of the game after a Jalen House three-pointer at the top of the key followed by Dant’s game winning layup to take the 73-72 win back to Albuquerque.
The Aggies still had a great performance despite the loss with Jackson Posey’s career-high 22 points, complimented by Suggs 12 with four rebounds and one assist. Senior guard Jordan Rawls followed with 10 points, four assists and three rounds.
“This is the third close game we’ve had, we just haven’t won one of them,” said head coach Jason Hooten following the unfavorable outcome. “Once we do, I think we can take off. It’s hard to take anything positive from a loss but I’m proud of our effort tonight. We were down 11 points in the second half, came back and kept fighting.”
The Aggies will now hit the road to Texas to face off against the Stephen F. Austin State Lumberjacks on Tuesday, December 19 at 5:30 p.m. Coverage will be aired on Zia Country 99.5 FM.
