The New Mexico State women’s basketball team returned to the Pan American Center to take on the Sam Houston Bearkats and thanks to an impenetrable defense and four players posting double digits, the Aggies took home a 76-63 win. The Aggies rose to 2-3 in conference play and 4-3 at home.
After several turnovers on both sides, junior guard Jaila Harding got the ball rolling for the Aggies with the first basket of the game. After a jumper from senior guard Molly Kaiser to take the lead 12-7, the Aggies rode their momentum throughout the rest of the first quarter knocking down five of their 14 shot attempts, while holding a 20-13 lead over the Bearkats.
The Aggies had a sloppy beginning in the second quarter turning the ball over twice and picking up two fouls. The Bearkats successfully cut the lead down to four before Loes Rozing and Femme Sikuzani Masudi combined for a basket to flip the momentum. Kaiser then found her rhythm and knocked down two layups, a midrange jumper and a three-point field goal for eight points to give the Aggies a 12-point lead. The Aggies and Bearkats traded baskets to end the first half with the Aggies leading 36-25.
Following a sluggish first half, the Aggies began to pick up the pace after back-to-back shots from forwards Ene Adams and Fanta Gassama for a 4-0 run. Backed with a strong defense, the offense did not back down with Harding tallying her fourth three-pointer, complimented with two free throws from Adams to put the Aggies up 47-31. The Aggies took control of the game and after two more baskets from Kaiser and Harding closed out the third quarter with a 21-point lead.
“We were playing really well as a team, moving the ball and finding each other in open situations,” said junior guard Jaila Harding post-game. “We were playing really aggressively defensively as well. That’s what led to the win.”
The Aggies entered the fourth quarter with all the momentum on their side and pushed to extend their lead to 23 points before subbing out the starters. Taking the opportunity, freshman guard Imani Warren posted a layup, three rebounds and a block. Before the clock ran out, the Bearkats dug deep and fought for a 10-0 run to cut the lead down to 13 points. Despite a last-minute Bearkat layup, the Aggies recorded the 76-63 win on their home court.
After the four double-digit performances with Kaiser posting 19 points, Harding with 16 and Adams and center Femme Sikuzani Masudi tallying 10 each, the Aggies climb to 8-10 on the season.
Pleased with her team’s strong offensive effort, “I thought we accomplished some really good things we wanted to look at going into the game like back door plays, some isolation stuff,” head coach Jody Adams said. “We handled the press really well and were able to get down the floor for some easy looks. I liked our energy and pace of play against them.”
After facing Louisiana Tech on Saturday, Jan. 27, the Aggies will hit the road to Lynchburg, Virginia to take on Liberty University on Thursday, Feb. 1 at 5 p.m. Coverage will be streamed on ESPN +.
