LAS CRUCES, N.M. — The New Mexico State men’s basketball team survived a scare in its season opener against Division II opponent Adams State University (ASU) Nov. 4, winning 83-72 at the Pan American Center.
With the victory, NMSU now has a 1-0 win-loss record to begin the year for a second consecutive season against D2 programs. They defeated New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU) 93-57 Nov. 4, 2024, at home.
The Aggies finished 17-15 (10-8 in Conference USA) last year, which was enough to place them fifth out of 10 teams in CUSA. This included an 80-77 loss to Kennesaw State University in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. Even though NMSU capped off the season with a winning record, they still had offensive struggles. Fixing this was a point of emphasis for head coach Jason Hooten and it showed in the first game, as multiple players showcased offensive talent.
The Aggie starters were Gabe Pickens, Anthony Wrzeszcz, Jemel Jones, Julius Mims and Cyr Malonga. NMSU has no returning starters from a year ago.
After falling behind 3-0 early in the game, the Aggies went on a quick 9-0 run to give fans something to cheer about. This included a Pickens lob pass to Malonga for a two-handed dunk. Soon after, Jones nailed a three-pointer to give NMSU its first lead of the game. The Aggies never trailed after this.
Moments later, transfers Chris Terrell and Jayland Randall checked into the game. They did not disappoint, as they forced multiple turnovers, which led to easy points. A Mims slam dunk made it 27-11, forcing ASU head coach Kenny Tripp to call timeout.
This proved to be crucial for Adams State, as they went on a 14-2 run to cut the deficit to four. NMSU finally found its groove after a poor stretch and closed the half with a 43-36 advantage.
The Aggies started the second half strong, going on a 16-6 run to make it a 17-point lead. They led by as much as 20 points, but ASU did not go away. Adams State went on a 10-0 run to make the score 70-60 with more than enough time to pull off an upset. This woke up NMSU, as they maintained the flow of the game the rest of the way through.
Jones led the way for the Aggies, scoring 23 points and grabbing nine rebounds, which were both game-highs. He did this on high efficiency, shooting 8-for-14 from the field and 3-for-4 from behind the arc.
Malonga finished with a career-high 16 points on 7-for-9 shooting. He also hauled in six rebounds and blocked two shots.
Mims nearly notched a double-double, finishing with 12 points, eight rebounds and a block in 24 minutes of action.
While offense proved to be a factor, the NMSU defense also made an impact. They forced 22 turnovers, the most since their 87-50 win over Northern New Mexico College Dec. 19, 2024. They also recorded 15 steals, matching their season-high from last year’s opener against NMHU.
Hooten said there were mistakes made, but thinks his team has potential.
“I tell our guys all the time, if you play bad and you learn and you win, then that’s a good thing,” Hooten told KTSM 9 News. “We had 15 turnovers. Obviously, that’s way too many. We got to cut that down by three or four. We will and we’ll get better. I like our team.”
The Aggies will be back in action against New Mexico Highlands at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, at the Pan American Center. NMSU will welcome back former assistant coach Zach Settembre, who is now the head coach for NMHU. Noah Breitenstein is also part of the New Mexico Highlands staff as an assistant coach, after serving as a graduate assistant coach for the Aggies during the 2023-24 season. According to ESPN Analytics, NMSU has a 99% chance to win, just like they did against Adams State. Fans can watch the game on ESPN+.
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