By: Zack Ponce
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Tshilidzi Nephawe maneuvers in the post while being guarded by Quinton Doggett of the Southern Jaguars during an NCAA basketball game at the Pan American Center on Monday, Dec. 19, 2011, in Las Cruces, N.M. Zack Ponce |
The New Mexico State men’s basketball team defeated Southern University 91-66 after a slow first half start in which the Aggies led by eight at halftime.
Seniors Wendell McKines and Hamidu Rahman led the Aggies en route to their seventh win of the year. McKines posted his sixth double-double of the season with 20 points and 16 rebounds, while Rahman contributed 16 points and nine rebounds.
NM State took control of the game early in the second half when the Aggies went on an 11-0 run that spanned just short of four minutes. The Aggies’ lead inflated to 51-34, effectively ending the Jaguars’ hopes of an upset win in Las Cruces.
“Our game plan to every game is to break the (opponent) down as we go along,” McKines said. “We knew if we stayed with the game plan, eventually they would break down.”
The Jaguars didn’t just break; they collapsed thanks to NM State’s strong team defense, which displayed a variety of looks throughout the game.
The Aggies began showing a full-court press after each basket midway through the first half, which appeared to catch Southern’s players off guard.
“If the ball offensively goes in the right areas, we’ll trap it,” NM State coach Marvin Menzies said of the strategy. “If you can do some things to take them out of what they do, then obviously you’re winning. So you can expect it as long as they don’t expect it and over-execute us.”
Freshman Daniel Mullings started at shooting guard for only the second time this year, replacing Christian Kabongo who was suspended indefinitely for violation of team rules a day after NM State’s game at the University of Texas El Paso.
Mullings scored a career-high 14 points and recorded four steals in 30 minutes of play. His play also caught coach Menzies’ eye.
“He’s an excellent athlete and can really score the ball in open court,” Coach Menzies said. “He’s a great kid and I’m optimistic about his future.”
Hernst Laroche added 14 points and two assists to the NM State victory, while Tshilidzi Nephawe and Bandja Sy provided much needed support off the bench. Nephawe grabbed eight rebounds and Sy scored eight points.
Tyrone Watson scored only five points in 28 minutes of play, shooting 2-7 from the field and 1-3 from three-point range.
The win was Menzies’ 83rd as NM State coach, jumping him to fifth on the list of all-time winningest Aggie basketball head coaches.
Menzies now trails Presley Askew who sits in fourth-place with 135 victories. The all-time winningest coach for NM State is Las Cruces legend Lou Henson, who retired with 289 wins as an Aggie.
The victory propels NM State to 7-4, while Southern falls to 3-9. The Aggies will host McNeese State (4-5) on Wednesday, Dec. 21 in their final tune-up before a showdown with in-state rival New Mexico (8-2) on Wednesday, Dec. 28.
The Aggies defeated the Lobos 62-53 earlier in the year at The Pit. The win was NM State’s first in Albuquerque since Dec. 15, 2002, ending a nine-year losing streak.
Menzies, although reluctant to look ahead to the UNM game, did not comment on the rivalry.
“With rivalries I’ve learned not to expect anything and prepare for everything,” coach Menzies said. “We will concentrate on ourselves, concentrate on doing what we do well, and may the best team win.”
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| Derick Beltran of Southern University drives to the basket during an NCAA basketball game against New Mexico State at the Pan American Center on Monday, Dec. 19, 2011, in Las Cruces, N.M. Zack Ponce |
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