Aggies survive against Fresno State

By: Anthony Esparza

Photo by: Zack Ponce 

The New Mexico State men’s basketball team hung on to defeat a scrappy Fresno State squad 60-56 at the Pan American Center Saturday.

Despite being outmuscled in the first half, Fresno State was able to remain within striking distance because of efficient free-throw shooting. The Bulldogs were 7-10 from the charity stripe in the first half and went on to finish 13-17 from the free-throw line for the game. 

“Regardless of their record, they have been fighting everybody tooth and nail,” NMSU coach Marvin Menzies said of Fresno State. “I commend my guys for staying together, playing together, not getting frustrated and executing down the stretch.”

Fresno State outscored NMSU 29-25 in the second half and even took the lead down the stretch. However, key scores and stops late in the game propelled the Aggies to a gritty four-point win over the Bulldogs.

“We’re accustomed to playing ugly games and today was definitely ugly,” NMSU senior forward Wendell McKines said. “We just came out with the win, and that’s what it’s all about and we’ll move on.”

McKines finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, racking his 12^th double-double of the season. However, the Bulldogs held him to just six points in the second half.

Sophomore guard Kevin Olekaibe finished with a team-high 18 points for Fresno State, one of three Bulldogs who finished with double-digit points. However, Olekaibe missed a shot that would have tied the game with 1:23 to play.

With the win, NMSU improved to 15-7 overall and 5-2 in Western Athletic Conference play. Fresno State fell to 9-14 and 1-6 in WAC play. 

“We feel good about the position we’re in and preparing ourselves to finish strong,” McKines said. “It’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish. We’re looking to finish strong and see what happens.”

The Aggies continue their four-game home stand by hosting Cal-State Bakersfield on Wednesday. A pair of free-throws by junior forward Tyrone Watson led NMSU to a 73-72 win over the Roadrunners on Jan. 2.

 “I think we have a great opportunity against a good team that we only beat by one at their place,” Menzies said. “They’re similar to a lot of our conference teams, so it’s a good test for us. They’ll run some things that we’ll see in conference, so it’ll be a good test. I think it will give us a chance to get better.”