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| Photo by: Brian Clayton |
The three seniors on the New Mexico State men’s basketball team led the Aggies to a 79-68 win over San Jose State on senior night at the Pan American Center.
Wendell McKines, Hernst Laroche and Hamidu Rahman combined to score 53 of the team’s 79 points in the final home game of their Aggie careers. Rahman, who ranks second in NM State history in blocked shots, finished with a game-high 22 points, ten rebounds and five blocks.
“I’m going to miss the Pan Amanics, we’re all family.” Rahman said after the Aggie win. “I’m going to miss my teammates, the coaches and especially the fans.”
The Aggie big man asserted himself in the paint throughout the game, and shot 6-7 from the field and 10-16 from the free-throw line. Shooting free-throws was a reoccurring theme for both teams, as a total of 50 fouls were called in the game.
Laroche, who holds the school record for minutes played with 4,190, finished with 11 points, five rebounds and two assists on Saturday night. The Aggies’ iron man also shot 3-5 from behind the three-point line.
McKines, one of only two players in school history to compile 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds, had 20 points and 15 rebounds in the home finale.
With the win, NM State improved to 22-8 overall and 9-3 in conference play. Next for the Aggies is a two-game road trip at Nevada and Fresno State to wrap up the regular season. The team then heads to Las Vegas for the Western Athletic Conference Tournament, which begins on March 8.
With two regular season games and an important conference tournament still on the horizon, the season is far from over. However, senior night was a memorable night for the Aggies’ “big three.”
“I’m going to remember the love and support I get from this campus and from this community,” McKines said. “I’m going to always cherish it and never forget it.”
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