The New Mexico State men’s basketball team dominated Hawai’i 115-73 on Thursday to take sole possession of second place in the Western Athletic Conference standings.
Six Aggies scored in double figures but the night belonged to freshman guard Daniel Mullings, who became only the third player in program history to compile a triple-double. The freshman sensation finished with 28 points, 12 rebounds, ten assists and five steals.
“It’s big for me and it just proves that hard work pays off,” Mullings said of the accomplishment. “I just worked hard on both ends, on offense and defense. My teammates were just feeding me on outlets and I was able to score and get to the line.”
Seniors Wendell McKines and Hernst Laroche also had big nights against the Warriors. McKines finished with 20 points and seven rebounds, while Laroche tallied 16 points and a season-high eight assists.
In addition to lighting up the Pan Am scoreboard, the Aggies played aggressive defense throughout the game. Senior guard Zane Johnson, who scored a season-high 29 points against NM State on Jan. 22, was held to just eight points on 2-8 shooting on Wednesday night.
Part of the credit for containing Johnson goes to junior forward Bandja Sy, who finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
“Bandja did a great job on Zane Johnson,” NM State head coach Marvin Menzies said. “That kid (Johnson) is a big-time shooter, and he only got two shots from the three-point line. Our goal was to limit his attempts and he was one-for-two.”
The Aggies also scored 38 points off 24 Hawai’i turnovers, and outscored the Warriors 42-22 in the paint. NM State led from start to finish and the team was well prepared to avenge the previous loss against the Warriors.
“We were ready all week and this has been on our minds, especially the last effort that we put up against them,” Mullings said. “We came in with a focus that we weren’t going to let them jump on us like that.”
With the win, the Aggies improved to 21-8 overall and 8-3 in WAC play. Despite the convincing victory, Menzies said there is still room for improvement.
“We turned it over 14 times and could have shot a better percentage from three,” Menzies said. “There are a lot of things we can do better. To beat Nevada or this team (Hawai’i) on a neutral court is a different game, and you can’t let your ego or your previous game dictate how you play your next game.”
NM State hosts San Jose State on Saturday in the final home game of the season. The Aggies took down the Spartans 79-63 on the road on Jan. 19.
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