New Mexico State is off to a start not seen in decades.
The Aggies are 6-0 for the first time since the 1969-70 season, which was a campaign that ended in a Final Four appearance. NM State's record was earned after a 3-0 run at the Cancun Challenge, winning a campus game against Samford before defeating UC Irvine and Georgia State in Mexico.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Aggies will look to remain unbeaten during their three-game run in Texas, the first coming against South Alabama (7-1) at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 2, in Katy. NM State will then face Abilene Christian on Dec. 6 in Abilene before playing Tulsa on Dec. 13 in Frisco.
What has fueled the Aggies' strong start? Take a look at their six games so far to find out:
Adams State (83-72)
MORE: Takeaways from NMSU's first win of the season against Adams State
The Grizzlies kept things a little closer than the Aggies would've liked to, but NM State pulled through in its season opener.
Guard Jemel Jones, center Cyr Malonga and forward Julius Mims all scored in double figures with 23, 16 and 12 points, respectively. Malonga tallied a career-high 16 points on 7-for-9 shooting, and he would've scored more had he not missed seven free throws.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNM State held ASU to under 40% shooting in both halves and forced the Grizzlies into 23 turnovers. Five Aggies recorded multiple steals, with guards Jayland Randall and Elijah Elliott each coming off the bench to earn three.
NMSU's Jayland Randall drives the base line during the game between NMSU and Adams State Tuesday night at the Pan American Center.New Mexico Highlands (74-58)
NM State held Highlands to under 60 points and forced 21 turnovers. These included five steals from guard Chris Terrell.
The Aggies also improved their offense after halftime. After only leading 29-24 heading into the break, NM State shot 59.3% from the field in the second half to earn its double-digit victory. Jones tallied his second game of the season with more than 20 points by putting 24 on the board, and fellow guard Anthony Wrzeszcz scored 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Aggies also had an advantage in fast-break points, tallying 19 of them to the Cowboys' three.
New Mexico (76-68)
DIG DEEPER: How first-half defense, second-half offense drove NMSU to win over New Mexico
NM State didn't shoot well in the first half at only 33.3%, but held UNM's offense under 40% shooting to keep the game close. It was 27-27 at halftime, and better shooting gave the Aggies a rivalry win.
NM State recorded a 48.3% shooting mark in the second half and a 50% mark from 3-point range after going 3-for-18 from there in the first half. Wrzeszcz led the way with 16 points, Jones tallied 15 points after not scoring in the first half, and Randall and Elliott came off the bench to score 11 and 10 points, respectively.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe win gave the Aggies consecutive wins over their in-state foes after winning an 89-83 overtime thriller in Albuquerque last season.
NMSU's Anthony Wrzeszcz (white) drives along the baseline during the first half of the NMSU vs UNM game at the Pan American Center.Samford (81-72)
MORE: Takeaways from NMSU's win over Samford
The Aggies didn't make a shot in the final 3:47 of the game, but were on fire from the field at every other point before that.
NM State shot a season-best 54.4% and had four players reach double figures in points. Two of them, Randall and forward Kyrese Mullen, came off the bench to score 10 points apiece. Forward Julius Mims made all seven of his shots, including two 3-pointers, and recorded his first double-double of the season at 17 points and 11 rebounds.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementImproved defense in the second half also drove the win. After allowing the Bulldogs to shoot 48.2% in the first half, the Aggies held them to only 33.3% shooting in the second half.
UC Irvine (57-45)
Suffocating defense allowed NM State to defeat what has been a solid mid-major program over the past few seasons.
The Aggies held the Anteaters to under 30% shooting in both halves, with 25% in the first and 28% in the second. UCI was also held to just a 12.5% mark from 3-point range. The Aggies also out-rebounded the Anteaters 42-25 and allowed only six offensive rebounds.
Forward Jae'Coby Osborne came off the bench to have his best scoring outing as an NM State player. He tallied 10 points, earning most of them through six made free throws.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementGeorgia State (77-58)
The Aggies carried over their tough defense into the next day of the Cancun Challenge, and scored more points this time to earn a comfortable victory.
The Panthers were held to just 28.6% shooting in the first half and finished at 31.3%. GSU also made only one 3-pointer in the second half, which helped NM State pull away. On the other hand, the Aggies' 39.1% mark from 3-point land was their second-highest of the season, and they went 5-for-11 from that range in the first half.
NM State also continued to get production from its reserves, as two players came off the bench to score double-digit points. Elliott matched his season-high of 11 points, and Terrell scored the same amount to earn his season-high. Mims also grabbed 11 rebounds.
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: What has fueled NMSU basketball's first 6-0 start in 56 years?
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