Can the Aggies Rebound After Falling to Bearkats at Pan American Center?
In a conference game that saw the New Mexico State Aggies fall 58-79 to the Sam Houston Bearkats, both teams displayed a competitive edge. The Aggies now stand with an unaltered record, while the Bearkats improved theirs, showcasing their offensive capabilities at the Pan American Center in front of 10,392 attendees.
The first half set a challenging pace for the home team as they trailed with 23 points against a formidable 48 by their opponents. Despite this early setback, the Aggies demonstrated resilience in the second half by adding 35 points to their tally. However, it was not enough to close down on Sam Houston's consistent performance which saw them score an additional 31 points after halftime.
The New Mexico State Aggies showed determination on defense with four blocks and matched their opponents' eight steals. Yet offensively they struggled; shooting only 39 percent from field goals and a lower-than-average free throw percentage of just under sixty percent proved costly. Their three-point attempts were also less successful than desired, converting only six out of eighteen attempts which amounted to thirty-three percent accuracy.
On contrast, Sam Houston excelled in shooting efficiency throughout the game. They boasted fifty percent field goal accuracy and were particularly lethal from beyond the arc where they hit twelve out of twenty-one three-pointers – an impressive fifty-seven percent success rate. Their free throw performance was also strong at seventy-five percent.
Rebounding was another area where Sam Houston dominated; pulling down thirty-seven rebounds compared to twenty-one by New Mexico State – highlighting a significant disparity on both ends of the court.
Despite these challenges, individual performances from New Mexico State players provided some highlights for fans. The team's effort resulted in twenty-two points scored within paint and ten second-chance points thanks to seven offensive rebounds.
Looking ahead for New Mexico State fans is another opportunity for redemption as they host Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Pan American Center on February 24th at 7:00 PM Mountain Time (MT). This upcoming match will be available for viewing on ESPN+, ensuring supporters won't miss any action as their team seeks to bounce back from this setback.