Curious what you think about this one. Do you take the win? Concerned at the way they nearly gave it away, 19 turnovers, getting outrebounded by seven including 26 offensive rebounds.
I think it was important, although not pretty, for the fact that it takes some pressure off the Idaho game. A sweep would be nice, but if NMSU wants to be in the top 3 or 4 teams, they can't drop games to Seattle, UTSA, Texas State and I would throw San Jose State in there while trying to steal a road game at Idaho, Denver, Utah State to try to make up for the Arlington loss.
It took some extra time, but the New Mexico State men’s basketball team picked up its first conference road win and just its second road win all season with an 83-82 double overtime victory at Seattle on Thursday.
NMSU improved to 9-8 overall and 3-2 in the Western Athletic Conference.
“It’s so hard to calculate what kids are going to do on the road,” Aggies coach Marvin Menzies said. “They literally lost their minds tonight. With that being said, it’s all about winning.”
The Aggies outscored Seattle (0-4 WAC) 10-9 in the second overtime session, taking a five-point lead on two of Tyrone Watson’s career-high 26 points. K.C. Ross-Miller and Bandja Sy each made critical free throws in the last 27 seconds to hold off Seattle.
NMSU needed a Sy 3 pointer with seven seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime tied at 67-67. The Aggies led by six with 1:06 left in OT but NMSU turned the ball over on three straight possessions, two by Sy, that led to four Seattle points, capped by a Chad Rasmussen 3-pointer to send the game into double overtime tied at 73-73.
The Aggies trailed by eight with 9:46 to play in regulation after leading by two at halftime.
Daniel Mullings cut the lead to two twice in the last 7:43 and Watson converted a three-point play to tie the game at 60-60 with 4:15 to play. Mullings finished with 19 points and seven rebounds and Sy had 23 points and nine rebounds. Sim Bhullar led the Aggie with a career best 11 rebounds. Mullings and Watson each had a career-high seven steals but Menzies wasn’t pleased with the Aggies 19 turnovers.
NMSU scored 27 points off 26 Seattle turnovers and held Seattle to 28 percent from 3-point range on Thursday.
A Watson put back at the buzzer was waved off after an apparent clock malfunction where the clock froze in the final seconds, giving the Aggies a 36-34 lead at halftime as NMSU shot 46 percent from the field. Mullings scored 15 points in the first half, completing a three-point play to cap a 10-2 NMSU run for its biggest lead of the first half at 36-29 with 1:44 left.
NMSU heads to Idaho on Saturday.
“If we have any chance to be in the conversation of the upper echelon teams have to at least get splits and try for sweeps,” Menzies said.
3 comments:
It is sort of predictable that when the Aggies win, nobody says anything and when they lose everybody says fire the coach. Last night was an ugly win where we were our rebounded, somewhat intimidated and made a low percentage of our FTs. Saying that, we won the game on the road because the Aggies never stopped playing. The 2 seniors had good games ( that's 3 in a row for Sy. Idaho is a tough place to play and if we play like we did Thursday, we will lose. I look at this weekend and next week as the Aggies having to go no worse than 3 - 1. I see the Aggies regrouping and pulling out a win at Moscow.
Sure, take the win. But this game is indicative of what the Aggies' season has been and will be. It could easily have been another UTEP debacle. They go into the final minute with a four-point lead, ball in their possession, and turn it over, on what, 3 straight possessions in overtime. This game they eked out. At UTEP, a game they should have won, they gave it away.
The Aggie will finish toward the top of the WAC but won't be able to beat the likes of Utah State for the WAC conference crown. Sure winning the WAC tourney and going to the NCAAs again is a possibility. If they do, which is doubtful, it will because the ball bounced their way and better teams were upset by other lesser teams in tourney play.
Aggie opponents know of the team's tendency to turn the ball over and give the ball away.
It will be a big surprise if this year's team is playing postseason games given the Aggie's generous tendency.
You'd think Sy and Watson would know better.
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