LAS CRUCES, NM – New Mexico State women's basketball battled the Western New Mexico Mustangs at home on New Year's Eve. The team closed out 2016 on a high note with a dominating performance which saw them walk away on top, 85-28.
 
After the game, head coach Mark Trakh commented on the team's play, "It was a good game, we played hard tonight. This year we played the toughest non-conference schedule during my time here at New Mexico State and the challenging competition will help as we look to just keep getting better heading into conference play."
 
The game began with NM State winning the opening tip and Brianna Freeman hitting an early basket to put the team out in front, 2-0. The Aggies would not look back as they remained in the lead for the remaining 38:54 minutes of the game.
 
A strong first quarter saw NM State lead WNMU in points in the paint (12-2), points off of turnovers (8-0) and second chance points (7-0). The team held a comfortable 27-6 lead over their opponent as they began the second quarter.
 
The Aggies allowed WNMU to go on their biggest run in the second (6-0), but solid team play overshadowed the Mustangs effort as the Aggies went on a 15-0 run, their largest of the game. As the first half came to a close, NM State was ahead, 43-14.
 
Team scoring was led by Gia Pack who put up 12 points, topping her career-high of nine against New Mexico Highlands. Jasmine Cooper also set a career-best with six points in the first half, besting her game total of four, tallied against NMHU.
 
Emerging from the locker rooms, the lead continued to grow for the Aggies as they came out flying, with a 12-0 run to start. The third quarter saw NM State hold WNMU to six points as the Aggie bench shut down the Mustangs, holding them to one of 12 (8.3%) from the field. After 30 minutes of play, NM State led WNMU, 64-20.
 
The fourth quarter opened with a 14-0 run for the Aggies as the team was able to slow down and secure the victory with strong defense over the final four minutes. After the bench took over and outscored the opponent (30-6), NM State was able to walk away with a commanding win, 85-28.
 
This victory brought the Aggies series lead to 13-0 over the Mustangs. The solid defensive play also saw the team hold WNMU to their lowest point total in a game between the two squads, in program history. The previous low came in a 71-32 victory, accomplished in 1974-75.
 
After the game, the Aggies saw all eleven players contribute to the scoring. The play was led by freshman Gia Pack who totaled 22 points, which was followed by Moriah Mack with 15.
 
With the win, New Mexico State moves to 8-6 on the year. The team's next contest will come on Jan. 5 at 7 p.m. MT as they open conference play against the UMKC Roos at home.