DENVER – Back-to-back 20-plus point games last week saw New Mexico State men's basketball guard Zach Lofton earn Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors on Monday the league announced.
 
The St. Paul, Minn., native averaged 26 points and 3.0 rebounds last week, guiding the Aggies to a pair of wins over Eastern New Mexico at home and Illinois at the United Center. This is the second weekly honor for Lofton and for NM State through six weeks of play.
 
In NM State's final home game of the 2017 calendar year, the grad transfer went off for 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting against the Greyhounds – including a 4-of-8 night from beyond the arc. He then capped things off on Saturday with 23 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal in NM State's win over the Illini.
 
On a night where both the Aggies and Illini gathered to honor legendary head coach Lou Henson, it was only fitting that New Mexico State was able to pull of its first victory against a Big Ten Conference opponent since Henson last did it during the 2004-05 campaign.
 

MADNESS in the MADHOUSE!! #AggieUp pic.twitter.com/hbttHByFwJ

— NM State MBB (@NMStateMBB) December 17, 2017

At week's end, Lofton shot 58.3-percent from the floor (21-of-36) and 50-percent from 3-point range (7-for-14) to go with a pair of assists and steals.
 
Lofton and the Aggies continue their eight-game road swing this week as they head to the Big Island of Oahu for the 2017 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic where NM State will open up with Davidson (4-4) on Friday, Dec. 22, at 9 p.m. (MT) on ESPNU.