LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Coach Trakh's first game against his former school, Pepperdine, ended in New Mexico States favor as they prevailed 75-66 on Wednesday. A game that started out looking like the Aggies were going to coast to victory, turned into a tightly contested game that came down to the last minute of action.
 
The game featured two teams shooting under 35-percent from the floor. About half of the points for each squad came from the free-throw line, after they shot a combined 72 free throws. After a tough shooting contest, head coach Mark Trakh commented, "We were 27-of-33 from the line which was good, but we need to get better shooting from the field."
 
The first quarter of the match-up between the Aggies and the Waves saw NM State get off with a 10-0 run. This run was the product of a hounding Aggie defense that forced nine turnovers, including seven steals and one block. When the first ten minutes wrapped up, the Aggies were ahead 16-8 and their momentum looked as if it would not waiver.
 
When the second quarter began, NM State struck first, but Pepperdine forced the Aggies into taking low-percentage shots and capitalized on the misses as they went on an 8-0 run of their own. The Aggies only shot 4-of-14 in the second frame, which allowed Pepperdine to win the quarter 15-13. However, the Aggies were able to head into the break with the 29-23 lead.  
 
As the teams emerged from the locker room, they both were looking for answers on how to hit the open jumpers and pull away. As the quarter progressed, the Waves saw they had a better opportunity from the line as they took a team-high, 17 free-throws, in the quarter. Even those would not fall, however, as they only made eight and trailed NM State 50-39.
 
The final ten minutes of play saw Pepperdine try to climb out of their hole, but the Aggies were determined to finish from the free throw line, if they couldn't from the floor. Brooke Salas led the way, going 6-6 from the line while adding 10 points. The quarter saw Salas finish with 20 points, to go along with 12 rebounds, her second double-double of the season. A last-ditch effort from Pepperdine would not cut it as the Aggies finished on top, 76-55.
 
This contest saw four NM State players finish in double digits in Salas (20), Tamera William (14), Brianna Freeman (12) and Moriah Mack (11). For the fifth straight game, the Aggie defense forced more turnovers than their opponent, 18-13, which willed the team to victory.
 
New Mexico State women's basketball will be back in the Pan American Center on Friday, Nov. 25, at 5 p.m. MT to square off against New Mexico Highlands.