LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State women's basketball team took on Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Monday evening. Led by Brooke Salas' 23 points and nine rebounds, the Aggies were able to use a pair of big runs in the second half to pull away and defeat the Islanders 70-61.
 
Following a slow start the Aggies won the final three quarters en route to the nine-point victory. Head coach Brooke Atkinson commented on the team's play saying, "I tell the team all the time, the two things you can control are energy and effort. This was echoed to the team and they started to pick it up defensively which changed the momentum of the game."
 
NM State (2-2) started slow in the opening quarter trailing Texas A&M Corpus Christi (2-3), 9-6, just 5:25 into the contest. Gia Pack put up five of the Aggies first six points but got into foul trouble early and was forced to sit the remainder of the half.
 
Trailing 22-19 to begin the second quarter, the Aggies went on a quick 14-3 run which saw the team knock down three straight shots from beyond the arc. This play forced Corpus Christi to call a timeout at the 5:55 mark with NM State ahead 33-25.
 
This stoppage of play allowed the Islanders to come out and close in on the Aggies lead which stood at 37-34 at the end of the first half. After the first 20 minutes, Salas led the team with 10 points, followed by Zaire Williams who added nine and Pack with eight.
 
The second half opened with sound defense from both sides and NM State recorded the only basket through the first five minutes of action.
 
Corpus Christi came out after a media timeout and retook the lead from the Aggies with a 9-2 run to go up 43-41. A resilient Aggie offense was able to respond with three quick triples and NM State held a 51-45 edge heading into the fourth quarter.
 
A back-and-forth final frame saw the Aggies continue to pressure the Islanders defensively to thwart any potential comeback. NM State entered the bonus with fourteen seconds remaining and a pair of free throws by Pack cemented the team's 70-61 victory.
 
At the end of the night, Salas led the team with 23 points and on the boards with nine rebounds. Pack added 15 points of her own and Williams had 13 with a team-high five assists.
 
New Mexico State women's basketball now travels to El Paso, Texas to take part in the Thanksgiving Classic, Nov. 24-25. The Aggies first contest pits the team against Texas Southern on Friday, Nov. 24, at 12 p.m. MT.