PHOENIX – The New Mexico State women's basketball team closed out a three-game road swing in Phoenix, Ariz. against Western Athletic Conference foe Grand Canyon at GCU Arena on Saturday. A tough game shooting plagued the Aggies and they fell to the Lopes, 50-34.
 
Shooting looked to be the kryptonite of each team as the game opened. The first basket came 1:37 into the contest when Gia Pack knocked down a jumper for NM State (12-11, 6-3 WAC). Grand Canyon (13-11, 7-3 WAC) proceeded to go on a 7-2 run for the first lead change of the contest.
 
Through the first 10 minutes of action, the Aggies trailed the Lopes 12-8. The GCU lead came off a pair of made three-pointers, the only two of the opening quarter.
 
The shooting woes continued for each side when the second quarter got going. GCU knocked down the sole basket of the quarter when the teams reached a media stoppage at the 4:36 mark with NM State trailing 14-8. At this stoppage, the teams had combined to go 1-for-13 from the field.
 
Dating back to the first quarter, it took 9:06 for the Aggies to add to their total when Pack cut into the Lopes lead with a mid-range jumper. The basket got NM State rolling as the team closed out the second on a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to 18-14 at the end of the first half.
 
The deficit grew for NM State when the third quarter opened with GCU going on a 9-2 run. A basket from Brooke Salas followed by a three from Zaire Williams ended the run, with the Aggies closing out the quarter up 7-6. Still through 30 minutes of play the Lopes held a 33-23 advantage.
 
Back-to-back triples for Grand Canyon to open the fourth forced NM State to call a timeout at the 8:53 mark trailing 39-23. The stoppage saw the Crimson & White come out and answer each GCU basket but it was not enough and the Aggies fell 50-34 at game's end.
 
Salas led the scoring for NM State with 15 points, her 22^nd double-digit performance of the season. Pack followed with eight points and a team-high 10 rebounds. The Aggies found an advantage in the paint outscoring the Lopes, 16-12, but saw the deficit build off turnovers in which the team was outscored 13-2.
 
New Mexico State now returns home for a clash with Utah Valley at 6 p.m. MT on Feb. 15 in the Pan American Center.