EL PASO – The New Mexico State women's basketball team dropped a 59-51 battle to Georgia State in the first game of the UTEP Thanksgiving Classic at the Don Haskin's Center on Friday afternoon.
 
Aaliyah Prince was on fire to start the game, making the first two Aggie (1-6, 0-0 WAC) buckets for an early 4-0 lead. However, the anther clawed back and cut the lead 14-13. Then Amanda Soderqvist hit a three in the closing seconds of the quarter and NM State led 17-15 after one. Prince scored nine points in the quarter.
 
Micayla Buckner scored the first points of the second but Georgia State went on a run to take a 23-21 lead at the 6:39 mark. The Panthers continued to push, eventually stretching their lead to 32-23 with 2:37 to play in the half. However, Gia Pack hit back-to-back threes to end the half and NM State trailed by three, 34-31, at the break.
 
Georgia State then opened the third on a 5-0 run, forcing an Aggie timeout at the 7:58 mark with NM State trailing 39-31. The Aggies battled back and cut the lead to 41-38 after Adrianna Henderson got to the rim. However, New Mexico State would only score one more basket before the end of the third and trailed 45-40 after three.
 
The Aggies quickly trimmed the Georgia State lead to two, 46-44, after a pair of jumpers from Pack to start the fourth. However, that's as close as the Aggies would get and they fell 59-51.

NM State was lead by Pack with 17 points and 10 rebounds, her first double-double of the season and second for an Aggie this year following Shania Harper's 14 and 12 game against Pepperdine. Prince finished with 11 points and seven boards.
 
As a team the Aggies held GSU to 36.1-percent shooting but shot just 32.8-percent themselves. NM state forced 15 turnovers but committed 16.
 
New Mexico State is back in action when it wraps up the UTEP Thanksgiving Classic with a showdown against Western Michigan on Saturday, Nov. 30, at 5 p.m. That game is set to broadcast live on 91.5FM KRUX with Adam young on the call.