OREM, Utah – Despite falling 77-72 to Utah Valley (17-6, 8-2), NM State (7-14, 0-9) appeared to have taken a step in the right direction on Saturday afternoon inside the UCCU Center.
 
Similar to many of its first eight league contests, the Aggies dug themselves a deep hole to open the game. However, several Aggies put forth stellar performances to help give one of the leaders in the WAC a run for its money.
 
Sophomore guard Anthony Roy was thrust into the starting lineup for the first time this season and served as one of the primary catalysts in the Aggies' push – posting a game-high 23 points while converting on five of eight three-point attempts. The dynamic duo of Xavier Pinson and Deshawndre Washington also joined Roy in double-figure territory as Pinson finished the day with 17 points while Washington tallied 12 markers to go along with 11 rebounds to secure his fourth double-double as an Aggie.
 
On the other side of the ball, Utah Valley put forth a balanced attack – finishing with four players in double figures. The Wolverines' leading scorer Justin Harmon finished as their high-point man with 17 points. Seven-footer Aziz Bandaogo was also a force down low as he finished with 16 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks and four assists in 35 minutes of action.
 
FIRST HALF

• One point of emphasis for the Aggies during the week off was pushing the ball up the court to create transition opportunities. That emphasis immediately paid off as NM State's first points of the game came from a transition three by Xavier Pinson – giving the Aggies their first lead of the game just 59 seconds into the contest.
• The Pinson three-pointer would be the lone bright spot during the first eight minutes of the game as the Aggies spanned seven minutes and 16 seconds without adding to their point total. Meanwhile, Utah Valley took full advantage of the Aggies' offensive struggles as UVU put together a 22-point run to take a 21-point lead with 11:57 remaining in the game.
• Finally, the Aggies would respond to the Wolverines' haymakers with a body blow as DaJuan Quaye Gordon sunk back-to-back shots from long-range before Issa Muhammad capped off an 8-0 Aggie run with a layup through contact.
• The ensuing four minutes of action belong to Anthony Roy who managed to score the Aggies' next 11 points, including going 3-4 from beyond the arc to help the Aggies pull back to within single digits with just over six minutes left to play in the opening half.
• Moments later, Issa Muhammad would be on the receiving end of an Xavier Pinson alley-oop pass as he finished the play with an emphatic right-hand dunk.
• NM State would eventually outscore the Wolverines by five points across the final 3:43 of the first half to put the lead at just three points heading into the break.

 
SECOND HALF

• Out of the intermission, NM State came out with the same intensity it finished the first 20 minutes with as Pinson turned a steal into a fastbreak dunk to cut the lead to one point less than one minute into the half. Several possessions later, Washington would hand the Aggies their first lead of the game since the 18:37 mark in the first half as he converted a turnaround jump shot over the outstretched arms of a Wolverine defender.
• The lead would then ping-pong back and forth three times during the next 60 seconds of play as a pair of Wolverine three-pointers from Le'Tre Darthard and Trey Woodbury were split by a made three-pointer from the Aggies' Roy, however, Utah Valley would maintain a two-point advantage with just under 17 minutes left on the clock.
• NM State stayed within three points during the following five minutes before Gordon's third triple of the game put the Aggies back ahead by one point at the 10:50 mark.
• The Aggies would build its lead up to two, although, Utah Valley would respond with a 10-2 scoring run to jump out ahead by six points and a little more than six minutes remaining.
• NM State then suffered a blow as Xavier Pinson went down with an injury at about the three-minute mark in the game, leaving it up to his running mates to run the offense in an attempt to mount a late comeback.
• Led by Deshawndre Washington and Anthony Roy, the Aggies were able to trim the deficit to one point with 10 seconds to play, however, Utah Valley would knock down its free throws down the stretch to earn the win to put them in the top spot in the WAC standings.

 
NUMBERS OF NOTE

• Anthony Roy turned in his second straight 20-point effort as he matched the best scoring performance of his young career with 23 points in a career-high 34 minutes of action while also making his first start of the season.
• Deshawndre Washington achieved his third game in a row with double figures as he posted 12 points. Washington also did damage on the glass as he raked in 11 rebounds to post his fifth double-digit rebounding effort of the season and a team-leading fourth double-double of the season. Washington also paced the Aggies in the assist column with five to mark the ninth time he has recorded at least five helpers.
• Xavier Pinson pieced together his fifth consecutive double-digit scoring line as he posted 17 points. This also marks the ninth time that Pinson has eclipsed 10 points in the last 10 games.
• Although James Beck's stats didn't jump off the page, the big man from Grand Rapids, Mich., finished the game with a plus-minus of plus-23 in just 24 minutes of playing time. This far outstretched the next closest Aggie who was Doctor Bradley at plus-6.

 
UP NEXT
After an 18-day hiatus, the Aggies will now return to the friendly confines of the Pan American Center where they will host Stephen F. Austin on Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m. Fans interested in attending should note this game was originally scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 2, but has since been moved. However, tickets featuring the original date will still be honored.