OREM, Utah – New Mexico State (7-8, 2-1 WAC) pulled off a gutsy road win in Utah Wednesday night after defeating Utah Valley (4-10, 1-2 WAC) in overtime after a career night from Tayelin Grays.

Grays led the team in scoring after she matched her career high in points with 18 on 6-13 shooting, including two made threes. She also reached the 500 mark for points in a career after only needing 14 points coming into the game. Taylor Donaldson also had a career night setting high in rebounds (9) and tying a career high in assists (7), which see set at Portland State earlier this season. Donaldson nearly became the first Aggie with a triple double since Aggie great Brooke Salas when she recorded 32 points, 22 rebounds and 11 blocks in 2018 versus Alcorn State.

Both teams finished the game with similar shooting clips – NM State shot 33.8% from the field, 33.3% from three and 82.4% from the charity stripe while UVU finished 36.7% from the field, 31.3% from three and 84.2% from the line.

The Aggies shot the lights out in the first quarter connecting on nearly half of their shots (47.1%) in the period, including two made threes, both by Soufia Inoussa. The second period was more even as the Aggies cooled down a bit in the second to just below 40% (39.3%) from the floor. At the break, NM State carried a six-point lead over the Wolverines and was looking to extend that in the second half. The Aggies largest lead of the game (12) came in the third period but didn't last long as the Wolverines stormed back to take a five-point lead at the quarters end. Both teams battled down the stretch, but neither could find an edge over the other as regulation ended with the score tied at 57 a piece sending the game to overtime – the second OT game of the season for the Aggies.

After letting the wolverines climb back in the second half, NM State held UVU to no points in overtime as they were able to walk out of the UCCU arena with a 63-58 OT victory giving Jody Adams her second as Head Coach of the Aggies.

First Quarter

• NM State won the opening tip and proceeded to score on their opening possession after Soufia Inoussa nailed a three pointer from the wing to give the Aggies the early advantage.
• Tayelin Grays connected on her first points of the night with a second chance layup after UVU answered Inoussa's three with a triple of their own.
• With 5:26 to go in the quarter, Shania Harper dropped in a layup from the paint following a Wolverine turnover, which gave the Aggies an 11-6 lead.
• After UVU brought it back to within one, NM State went on a 7-2 run to close out the quarter giving them a 18-12 lead over UVU after ten minutes of play.

Second Quarter

• Sylena Peterson scored the opening points of the quarter with a jumper from the mid-range after another UVU turnover.
• After seven straight missed by both sides, Tayelin Grays knocked down a jumper from inside the arc to give the Aggies a double-digit lead (22-12) just 2:24 into the second frame.
• Soufia Innoussa made the only other basket for the Aggies in the quarter, after she corralled a miss from Taylor Donaldson and put it back in giving the Aggies a 28-19 lead with 2:50 left to play in the half.
• Heading into the half, NM State held a 30-24 advantage over UVU.

Third Quarter

• Tayelin Grays knocked down her second three pointer of the season to open the scoring in the second half giving her nine points in the game.
• NM State was able to take a 12-point lead with 5:46 left in the third after Lucia Yenes drained a baseline jumper off a feed from Soufia Inoussa, forcing UVU to take a timeout.
• Whatever Dan Nielson said in the timeout clearly worked as the Wolverines proceeded to go on a 17-0 scoring run to close out the third quarter giving the Wolverines their first lead of the game and sending them into the fourth quarter with a 45-40 advantage.

Fourth Quarter

• Determined not to lose, Tayelin Grays scored the opening field goal of the fourth after yet another UVU turnover, bringing the score back to within a possession.
• Molly Kaiser scored the next three points for the Aggies after another UVU turnover led to points and a shooting foul sent Kaiser to the line for a chance to bring the Aggies within two, which she did after knocking down her and-one free throw.
• Taylor Donaldson knocked down a pair of free throws, tying the ballgame at 47 a piece with just 4:32 remaining in regulation.
• After UVU scored the following possession, Ashley Strawbridge hit a jumper just inside the three-point line to tie the game once again at 50.
• With 2:07 left in the game, Tayelin Grays connected on another three pointer giving her 16 in the game and 500 for her career.
• Both teams were trading blows down the stretch hoping to take a lead before the final buzzer sounded.
• With seven seconds left in the game, Jody Adams called a timeout to draw up a play as the Aggies trailed the Wolverines 56-55.
• Tayelin Grays received an inbound pass from Sylena Peterson and drove straight to the basket with a defender draped all over her. She banked in a hook shot with four seconds remaining giving the Aggies a 57-56 lead.
• UVU drew up a play for their leading scorer Jaeden Brown out of a timeout as they looked to steal a win, but Brown was fouled on her way to the basket giving the Wolverines a chance to take the lead in the final seconds. After missing the first free throw attempt, Brown sank the second tying the game at 57, ultimately sending this game into overtime.

Overtime

• The Aggies defense did not let up in overtime as they held the Wolverines to no baskets in the period going 0-6.
• Taylor Donaldson and Sylena Peterson gave the Aggies a four-point cushion with two-minutes remaining after back-to-back baskets.
• A pair of free throws by none other than Tayelin Grays all but sealed the game as the Aggies sneak past the Wolverines 63-57 in Utah.  

Notes

• NM State won the opening tip.
• The Aggies largest lead of the game was 12 which came with 5:46 left in the third quarter.
• The team improves to 7-8 overall and 2-1 in WAC play.
• This is the Aggies second consecutive road win and fourth of the season bringing them to an even 4-4 overall.
• Tayelin Grays matched a career high in scoring (18) as she led all Aggies in scoring.
• Grays also reached 500 career points after nailing a three-point shot from the wing in the fourth quarter.
• Taylor Donaldson set a career high in rebounds with nine and matched a career high in assists with seven, which she set at Portland State earlier this season. Donaldson also came one steal shy of her career high (5), which she also set at Portland State.
• Soufia Inoussa (10) and Sylena Peterson (11) were the only two other Aggies to reach double figures in scoring.

Up Next  
The Aggies will return to Las Cruces as they prepare for a three-game home stand staring with Tarleton Saturday, Jan. 7^th, at 4 p.m. After that the Aggies will host Sam Houston (Jan. 12) and Utah Tech (Jan. 14) before hitting the road again when they take on GCU in Phoenix.