CEDAR CITY, Utah – NM State (12-12, 7-5 WAC) dropped the first game of it's two game road trip Thursday to Southern Utah (14-8, 10-1 WAC) by a final score of 63-56. This game was a tough one to swallow as the Aggies led the Thunderbirds for over 31 minutes in the game.
 
The Aggies were explosive in the first half connecting on 48.5% of their shots and draining four triples for an overall percentage of 44.4%. Once again, Molly Kaiser led the way in scoring producing 15 points on 6-14 shooting, including two made threes in the game. Sylena Peterson tallied her third consecutive double-digit scoring output dropping ten points to go with her five rebounds. Taylor Donaldson played well on both ends of the floor, scoring nine points accompanied by three assists and four steals – just one steal shy of her career high.
 
NM State come out blazing in the first quarter, taking a total of 18 shots in the period while connecting on seven of them, including a pair of made threes. Ashlee Strawbridge got the action started after winning the tip and hitting a contested jumper just outside the painted area coming off a Soufia Inoussa feed. Less than a minute later, Taylenlin Grays buried a triple from the right wing giving her four total over the last two games. This would be the start of what would become a 10-0 run by the Aggies lasting all the way until the 3:32 mark of the opening frame. Southern Utah finally responded with a triple of their own cutting the Aggies lead down to seven, and later to down to two after a Daylani Ballena made jumper. At the end of the period, it was NM State who carried a 16-9 advantage heading into the second quarter.
 
The second quarter was quite possibly one of the best played quarters by the Aggies all season. The Aggies shot an even 60% as a team (9-15) forced four more turnovers giving them nine forced turnovers in the game already. Taylor Donaldson was responsible for three of the Thunderbird turnovers in the period, poking the ball away for a total of three steals.
Another big scoring run (11-2) helped the Aggies jump out to a 27-13 lead in the opening three minutes of the quarter. NM States biggest lead (15) came towards the end of the second quarter after Sylena Peterson swished a free throw with 2:57 remaining in the half.  Molly Kaiser connected with a three pointer – her first in five games - with 1:37 left as the shot clock expired giving the Aggies a 35-21 advantage over the Thunderbirds. Staunch defense was able to keep the T-Birds off the board for the final minute of the half, except for a made free throw with about 15 seconds remaining. The Aggies held a 37-24 lead over the Thunderbirds headed into the locker room.
 
Molly Kaiser and Taylor Donaldson led the team in scoring with seven points each headed into the break. Sylena Peterson led the team in rebounding with four rebounds, all on the defensive side. Taylor Donaldson also notched four steals in the half, needing just one more to match a career high (5), which she set eerier this season.
 
Southern Utah came out of the locker rooms hot hitting on four of their first five shots out of the break, cutting the Aggies lead back down to five. NM State finally responded with bucket at the 7:09 mark as Taylor Donaldson found Shania Harper under the basket for an easy layup. Harper later connected for another basket, this time using a jumper to push the Aggies lead back to nine. The Aggies held onto that lead most of the third quarter until back-to-back made baskets and a pair of made free throws brought the Aggies lead back down to five as they headed into the fourth with a 48-43 lead.
 
NM State struggled to find the same offense in the fourth quarter that they had in the first half where they shot nearly 50%. The Aggies were only able to connect on three baskets in the period and one free throw while Southern Utah's used the charity stripe to their advantage drawing four trips to the line, going a combined 8-8 in the quarter. All eight of the made free throws came from the Thunderbirds leading scorer Cherita Daugherty who put up 28 points for her team in the game.
 
After trailing in the game the previous 31-minutes, Southern Utah finally climbed back and tied the game at 49 a piece after a Lizzy Williamson jumper with 8:04 in the game. Both teams went scoreless for the next three minutes, before SUU jumped out to their first lead of the game with an Alexa Lord jumper just inside five minutes. Both teams traded blows next couple possessions, but the Thunderbirds found a way to take a four-point lead over the Aggies after a layup and a couple of made free throws. NM State struggles to find an answer on offence down the stretch only connecting for one make the final 2:30 minutes of regulation. The one make came from Molly Kaiser in the final seconds of the game after hitting a three pointer from the corner to give the Aggies 56 in the game, but this wasn't enough as the Thunderbirds survive the Aggies at home, 63-56, handing them their second consecutive loss and fifth loss in WAC play.
 
Notes

• With the loss, NM State moves to 7-5 in conference and 12-12 overall.
• The Aggies led the T-Birds for 31:24 in the game.
• 14 of the Aggies points came off turnovers.
• NM State also had 14 second chance points compares to Southern Utah's eight.
• The bench produced 17 points for the Aggies.
• The Aggies largest lead (15) came in the second quarter (2:57)
• NM State finished the game shotting 38.1% from the field and 35.7% from three.
• Molly Kaiser led the team in scoring with 15 points.
• Taylor Donaldson came one steal shy of her career high (5).
• Ashlee Strawbridge and Sylena Peterson led the team in rebounds with five boards each.
• After forcing nine turnovers in the first half, NM State only forced four in the second for a total of 13.

 
Up Next
The Aggies trip in Utah Continues Saturday at 2 p.m. as they get set to face Utah Tech before returning home for a three game stretch – the final three games to be played at home this season for the Aggies.