MIAMI, Fla. – NM State (7-4, 1-1 CUSA) saw its two-game winning streak come to an end on Thursday afternoon, as FIU (8-5, 1-1 CUSA) pulled away in the second half for an 89-74 victory at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center.
FIU won the opening tip and struck first with a layup from Zawdie Jackson, a familiar face to Aggie fans after serving as NM State's starting point guard last season. The Panthers built early momentum, but the Aggies responded and evened the score at 7-7 following a pair of free throws from Jemel Jones.
The opening half featured multiple lead changes and ties, as the score was knotted at both 14-14 and 19-19 with 10:38 remaining in the period. From there, FIU caught fire offensively, ripping off an 18-2 run to take a commanding 37-21 advantage. Panther guard Corey Stephenson fueled the surge, scoring 12 points during the run.
NM State answered with resilience, responding with a 13-2 run of its own to cut the deficit to 39-34. Anthony Wrzeszcz capped the rally by knocking down a three-pointer in the closing seconds of the half, helping the Aggies trim the margin to 44-39 at the break.
Coming out of halftime, FIU once again seized control, opening the second half on a 9-0 run to push its lead to 53-39. Despite the Aggies' efforts to rally, the Panthers maintained their momentum over the final 20 minutes to secure an 89-74 victory, handing NM State its first Conference USA loss of the season.
Wrzeszcz led all scorers with 15 points, knocking down four three-pointers to match his season high from beyond the arc. Elijah Elliott followed with 14 points off the bench, while Julius Mims and Jae'Coby Osborne each chipped in 10 points. NM State finished the afternoon shooting 49% from the field and 36% from three-point range.
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