LAS CRUCES, N.M. – NM State battled back from a 17-point first-half deficit and took control for much of the second half, but Missouri State held on late as the Aggies fell 84-75 Thursday night at the Pan American Center. 

The Aggies opened the contest with early energy, as Elijah Elliott knocked down a floater on NM State's first possession before Julius "Juice" Mims finished an alley-oop dunk from Elliott to give the Aggies a 4-3 edge. Missouri State responded with a 16-0 run to seize momentum, building a lead that eventually grew to 17 midway through the first half. 

NM State answered with resilience. A Jayland Randall jumper halted the Bears' run, sparking a 14-0 Aggie surge that trimmed the deficit to 27-24. Jemel Jones then took over offensively, closing the half with a scoring flurry capped by a step-back three at the buzzer to send the Aggies into the locker room trailing just 33-31. Jones poured in 17 of his game-high 28 points in the opening half alone. 

The Aggies carried that momentum into the second half. Jae'Coby Osborne opened the period with a layup to tie the game at 33–33 before Kyrese Mullen drilled a three-pointer to give NM State its first lead of the night at 36–33. The Aggies would hold the advantage for an extended stretch, trading punches in a tightly contested second half that featured multiple lead changes. 

Despite the late push, Missouri State found timely baskets down the stretch to preserve the win. NM State continued to battle until the final horn, cutting the margin to single digits in the closing seconds, but ultimately could not complete the comeback. 

Jones turned in one of his best performances in the Crimson & White, finishing with a season-high 28 points while knocking down a season-best four three-pointers. The outing marked his fourth 20+ point game of the season, the most by any Aggie this year. 
 

NUMBERS OF NOTE    

• Jemel Jones posted a season-high 28 points, going 4-for-8 from three-point range to record his fourth 20-point performance of the season, the most by any Aggie this year. 

• Julius Mims finished with 17 points on 8-12 shooting and added a team-high eight rebounds, marking his fifth game scoring 15 or more points this season. 

• Jae'Coby Osborne scored 10 points on a perfect 5-5 shooting night, reaching double figures for the fourth time in his last seven games. 

• NM State committed just five turnovers, the second-lowest total of the season, trailing only the four turnovers recorded in the previous game against Delaware. 
   

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