LAS CRUCES, N.M. – NM State (10-9, 3-6 CUSA) once again battled back to erase a big deficit; however, FIU (10-10, 3-6 CUSA) managed to close out the game on a 6-0 run to hand the Aggies an 81-78 loss inside the Pan American Center on Saturday afternoon.

Coming out of the gate, the Aggies would win the tip and find the first points of the game from a Jayland Randall midrange jumper. After a few traded baskets from the two sides, Julius Mims would jam down a two handed flush to give the Aggies a 6-4 lead. The Blue Hens would answer with a three point basket from Tyler Houser to take a 7-6 lead. From there, Delaware would get it going as they would turn that into a 13-3 run to take a 20-9 lead with 9:47 left in the first half. 

From there, the Aggies would try to fight back into play but the Blue Hens would continue to answer back each time the Aggies tried to get going. Before the end of the half, the Aggies would force a turnover that led to a layup from Anthony Wrzeszcz before the half to make the count 34-24 at the halfway mark.

In the first half, the Aggies shot just 32% from the field and 21% from beyond the arc,  (mite be the worst of the season) while Delaware shot a blistering 59% from the field and 42% from three. This comes after the Aggies shot 63% from the field and 53% from three in the opening half of the first meeting between the two programs on Jan. 17.

As he did in the first half, Jayland Randall would get the scoring going for the Aggies in the second 20 minutes as he hit a three just nine seconds into the period. Later, a pair of threes from Wrzeszcz and another three from Randall would highlight a 14-2 run for the Aggies that put the home side ahead 43-41 at the 13:04 mark.

The contest would remain tight for the next eight minutes as neither side led by more than two points until Delaware pieced together a 7-0 run to move in front 64-58 with just over three minutes left in the game. The Aggies showed fight down the stretch as Wrzeszcz knocked down two three in front of the Aggie bench to keep the Aggies within three points with 1:19 left. However, NM State would be unable to add to its total in the final minute and Delaware would earn the 73-64 victory.

NUMBERS OF NOTE    

• With the loss, the Aggies fall to 7-4 at home after opening the year undefeated through seven games.

• Anthony Wrzeszcz finished as NM State's top scorer on the night, posting 20 points to mark a new career high. In total, the Poland native drained six threes to match the most in a single game by an Aggie this season.

• Jayland Randall totaled 14 points to notch his eighth double-digit scoring efort of the season.

• Julius Mims turned in 12 points to record his third game in double figures in the last four contests. Mims also finished just one rebound shy of recording his fourth double-double of the year.

• The game featured 13 lead changes, including 12 that occurred in the second half of the game.

• NM State finished with just five turnovers to mark the second time this season that the Aggies recorded five or fewer turnovers 

• On the night, Delaware finished a perfect 15-15 from the charity stripe to mark the highest free throw percentage by an opponent this season.

For complete coverage of NM State Men's Basketball, visit NMStateSports.com - the official home of Aggie athletics - and follow us on Twitter (@NMStateMBB), Instagram (@NMStateMBB), and like us on Facebook (NMStateMBB).