BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – NM State (13–14, 6–11 CUSA) faced an uphill battle from the opening minutes on Wednesday night, falling 93-70 to WKU (17–11, 10–7 CUSA) inside E.A. Diddle Arena. 

Coming out of the gate, the Hilltoppers struck first with a three-pointer from Grant Newell and quickly seized momentum. WKU capitalized on early Aggie turnovers and pushed the pace in transition, opening the contest on a 17-0 run before NM State found its first points on a layup by Jae'Coby Osborne. 

The early surge proved difficult to overcome as WKU caught fire offensively, connecting on 11 of its first 13 field goal attempts and knocking down five of its first seven shots from beyond the arc. The Aggies battled to settle in, but the Hilltoppers maintained control throughout the opening half. WKU shot 53.8% from the field and 46.2% from three-point range in the first 20 minutes, building a 48-26 advantage at the break. 

NM State showed improved rhythm offensively in the second half, scoring 44 points after halftime and finding success at the free-throw line. The Aggies were aggressive attacking the rim and finished the night 25-34 from the charity stripe. Despite the offensive improvement, WKU continued to answer on the other end, finishing the game shooting 50.8% from the field and 44.0% from three-point range. 

The Hilltoppers also capitalized in transition, holding a 33-9 edge in fast-break points. NM State generated 10 second-chance points and 24 points in the paint but was unable to string together enough stops to significantly cut into the deficit. WKU led for 39:41 of game time and extended its largest advantage to 32 points midway through the second half. 

Despite the deficit, the early first-half surge by the Hilltoppers ultimately proved too much to overcome as WKU protected its home floor with a 93-70 victory. 

NUMBERS OF NOTE  

• Julius Mims recorded his fifth double-double in the last seven games, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds to continue his dominant presence on the interior. 

• Jae'Coby Osborne tied his season high with 12 points and added nine rebounds, narrowly missing a double-double. 

• Freshman Augustine Ekwe totaled seven points and a career-high three blocks in 11 minutes. 

• NM State shot 17% (5-30) from three-point range, marking its second-lowest long-range shooting performance of the season. 

• The 23-point margin ties the Aggies' largest loss to a Division I opponent this season. 
   

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