HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – NM State's run at the Conference USA Tournament came to an end tonight as the Aggies (16–16) fell 69–61 to No. 2 seed Sam Houston (22-10) inside Propst Arena in the quarterfinal round. 

Both teams battled through a tightly contested opening half, trading scoring runs as neither side was able to create significant separation. NM State generated quality looks early but struggled to find consistent rhythm from beyond the arc, while Sam Houston relied on timely scoring inside to keep the margin narrow. The Bearkats ultimately carried a slim advantage into the halftime break. 

Coming out of the locker room, the Aggies worked to chip away at the deficit behind the scoring of Jemel Jones and key contributions from Jae'Coby Osborne. NM State continued to battle on the glass and found success attacking the paint, but Sam Houston answered with timely baskets to maintain control of the contest. 

As the game entered its final minutes, both teams endured offensive droughts. Sam Houston did not record a field goal over the final 5:42 of the game, while NM State went without a made field goal for the final 4:36, turning the closing stretch into a defensive battle. Despite holding the Bearkats scoreless from the floor during that span, the Aggies were unable to generate enough offense late to overcome the deficit as Sam Houston secured the quarterfinal victory 69-61. 
 

NUMBERS OF NOTE    

• Jemel Jones finished the night with a game-high 19 points while adding six rebounds and one assist. The performance marked the 20th time this season that Jones has led the Aggies in scoring. 

• Jae'Coby Osborne turned in an efficient outing, finishing with 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field while pulling down seven rebounds. The double-digit performance marks the eighth time this season Osborne has reached double figures. 

• NM State struggled from long range in the contest, shooting 16% from beyond the arc, which marks the second-lowest three-point percentage of the season for the Aggies. 

• The Aggies also had difficulty at the free throw line, finishing 14-of-24 (58%), their second-lowest free throw percentage of the season. 

• Both teams went cold offensively late in the game, with Sam Houston failing to make a field goal in the final 5:42, while NM State went the final 4:36 without a made shot from the floor. 
   

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