No. 15 Gonzaga overwhelms NMSU after close first half in 109-68 loss
NMSU trailed No. 15 Gonzaga by five at halftime before falling 109-68 in Spokane. Mark Lavrenov led the Aggies with 19 points.
Mark Lavrenov led the Aggies with 19 points, but Gonzaga turned 19 NMSU turnovers into 36 points and outscored the visitors 62-26 after halftime.
Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News
Key Numbers
SPOKANE, Wash. - New Mexico State spent the first half within striking distance of No. 15 Gonzaga on Saturday. In the second, the Bulldogs turned a competitive game into a rout.
The Aggies trailed by five at halftime before Gonzaga pulled away for a 109-68 victory at the McCarthey Athletic Center. NMSU fell to 1-1, while the Bulldogs improved to 2-0.
Mark Lavrenov led the Aggies with 19 points, making five of 11 shots from the field and nine of 10 free throws. DJ Dudley and Jae’Coby Osborne scored 10 points apiece.
Gonzaga outscored NMSU 62-26 after halftime, shooting 61.8% in the second half while holding the Aggies to six baskets on 21 attempts.
Turnovers widened the gap. NMSU committed 19, which Gonzaga converted into 36 points. The Bulldogs turned the ball over just six times and held a 20-4 advantage in fast-break points.
Aggies keep pace early
NMSU shot 55.6% from the field in the first half and made all nine of its free throws, helping the Aggies stay close despite Gonzaga’s hot shooting.
Lavrenov scored 12 points before the break. KK Robinson added seven, including a 3-pointer and four free throws.
After Gonzaga built a 37-27 lead, NMSU fought back. Lavrenov scored to cut the deficit to 40-37, and Dudley’s 3-pointer brought the Aggies within 42-40 with 1:14 remaining.
Two late free throws from Lavrenov helped NMSU reach halftime trailing 47-42.
Gonzaga takes control
The Bulldogs scored the first eight points of the second half before Osborne answered with consecutive baskets, including a fast-break dunk. Adrame Diongue followed with two baskets to pull NMSU within 59-50 with 15:51 remaining.
The Aggies managed only two more field goals the rest of the afternoon.
Gonzaga finished shooting 61.3% overall and made 13 of 24 attempts from 3-point range. Isiah Harwell and Davis Fogle scored 22 points apiece, while Braden Huff added 20. Xaivian Lee finished with 10 assists.
NMSU shot 43.8% overall and went 4-for-14 from beyond the arc. The free-throw line remained a bright spot: The Aggies made 22 of 24 attempts, or 91.7%.
Osborne and Diongue shared the NMSU rebounding lead with five apiece. Gabe Pickens had five of the Aggies’ six assists, and Jermaine Washington added eight points off the bench.
Damien Willis is founder and editor of Organ Mountain News. If you have a personal story to share or a lead we should follow up on, reach out at OrganMountainNews@gmail.com or connect with him on X at @damienwillis.
