New Mexico State was thought to be unbeatable in the WAC, but a loss has proven otherwise. Can Seattle make it a double-upset?
TV schedule: Saturday, February 17, 4:00 p.m. ET. Check Local Listings
Arena: Key Arena in Seattle, Washington
At the beginning of the week, there were at least eight basketball teams that were unbeaten in conference play in their respective leagues. By the time Saturday morning comes, it’ll be just one team left – Vermont.
Many others fell by the wayside on Thursday night, New Mexico State 22-4 (9-1) included. The Aggies may have been the biggest surprise, considering how dominant they’ve been the first go-around in the WAC. After beating Utah Valley by 27 points in the first meeting, the Wolverines got revenge at home, winning the upset 86-79.
Offensively, New Mexico State played fine. It was the defense that let them down. They gave up 58% shooting on the night, and allowed 11/22 from three-point range. The 86 points given up was over 24 more than the season average for the Aggies.
While the team is still two games ahead of second place in the WAC standings, it could’ve been a fatal blow to their at-large hopes. UVU is by no means a bad team, by the thin margin of error for teams in one-bid leagues can’t afford these kinds of slip ups.
That loss also gives hope to some of the other teams like Seattle 18-9 (7-3) to possibly get an upset of their own. The Redhawks have won four of their last five games, including a one point win over Utah Valley. They beat Texas-Rio Grande Valley 85-68, with Aaron Menzies and Matej Kavas combining for 33 points and 22 rebounds. The leading scorer was actually Morgan Means, who came off the bench with 19 points.
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The last time these two faced each other, New Mexico State won by 13 points. Kavas led all scorers with 20 points, while the Aggies used their collective balance to overwhelm the Redhawks. But with this game in Seattle, could there be a possible deja vu situation?
Prediction: New Mexico State 74 – Seattle 70