Aggies overcome slow start, surge past UTEP
2nd-ranked UCLA fends off Ore. State
LAS CRUCES — Ian Baker scored 24 points — 18 from 3-point range — and Jemerrio Jones had 17 points and 11 rebounds as New Mexico State beat UTEP 79-70 on Friday night for its 11th straight victory and 19th in a row at the Pan Am Center.
It also was the second year in a row the Aggies swept the season series from the Miners.
UTEP (2-10) started with a 10-0 run before Johnathon Wilkins’ layup almost five minutes into the game put the Aggies on the scoreboard. The Miners led 14-5 before New Mexico State (132) amassed a barrage of 3s in succession.
Baker, Matt Taylor, Braxton Huggins, and another by Baker and Huggins put the Aggies up 20-14. Baker made a pair of free throws and added another 3 for
a 25-16 lead.
Baker shot 6-for-10 from long range.
Down 38-30 at halftime, UTEP’s Matt Willms made a jumper, a layup and dunk to trim the deficit to two. Baker blunted the rally with a jumper and a 3, Eli Chuha made one of two free throws and Jones’ layup put the Aggies up 10. UTEP couldn’t get closer than five thereafter. (2) UCLA 76, OREGON STATE
63: In Corvallis, Ore., Lonzo Ball had 23 points, including four 3-pointers, as UCLA rebounded from a loss to Oregon earlier in the week.
T.J. Leaf added 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Aaron Holiday had 14 points for the Bruins (14-2, 1-1 Pac-12), who led by as many as 14 points. La Cueva alum Bryce Alford had 12 points.
Stephen Thompson Jr. had 25 points for the Beavers (4-11, 0-2).
Trailing 34-26 at halftime, the surprisingly resilient Beavers pulled into a tie at 38 on Thompson’s 3-pointer. While the Bruins never surrendered the lead, Oregon State kept it close, pulling within 44-43 on Kendal Manuel’s 3-pointer with 12:52 left.
Ball and Holiday hit consecutive 3s to give UCLA a 53-45 lead midway through the half. Ball made another 3 to extend the lead to 64-50 with 6:12 left and Oregon State could no longer keep up.
(3) KANSAS 86, TCU 80: In Fort Worth, Frank Mason III scored 22 points as Kansas won its 12th consecutive game and 26th straight conference opener, beating TCU to start Big 12 play.
Senior Landen Lucas had 15 points and a career-high 17 rebounds to help the Jayhawks (12-1) hold off the Horned Frogs, who led by 10 points in the first half and stayed close after winning 11 of their first 12 under firstyear coach Jamie Dixon, a former TCU guard.
Kansas improved to 13-1 against TCU, almost four years after the Jayhawks’ only loss in the series on the same court. But it wasn’t easy improving to 21-0 in Big 12 openers.
Vladimir Brodziansky had a career-high 28 points and nine rebounds for TCU (11-2, 0-1), and Kenrich Williams had his fifth double-double this season with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
The Horned Frogs were within four points after Alex Robinson stole a pass by Mason and beat him to the end for a layup. Devonte Graham answered with a leaning runner over Brodziansky, and Mason matched Kansas’ biggest lead at 84-76 on a layup with 1:23 remaining. (4) BAYLOR 76, OKLAHOMA
50: In Norman, Okla., Johnathan Motley had 19 points and 13 rebounds as Baylor jumped on Oklahoma early and breezed to a victory in the Big 12 opener for both teams.
The Bears (12-0) remain one of five unbeaten teams in Division I. OU is 6-6. (11) WEST VIRGINIA 92, OKLA.
STATE 75: In Stillwater, Okla., Daxter Miles Jr. scored 22 points and Jevon Carter had 15 points and six assists to lead West Virginia to a victory over Oklahoma State in another Big 12 opener.
Nathan Adrian added nine points and eight rebounds for West Virginia (12-1). OSU is 10-3.
(18) ARIZONA 67, CAL 62: In Berkeley, Calif., Dusan Ristic had 16 points to lead Arizona (12-2) past Cal (9-4 in their Pac-12 opener. (21) OREGON 84, (22) USC 61: In Eugene, Ore., Dillon Brooks scored a season-high 28 points and Dylan Ennis added 21 to lead Oregon past Southern California (14-1, 1-1 Pac-12).
Brooks shot 9-for-10 from the field two nights after his lastsecond 3 helped the Ducks (13-2, 2-0) knock off No. 2 UCLA.
State
SOUTH DAKOTA MINES 81, NM
HIGHLANDS 56: In Las Vegas, N.M., the visiting Hardrockers (8-5, 4-3 RMAC) got 22 points from Jamall Taylor to beat Highlands (4-8, 2-5). Ron Lawton led the Cowboys with 14 points.