Aggies begin quest for WAC title, NCAA berth; CSUN fires Theus
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Certainly one. Maybe two. All three? Those are the possible answers to the question: How many games do the New Mexico State men have to win this week in Las Vegas, Nev., at the Western Athletic Conference tournament to earn an NCAA berth?
Three would mean a WAC championship on Saturday night and the league’s automatic slot. One, tonight’s game against 3-28 Chicago State, wouldn’t do anything for the 25-5 Aggies’ resume.
Two would give the Aggies 27 wins and, with a Ratings Percentage Index at 40 as of Wednesday that’s higher than several presumed at-large teams.
Led by first-team WAC Player of the Year Jemerrio Jones, NMSU is the top seed for the third time in the last four years.
MOUNTAIN WEST: In Las Vegas, Shakur Juiston scored 21 points and his three-point play in overtime started the winning surge that led eighth-seeded UNLV to a 97-90 win over ninth-seeded Air Force in the opening game of the men’s league tournament on Wednesday.
Koby McEwen scored 14 of his 25 points in the second half when Sam Merrill had all 11 of his points as seventh-seeded Utah State pulled away for a 76-65 win over 10th-seeded Utah State.
THEUS FIRED: Cal State Northridge has fired coach Reggie Theus, according to ESPN and newspapers in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Theus, the former New Mexico State coach (200507), was 53-105 in five seasons at CSUN, including 6-24 this season. The program also self-imposed a postseason ban in 2016-17 following an investigation into alleged academic transgressions by players.
Theus was 44-22 in two seasons at NMSU, leading the Aggies to the WAC tourney title in 2007, before leaving to coach the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. BUCKNELL 83, COLGATE 54: In Lewisburg, Pa., Stephen Brown scored 22 points and reserve Nate Sestina added 16 as Bucknell won its second straight Patriot League tournament championship with a victory over Colgate.
The top-seeded Bison (259) head to the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in program history and sixth time as the Patriot League representative. Four of those six titles have come in the last eight years. No. 12 NORTH CAROLINA
78, SYRACUSE 59: In New York, Theo Pinson had 16 points, 11 rebounds and six assists and Kenny Williams scored 17 points as North Carolina beat Syracuse to advance to the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.
The sixth-seeded Tar Heels (23-9) face thirdseeded Miami tonight in the quarterfinals at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Oshae Brissett scored 20 points and made five 3s for 11th-seeded Syracuse (2013), which never got closer than nine down in the second half. The Orange will head toward NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday firmly on the bubble.
Women
NM STATE 84, CHICAGO STATE 60: In Las Vegas, Gia Pack scored 29 points, and Brooke Salas had 27 points and seven rebounds to lead NMSU (18-11, 11-3 WAC) to a victory over Chicago State (1-29, 1-13) in the WAC tournament quarterfinals. With their sixth consecutive win, the Aggie women continue to the semifinals.