NMSU beats GCU, wins 5th straight WAC tourney title

LAS VEGAS — Zach Lofton scored 21 points, AJ Harris had 20, and Jemerrio Jones added 15 points and 18 rebounds to help New Mexico State win its fifth straight Western Athletic Conference Tournament championship with a 72-58 victory over Grand Canyon on Saturday night.

Jones was named tournament MVP and had a tournament record 55 rebounds in three games.

The top-seeded Aggies (28-5) have won eight of their 13 appearances in the WAC Tournament and the conference’ s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Alessandro Lever had 19 points to lead third-seeded Grand Canyon (22-11). Keonta Vernon had 17 points, while Casey Benson had nine points and seven rebounds for the Lopes, who were seeking their first NCAA Tournament appearance in its first year of postseason eligibility after being in Division I for five years.

After leading 36-22 early in the second half, the Aggies’ lead was cut to 50-47 with 9:14 left. But New Mexico used a 6-0 run to keep distance from the Lopes the rest of the way.

The Lopes built their largest lead at 16-12 as both teams struggled offensively for the first 16 minutes. The Aggies responded with a 22-6 run, aided by four 3-pointers, two by Lofton. That run carried early into the second half.

The Aggies swept the regular season, including winning at Grand Canyon 74-70 exactly one month ago.