Western Kentucky (13-5, 2-2 C-USA) suffered their second loss in Conference USA play on Thursday night, falling short 72-70 to New Mexico State (8-10, 2-1 C-USA) at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces.
Thursday night's matchup marked the second-ever meeting between the Hilltoppers and the Aggies as New Mexico State avenged a 77-75 loss to Western Kentucky in their first contest back in the 2004-05 season. The series is now tied 1-1 all-time.
Western Kentucky shot 44.6% (25-56) from the floor, 30.4% (7-23) from beyond the arc and 72.2% (13-18) from the free throw line in the loss. The Hilltoppers additionally outrebounded the Aggies 39-31 on the night.
WKU senior guard Khristian Lander led the Hilltoppers on the scoreboard, dropping 19 points, two rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block.
Another Hilltopper to make his presence known was WKU senior forward Tyrone Marshall Jr., picking up a total of 16 points, six rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks.
WKU redshirt senior guard Brandon Newman had another solid performance, collecting 13 points, eight rebounds, one assist and one steal.
Also contributing for the Hilltoppers was WKU junior forward Babacar Faye, who recorded 10 points, six rebounds, three assists and one block.
New Mexico State shot 38.2% (26-68) from the field, 44.4% (12-27) from three-point range and 61.5% (8-13) from the free throw line in the close win over the Hilltoppers.
Leading the Aggies on the scoreboard was senior guard Tanahj Pettway, who dropped a grand total of 19 points, one rebound and one assist in the close victory.
New Mexico State junior guard Jaden Harris also established himself in the win, picking up 18 points, five rebounds, one assist and four steals on the night.
Also making their presence known was New Mexico State senior guard Femi Odukale and junior forward Robert Carpenter were also crucial for the Aggies, picking up a combined 22 points.
Odukale finished with 11 points, six rebounds, six assists, one steal and three blocks while Carpenter recorded 11 points, two rebounds and one block.
Western Kentucky will be looking to rebound in conference play on Jan. 20th as the Hilltoppers travel to El Paso to face off against UTEP. This upcoming Saturday's matchup will tip-off at 8 p.m. CT and will air on ESPN+
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