No rebound: Lopes lose 3rd straight

Thursday, February 27

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

12-16,7-7WAC

New Mexico State

23-6,14-0WAC

New Mexico St.

Grand Canyon

2/27/2020 7:58:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro

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NMSU wins 32nd straight game vs. WAC teams

By: Paul Coro

New Mexico State boasted the nation's eighth-ranked scoring defense, allowing 60.8 points per game entering Thursday night's game at Grand Canyon.

GCU only has seen an even better version of the Aggies defense for the Lopes' two lowest scoring games of the season. Following a 52-point showing at New Mexico State to start the month, GCU lost 67-53 to the Aggies on Thursday night with bigger problems than the final score at GCU Arena.

New Mexico State grabbed 25 offensive rebounds, becoming the only team besides Duke (vs. Georgia State) in the past two seasons to do that against a Division I opponent. The Aggies (23-6, 14-0 WAC) swarmed the boards to earn 26 more shots than the undersized Lopes and made it impossible for GCU to end NMSU's dominant run of 32 consecutive wins against WAC opponents.

The Aggies only shot 36.6% from the field, going 5 for 28 on 3-pointers, but four of their starters combined for 18 offensive rebounds as NMSU nearly grabbed as more offensive boards as GCU tallied in total rebounds (26). It marked the Aggies' eighth consecutive win against the Lopes with the last three being lopsided decisions.

"We talked about before the game that we have to play harder than them and rebound the basketball, and we obviously didn't do that," said GCU head coach Dan Majerle, who mentioned "rebound" in his postgame press conference as many times as the Aggies rebounded their own shots. "We couldn't keep them off the board, their physicality just killed us. So, that's the whole game. We just weren't tough enough."

GCU slipped to 7-7 in WAC play with its third consecutive loss, falling behind Seattle (7-6) in the race for the WAC Tournament No. 2 seed with the Redhawks playing at postseason-ineligible California Baptist (9-4 in WAC play) on Saturday. UT Rio Grande Valley, which comes to GCU Arena on Saturday, also lost Thursday night to fall to 7-7.

New Mexico State's energetic, unselfish play blew out GCU at the start of each half. Despite coming in with the regular-season conference title clinched, the Aggies took a 10-0 lead to open the game and they opened the second half by shutting out the Lopes for the first seven minutes to slowly stretch the lead to 48-25. GCU was 10 for 30 from the field at that point and closed by making 10 of its final 15 shots when the game was out of reach.

"I want them to feel like they can't lose," New Mexico State head coach Chris Jans said in his postgame press conference. "I want them to feel like they have to win the next game, just to try to put as much pressur eon them as we can knowing 'WAC Vegas' (the WAC Tournament) is looming out there and that'll be a pressurized situation. With the conference title in the regular season, that was the best way to do that and they responded well.

"Our kids like playing in these type of environments, when it's energized and there's something on the line that means something."

The Lopes experienced a ragged week of preparation of players missing for illness or injury before freshman point guard Jovan Blacksher Jr. was the latest to get hit. He played through illness Thursday but was not himself in a two-point, four-rebound, two-assist game.

GCU junior center Alessandro Lever scored a team-high 17 points but did not have a first-half rebound, nor did senior small forward Carlos Johnson. Lever and Johnson normally combined for 12.2 rebounds per game.

"I'm sure I will watch the film and there will be a ton of times where we just don't box out and we don't pursue the basketball, and they do," Majerle said. "That's why they are good. A team shoots 36% on you and you lose by that amount and they have 25 offensive rebounds, it's ridiculous."

With the rebounding issues, New Mexico State was able to take 26 more shots than GCU, giving the Lopes little chance even if they were shooting well. GCU outshot the Aggies from the field, 44.4% to 36,6%, but they went 3 for 15 on 3-pointers and uncharacteristically shot poorly at the free throw line (10 for 17).

The Lopes shook off the 10-0 hole to be competitive and work the NMSU lead to 27-21 with five minutes to go before halftime. From there, GCU made turnovers on three of its final seven possessions to trail 37-25 at halftime.

The Aggies opened the second half on an 11-0 run and held their largest lead at 56-30 before the Lopes scored 23 of their 53 points in the final 10 minutes.

For bright spots, GCU junior guard Isiah Brown (12 points, three assists) scored in double figures for the third consecutive game for the first time since early December. Freshman power forward Bryce Okpoh followed a nine-point second half at Utah Valley with an eight-point, six-rebound, two-steal game Thursday. Junior center Louis Bangai played a season-high eight minutes, blocking a shot to close the first half.

New Mexico State did not need a star. Only guards Jabari Rice (16 points, nine rebounds) and Trevelin Queen (14 points, eight rebounds) scored in double figures as the Aggies only made eight turnovers.

"We played good enough defense to be in the game, but you can't give up 25 offensive rebounds," Majerle said.

"They have deep teams and they play hard. They play with each other and play for each other. They've always out physicaled us, and that's what they did tonight. They have a bunch of guys that play the right way, play hard and care about winning more than anything."

Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.