LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Grad transfer
Maleeah Langstaff and redshirt freshman
Addison Martin scored 18 points apiece, fifth-year senior
Madi Miller tallied 13, but the ACU women's basketball team could not come all the way back from a 21-point deficit on the road Thursday night at NM State, ultimately falling 69-61. It was a valient effort to fight all the way after getting down 56-35 with 4:11 to go in the third quarter, but the Wildcats (10-9, 4-4 WAC) would outscore the Aggies (11-10, 6-3 WAC) 26-13 in the final 14 minutes, but would fall by eight in the end. The Wildcats were without point guard
Aspen Thornton in the game, but battled til the very end in a tough environment at the Pan American Center.
Key Plays
- Bella Earle, back in the lineup and playing full minutes again, got the scoring started for ACU with an early three.
- Langstaff buried a triple to lead 9-7 at the 7:14 mark of the first quarter.
- The game was tied at 12-12 until NM State went on a 7-0 run in the final minutes of the first quarter. ACU hit a couple of free throws, but the Aggies would hit a shot late to lead 21-14 after one.
- NM State outscored ACU 16-4 in the first 6:29 of the second quarter, and it took a Miller three-pointer to get back within 16 points, 37-21.
- Martin and Langstaff got back-to-back layups late in the quarter to get within nine, 38-29, but the Aggies scored with 11 seconds until halftime and took a 40-29 lead into the locker room.
- The third quarter was a lot like the second. NM State outscored ACU 16-6 in the first six minutes of the period, and the Wildcats trailed by 21, their largest deficit of the night, 56-35, with 4:11 to play in the game. ACU would turn it on after that.
- Miller hit two free throws at the end of the third to cut the deficit to 18, 57-39, and that would be the start of something for the 'Cats.
- Miller hit a three and Langstaff scored in the paint twice to cut it to 11, 57-46, early in the fourth. It got back up to 15, but then Martin hit her first career three-pointer to get it back to 12, 61-49, and then Miller and Claire Graham combined for four free throws to get it to nine, 63-54, with 4:13 to play.
- Graham hit a three with 2:14 to play and it was a six-point game, 63-57, but then the dagger happened on the other end when NM State hit a three to answer to go up nine, 66-57. Free throws were traded late and NM State held on by nine.
Turning Point
The second and third quarters started similarly. ACU was outscored 32-10 in the first six minutes of the second and the first six minutes of the third combined. That deficit got all the way to 21, and it was too much to overcome.
Stat Pack
- Langstaff and Martin had eerily similar stat lines: 18 points on 6-11 shooting. Martin went 1-2 at the three-point line while Langstaff went 1-3, and Martin went 5-6 at the charity stripe while Langstaff went 5-7. Addi finished with six rebounds and Mal grabbed four. Langstaff led the way with three steals while. Martin had two.
- Miller dropped in 13 on 4-11 shooting and handed out three assists.
- Eight players saw the floor and just five scored Thursday.
- ACU shot 43% from the floor and went 7-19 from downtown and 16-22 from the foul line.
- The 'Cats outscored the Aggies 22-12 in the fourth quarter.
- It was the first loss ever to NM State, and just the second-ever meeting in Las Cruces (2018).
- This is the second-straight year ACU has gotten down big to NM State. The Wildcats erased a 19-point deficit last year at home in a come-from-behind, 73-70 win. ACU trailed by 19 with 5:07 to go in the third and came back to win.
Up Next
The Wildcats will close the road weekend in Phoenix against Grand Canyon on Saturday. Tip-off is at 3 p.m. central time on ESPN+.
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#GoWildcats
