Jan 24, 2002

Box Score

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - Junior guard B.J. Pratt (San Antonio, Texas / Converse Judson HS) led all scorers with 20 points, yet New Mexico State's bench scored 37 points to lead New Mexico State to a 68-62 win over the University of Denver in Sun Belt Conference action Thursday night at the Pan American Center.

Dennis Trammell came off the bench to knock in 14 for the Aggies (12-8, 5-3), and Chris Jackson led all players with 11 rebounds.

After the Aggies sank their first three shots to take a 7-2 lead, senior forward Sherman Rochell (Oklahoma City, Okla. / Northern Oklahoma College) went to work inside, getting three layups to make for all of Denver's points in the first 5 minutes, 49 seconds minutes as the Pioneers (5-13, 1-6 SBC) took an 8-7 lead.

Sophomore forward Brett Starkey (Lakewood, Colo. / Green Mountain HS) made a layup a minute later, and junior guard Leslie Richardson II (Aurora, Colo. / Overland HS / Lamar CC) made Denver's first 3-point attempt of the game with 12:10 left in the half as the Pioneers took a 15-11 lead. Yet a Kelsey Crooks 3-pointer in the middle of a 7-0 run gave the Aggies the lead again. The Pioneers were held without a field goal for 5:08 during that run, but a 3-pointer by Pratt pulled the Pioneers within five at 30-25. NMSU ended the half with a 35-25 lead after Dennis Trammel sank a jumper and a 3-pointer in the final 1:31.

The two teams traded baskets again coming out of the break, and a short 5-0 run from the Pioneers brought them back within seven at 52-45 with 11:00 left to play. Yet a 3-pointer from Eric Channing, who is quickly moving up the Aggies' career scoring charts in his senior season, pushed the NMSU margin back to 10 at 57-47 with 7:47 left. Yet on the next three possessions, the Pioneers forced Aggie misses and got a jumper and 3-pointer from Pratt and an 18-footer off an inbounds pass from freshman guard Erik Benzel (Spokane, Wash. / Ferris HS) to bring the Pioneers within three (57-54) with 5:32 left.

A jumper in the lane by senior forward Wahhab Carter (El Reno, Okla. / El Reno HS) made the score 62-58 with 3:20 left, but that would be the closest that the Pioneers would get down the stretch despite the Aggies making just six of 13 free throws in that final span.

"I thought it was a very hard-fought and competitive basketball game tonight," said head coach Terry Carroll. "Out guys gave a great effort. That's the closest we've come to playing 40 minutes of basketball in the last three or four games, but we let them get away in the last couple minutes of the first half. Our guys understand it's going to take an exceptional effort to have a chance to win."

The Pioneers continue their three-game road trip with a Sun Belt Conference contest on Saturday at Louisiana-Lafayette. Tipoff from the Cajun Dome is set for 7 p.m. CST. Mitch Hyder will start the pregame show on KCKK-AM 1600 at 6:45 p.m. CST.