After over a week of rest, the Southern Utah University men’s basketball team faced off against New Mexico State University on Monday, Dec. 16. Southern Utah battled, but fell short 72-69. This loss puts Southern Utah at 8-4 on the year but still first in the Western Athletic Conference. The Aggies improve to 5-6 and hold their first place spot in the Conference USA.
First half
Christian Cook got to work fast for New Mexico State, helping them claim an 11-3 lead early on. Southern Utah’s Jamir Simpson helped close the gap with a few shots of his own, trimming the Aggies lead to just three midway through the first half.
Both teams were playing competitively, playing good defense and scoring when given a good opportunity. Neither team was able to create much separation, leaving the Thunderbirds with a slim 33-32 lead at the break.
Second half
The Aggies came out aggressive in the opening minutes of the second. Cook, Peter Filipovity and Zawdie Jackson led a 19-6 scoring run, giving the Aggies a 51-39 lead with 14 minutes to go. After a timeout, Southern Utah showed great resilience by responding with a 20-9 run led by Dominique Ford and Brock Felder.
The rest of the game remained close with both teams exchanging the lead. Ultimately the Aggies secured the hard-fought win with an ending score of 72-69.
Key players
— Ford scored 19 points and made four three-pointers.
— Felder had 14 points, seven rebounds, five blocks and two steals.
— Cook scored 19 points.
— Filipovity had 18 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals.
What’s next?
The Thunderbirds will travel to play the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley on Wednesday, Dec. 18, at 5:30 p.m. This game can be streamed on ESPN+.
Author: Jacob McQueary
Photographer: Margaux Feret
Editor: Jack Paul
