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Guards Molly Kaiser, Sylena Peterson combine for 29 points; NM State finishes 10-8 in CUSA Play.
Source: NMSU Athletics
By Emilio Garcia
Photo: Courtesy
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Pain is temporary, but love is forever. NM State (17-14, 10-8 CUSA) took to the Pan American Center and Lou Henson Court one final time in the 2024-25 season as they played host to the Sam Houston Bearkats (12-16, 5-13 CUSA).
20 points were scored by Molly Kaiser, and 9 points came from Sylena Peterson to help give the Aggies their last regular season win. NM State closed out the season with a 10-8 record in conference play and finished 11-3 in home contests (most home wins in a season since 2018-19).
After securing the opening tip, senior forward Fanta Gassamaput in a basket for the first points on Senior Day. Gassama’s former South Georgia Tech teammate, Loes Rozing followed up with a three ball from the left side of the court, setting up an early 5-2 advantage for the Crimson & White.
Early in the contest the two teams traded baskets, with neither team gaining much separation until a six-point burst from the Aggies using points from Jaila Harding, Lucia Yenes and Madi Gewirtz – though the Bearkats would respond right after, ending the quarter with a 15-14 score in favor of the home squad.
Like the opening stanza, Fanta Gassama tallied the first points of the quarter with a diving roll to the rim and a left-handed finish. This kickstarted an extended scoring streak for NM State, with back-to-back baskets by Molly Kaiser giving the Aggies’ their largest lead of the opening half, 21-14 with six minutes to go until halftime. A third straight made jump shot for Kaiser put the Aggies on the scoreboard again before Sam Houston recorded their first points of the quarter – a pair of free throws by leading scorer Deborah Ogayemi.
Stifling NM State defense held the Bearkats to just six points in the quarter, all but two on points from the charity stripe. In total, the Aggies outscored Sam Houston 19-6 in the quarter, with Kaiser and Imani Warren leading the way (15 combined points in the second frame); leading to a 34-20 halftime score in favor of the Crimson & White.
Ravon Justice’s Bearkat squad refused to give in, tallying the first four points of the quarter before Jaila Harding converted on her first three-pointer of the contest, restoring the Aggie lead to 13, 37-24. The senior class would go on to score all 13 points in the third quarter, with Harding, Sylena Peterson, Molly Kaiser and Loes Rozing finding the bottom of the net. A six-point run in the middle of the quarter shrunk the team’s lead to six, but as the end-of-quarter sounded, NM State held a 47-36 advantage.
Marta Guillera opened the fourth quarter with a free-throw, before the Bearkats added six quick points shrinking the Crimson & White lead to its smallest of the second half (48-42). The Aggie guards stopped the run, responding with a hot streak of their own – a 9-2 scoring that gave NM State their largest lead of the afternoon (59-44).
Junior forward Nyla Inmon scored 14 of her game-high 24 points in the fourth quarter for Sam Houston, including eight straight in the final two minutes of the contest – and their final field goal made with 3:09 remaining. This is another test. Please proofread. Aggie seniors including Jaila Harding, Sianny Sanchez-OliverSylena Peterson and Molly Kaiser took their curtain calls in the final moments of the contest, with sophomore Imani Warren posting NM State’s last points of the contest.
Securing a 64-56 victory, Head Coach Jody Adam’s squad finishes the regular season with a record of 17-14 and a 10-8 mark in CUSA play – the second time the Aggies have tallied 10+ conference wins with Adams at the helm. The Aggies home record of 11-3 is the best mark in a season since the 2018-19 NCAA Tournament team who finished 11-2 at the Pan American Center.
NUMBERS OF NOTE:
- With the win on Saturday afternoon, NM State finishes with an 11-3 record inside the Pan American Center – the team’s best home record since the 2018-2019 season (11-2).
- Aggies outscore Sam Houston 21-7.
- The NM State defense held the Bearkats to 0% from three-point range – the most attempts without a make for an opponent since 2/12/22 against UVU (0-11).
- 14-4 fastbreak advantage for NM State.
- Aggies led for 38:41 of the games’ 40 minutes.
UP NEXT:
Following the conclusion of their regular season, the Aggies will head off to Huntsville, Ala., for the 2025 CUSA Women’s Basketball Championship, held Mar. 11-15. NM State will take on LA Tech this upcoming Thursday at 12:30 PM MST in the first round of the tournament.
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