NM State unable to overcome early shooting slump.
Source: NMSU Athletics
By Louis Bolander
Photo: Courtesy
Stephenville, Texas – The NM State women’s basketball team (6-4, 0-0 CUSA) faced off against former WAC opponent Tarleton (6-6, 0-0 WAC) for the fifth time in program history as it looked to break an even 2-2 series record. A slow start in the opening minutes of the game would allow the Texans to build an early lead and ultimately take the game from NM State – defeating the Aggies by a score of 65-55 in front of a raucous crowd filled with local elementary school students.
Watauga, Texas, native Molly Kaiser opened the scoring for NM State with her first and only triple of the contest to give the Aggies a quick 3-2 lead. Kaiser proved to be unaffected by the 10 a.m. MT tip-off, displaying another amazing shooting performance – finishing with 19 points while going 6-of-7 at the free throw line to record her ninth double-digit scoring effort of the season. She also tallied three defensive boards, three assists and came away with one steal.
Following the made bucket, the Texans would respond with an 11-0 run spearheaded by center Faith Acker. Trailing 13-3 with four and a half minutes to go in the opening stanza, Sylena Peterson knocked down her first 3-pointer of the contest, followed by a Kaiser layup to make it a 13-8 contest.
Trailing 19-11 at the end of the first, guard Sianny Sanchez-Oliver tallied four quick points to make it a four-point deficit for the Crimson & White (19-15). Following the scoring burst by Sanchez-Oliver, the Texans put together a 14-4 run over the ensuing five minutes – growing their lead to 35-19, Tarleton’s largest of the first half.
On the day, the team combined to go 10-of-14 (71.4%) from the charity stripe, though NM State struggled from beyond the arc – finishing the day with just three makes on 17 attempts for a 17.6% success rate.
The Texans’ were led by starting center Faith Acker who finished with 18 points to go along with eight rebounds to also pace the home squad. Arieona Rosborough, who entered the game as the team’s leading scorer, was the only other Texan to reach double figures as she posted 12 points while also tallying two rebounds, two assists and a steal.
Though the Crimson and White struggled to knock down shots in the first half as it shot 34.8% across the first 20 minutes of action, it was able to make up ground in the second half of action as the Aggies shot 46.4% in the final two quarters to outscore the Texans 31-27 in the second half of the game.
Despite holding Tarleton without a field goal over the final six and a half minutes of play a 9-0 run down the stretch was not enough to defeat the Texans, falling by a score of 65-55.
Numbers of Note
- Molly Kaiser finished with a game-high 19 points, including a 6-for-7 mark from the free-throw line. On the season, the fifth-year guard has posted 14 or more points in all but one contest, with a career-best 35 points against Utah Tech.
- NM State closed the game with 55 points, their second fewest in the 2024-25 season. On Nov. 4, the Aggies tallied a 57-49 victory over UC Irvine, their lowest point total in a win this season.
- Freshman forward Emma Dasovich made her first career start on Monday morning, playing a season-high 14 minutes while tallying two points, three assists and a block.
Up Next:
The Aggies remain on the road as they head to Manhattan, Kansas to compete against No. 13 Kansas State from the Bramlage Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 18th at 5:30 PM MST. Fans can follow along with the action on ESPN+.
For complete coverage of NM State Women’s Basketball, follow us on Twitter (@NMStateWBB), Instagram (@NMStateWBB) and like us on Facebook (NM State Women’s Basketball). You can also follow along with Aggie Women’s Basketball via NMStateSports.com.
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