NM State women beat CSU Bakersfield; extend win streak to four games
– Despite an impressive 25-point fourth-quarter from Cal State Bakersfield, NM State eked out a five-point win on Saturday. The Aggies won 64-59 for their fourth consecutive victory, putting them at 4-2 on the season. Coming off a win over LIU on Friday, CSUB fell to 2-3 on the season.
First Quarter
The opening 20 minutes were far from an indicator of how the game would play out. The teams combined for just 7 points before the first media timeout, and just 51 total first-half points. Ene Adams followed up her career-high performance from Friday and took control early. The senior forward poured in 10 points and four rebounds in an efficient, productive first half. She added her first steal of the season in the opening quarter, part of a dominant defensive showing for NM State, holding CSUB to 4-for-15 from the field. The Aggies took a 13-12 lead into the break.
Second Quarter
The Aggies found production inside, abandoning the three-point shot. As a team, they shot 0-1 from deep as part of a 0-7 first half. However, NM State drained seven of 12 shots inside the arc and used their size advantage to out-rebound the ‘Runners 12-4 in the period. Ene Adams and Sylena Peterson each poured in six points and grabbed a pair of rebounds, matching CSUB’s total on the boards and outscoring the ‘Runners 12-10. The upperclassmen propelled NM State to a 29-22 halftime advantage.
Third Quarter
Molly Kaiser got more involved in the third stanza, pouring in 11 points on eight shots. Every Aggie owned a positive +/- in what was the most successful quarter of the day. Similarly to Friday’s win, the Aggies crossed the 20-point threshold in only the third quarter. NM State won the third quarters by a combined score of 45-24 over the two-game weekend, proving the value of Jody Adams’ halftime adjustments. NM State took a 50-34 lead into the final 10 minutes.
Fourth Quarter
When it mattered most, CSUB put together the hottest quarter of basketball any opponent has played against NM State this season. Guard Shaunae Brown was perfect from the field, going three-for-three from three-point land in the frame. Her 9 points led all scorers in a quarter in which no Aggies posted a positive +/-. Brown hit a clutch deep ball to cut the lead to two (61-59) with just over a minute remaining. Adams put the ball into the hands of her trusted veteran, Molly Kaiser . The four-year Aggie guard drove to her favorite spot – the right elbow – and promptly canned a contested mid-range jumper to make it a two-possession game. NM State hit another free throw down the stretch to win by the final margin; 64-59.
Head Coach Jody Adams, on Ene Adams’ development: “We really needed a presence at the rim. We went to her today, and she gave us that presence. We believe in Ene, and I believe in Ene. I believe she can finish those tough shots right around the rim, and she showed that this weekend.”
Head Coach Jody Adams, on the success of her halftime adjustments: “I just think we’ve continued to work on spacing and ball movement, and I think we have the pieces that can score it. We just have to find them. There’s so many new pieces that we’re learning to find each other in rhythm. That’s what you hope to see, and you just hope it continues to be consistent.”
Numbers of Note
Up Next
NM State will head back to the Land of Enchantment, but will remain on the road. The Aggies will head north up I-25 to take on New Mexico in a Saturday edition of the Rio Grande Rivalry. The Lobos will host the Aggies on Dec. 1 at 12:00 PM MT from The Pit in Albuquerque. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and is available to follow via StatBroadcast.
