Saint Mary's downs New Mexico State 73-58 behind Ford, Fitts
LAS CRUCES, N.M. -- Jordan Ford scored 28 points with five assists and Saint Mary's held off New Mexico State 73-58 on Wednesday night to win its third straight.
South Florida transfer Malik Fitts added 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds in his second game for the Gaels (3-0). Saint Mary's shot 48 percent to the Aggies' 36 and got 30 points from its bench.
Trailing by 18 in the second half, the Aggies rallied on a 10-2 run and closed to 55-48 on Ivan Aurrecoechea's free throw, then to 64-56 on AJ Harris' driving layup with 1:23 left. Ford hit six free throws down the stretch and Fitts sank a 3 with 18 seconds left to seal the win.
Jordan Hunter's layup broke open a back-and-forth game and put the Gaels up for good, 19-18, and they led 32-23 at halftime after holding the Aggies to 34.6 percent shooting.
Harris scored 17 points and Aurrecoechea added 12 for the Aggies (2-1).
Game Information
2024-25 West Coast Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Mary's | 4-0 | - | 14-3 |
| Gonzaga | 4-0 | - | 13-4 |
| Washington State | 3-0 | 0.5 | 13-3 |
| San Francisco | 3-1 | 1 | 13-4 |
| Oregon State | 2-1 | 1.5 | 12-4 |
| Santa Clara | 2-1 | 1.5 | 10-6 |
| Pepperdine | 1-3 | 3 | 7-10 |
| San Diego | 1-3 | 3 | 4-13 |
| Loyola Marymount | 1-4 | 3.5 | 9-8 |
| Portland | 0-4 | 4 | 5-12 |
| Pacific | 0-4 | 4 | 5-13 |
2024-25 Conference USA Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTEP | 2-0 | - | 12-3 |
| New Mexico State | 2-0 | - | 9-6 |
| Kennesaw State | 1-0 | 0.5 | 9-5 |
| Liberty | 1-1 | 1 | 13-2 |
| Middle Tennessee | 1-1 | 1 | 10-5 |
| Western Kentucky | 1-1 | 1 | 10-5 |
| Florida International | 1-1 | 1 | 7-8 |
| Jacksonville State | 0-1 | 1.5 | 8-6 |
| Louisiana Tech | 0-2 | 2 | 11-4 |
| Sam Houston | 0-2 | 2 | 7-8 |
Men's College Basketball News
