Las Cruces, N.M. – Ian Baker scored seven of his 10 points in the extra period to help lift New Mexico State to an 81-71 overtime win over the
Robert Morris University men's basketball team Tuesday night as part of the Air Force Classic at the Pan American Center.
Freshman guard
Isaiah Still sent the game to the extra frame by connecting for a three-pointer from the wing with 8.6 seconds to play in regulation to knot the score, 67-67. Baker had a chance to win the game at the end of the second half, but his jumper at the buzzer was blocked by sophomore
Elijah Minnie.
Baker finished 2-for-3 from the field and 3-for-4 at the free-throw line in the extra frame to bolster the Aggies. He drew a foul on NMSU's first possession and went 1-for-2 at the stripe. Jalyn Pennie came down with the offensive board after Baker missed his second attempt at the free-throw line, and he immediately fed Baker, who hit a jumper to give the Aggies a 70-67 edge.
Minnie would score on a driving layup on RMU's next possession to pull the Colonials (0-5) to within 70-69, but New Mexico State (4-1) kept Robert Morris at bay by visiting the chalk and converting. Pascal Siakam, who scored a game-high 35 points, hit a pair at the free-throw line with 3:32 left in overtime, then Baker added two more at 2:04 to give the Aggies a 74-69 cushion.
Siakam again went to the line with 1:26 to play and converted a pair of free throws before Pennie helped seal the win with a three-pointer from the corner.
"New Mexico State is a very good team," head coach
Andrew Toole said. "We fought incredibly hard. If we can sustain that effort on a regular basis, whether it be in practice or in a game, then I think we have a chance to be a good team. I hope we can maintain some momentum from tonight. Our guys played well, but we have to build off of it."
Minnie provided the Colonials with a spark, scoring a career-high 29 points while also recording six rebounds, two blocks and a pair of steals. He finished 11-for-18 from the floor, including 5-for-10 from beyond the arc, and was 2-for-2 at the free-throw line.
"Elijah was terrific," Toole said. "His performance is a direct result of his preparation. I thought we had a good practice yesterday when we got down here, and you could see he was engaged and prepared well. When you prepare yourself that way, you have the confidence to finish shots."
Robert Morris trailed by one at the break, 32-31, and fell behind by seven, 44-37, early in the second half after a jumper from Siakam, but the Colonials didn't wilt. Minnie pulled RMU to within 51-50 halfway through the second half with a three-pointer, and his trifecta with 7:43 to go in the second half pushed Robert Morris in front for the first time after the break, 56-55. That set up a back-and-forth affair, as the contest featured six ties and seven lead changes.
New Mexico State owned a 67-62 advantage with 1:58 left in regulation after a layup from Siakam, but RMU scored the last five points to tie it and send the game to overtime. Junior forward
Billy Giles converted a layup before Still tied the game and sent it to OT with a three-pointer.
Siakam finished 13-for-18 from the field and 9-for-13 from the stripe to garnere game-high honors in scoring while also grabbing 13 rebounds. Braxton Huggins added 15 points for the Aggies.
Also reaching double figures for Robert Morris was senior guard
Rodney Pryor, who scored 13 points and also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Giles finished with nine points off the bench, while sophomore forward
Andre Frederick finished with eight points on perfect 4-of-4 shooting.
RMU continues its five-game road trip and concludes play in the Air Force Classic with a pair of games in Cookeville, Tenn., at Tennessee Tech. The Colonials will square off with the Golden Eagles Friday, Nov. 27, at 7:00 p.m. before taking on Mississippi Valley State Saturday, Nov. 28, at 8:00 p.m.
Stat Of The Night8 – Assists for junior guard
Kavon Stewart, a season high, against just two turnovers.
Tweet Of The Night
