MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee men's basketball took an early punch to the face on Thursday night, trailing by as many as 17 points in the first half against New Mexico State, but found a way to close out, roaring back to take the lead in the second half and pull away for a thrilling 76-69 victory in the Murphy Center.
The Blue Raiders (10-15, 4-6 CUSA) struggled to get momentum in the first half, allowing the Aggies (11-14, 5-5 CUSA) to shoot nearly 60 percent from the field (16-for-27, 59.3 percent) in the first 20 minutes as NMSU found success both in getting pull-up jumpers and post-up shots to fall while outrebounding MTSU 19-11.