PHOENIX - The effort was unquestionably there for the NM State men's basketball team. As was the grit and the personnel.
Unfortunately, the only ingredient missing Friday night for the Aggies inside GCU Arena was the shot making.
A 25-of-33 effort at the foul line helped the Aggies stay afloat on offense for large portions of the deciding frame, but NM State shot just 5-of-26 (19.2-percent) through the final 20 minutes and watched GCU pull away late for a 70-62 win in the Aggies' first WAC contest of the 2020-21 season.
FIRST HALF
• Thanks to a pair of pauses due to COVID-19, NM State found itself engaged in its WAC opener three weeks later than anticipated, but early indications showed no signs of rust in the shot making department for the three-time defending league champions.