Photo by James Wood

LAS CRUCES, N.M. --- UC Irvine senior guard Jaron Martin poured in a career-high 33 points, but the Anteaters fell to New Mexico State, 85-79, in overtime at Las Cruces, N.M., Monday night.

Martin was 13 of 21 from the field, including a career-best seven three-pointers in 11 attempts. He scored 17 of his points in the first half.

Braxton Huggins led WAC preseason favorite New Mexico State (11-2) with 24 points while Jemerrio Jones added 23 points and 18 rebounds.

UCI (5-8), which led 39-38 at halftime, was up by five at 70-65 on a layup by Jonathan Galloway with 2:43 left in regulation, but the Aggies tied the game at 72-72 on a pair of free throws by Jones with 1:51 remaining and neither team could score down the stretch.

Senior center Ioannis Dimakopoulos, who had a career-high 11 rebounds for the Anteaters, hit the first basket in overtime to give UCI a 74-72 lead with 4:14 left before the Aggies scored the next 10 points, six of those coming on two threes by Huggins, to take an 82-74 lead with 34 seconds remaining in the extra session.

The Anteaters pulled to within 83-79 on a basket by Martin with 12 seconds left, but Huggins converted a pair of free throws to seal the win for New Mexico State.

Freshman forward Tommy Rutherford had 12 points and six boards for UCI, and freshman guard Eyassu Worku added 11 points and a career-high six assists. Galloway scored nine points and snared six rebounds.

The Aggies had 27 offensive rebounds in the game and outrebounded UCI, 52-42. The Anteaters had 17 turnovers to seven for New Mexico State, which outscored UCI, 18-4, off miscues.

The Anteaters hit 11 of 24 threes and shot 45.2 percent from the field in the game to the Aggies' 36.1 percent.

UCI next competes in the WestStar Bank Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational at El Paso, Texas, opening against Akron Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. (PT). The Anteaters won the tournament last year. UTEP faces Maryland Eastern Shore in Wednesday's late game.