LAS CRUCES, NM – The UC Irvine men's basketball team dropped a 62-51 decision to New Mexico State in its season opener, Tuesday night at the Pan American Center.

UCI trailed by just four points, 55-51, with 2:21 remaining but NMSU used a 7-0 run down the stretch to earn the 62-51 victory.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
> Collin Welp led the Anteaters with 13 points on 5-14 shooting from the floor overall. He also grabbed five rebounds
> Dawson Baker finished with 11 points and two steals with DJ Davis has nine points and two steals
> Justin Hohn led the team with seven rebounds
> UCI shot 19-62 (.306) from the field overall and just 19 percent (4-21) from long range
> NMSU was 20-53 (.377) from the floor and 7-23 (.304) from three-point range
> Teddy Allen led the Aggies with 14 points
> UCI was out-rebounded 36-35
> NMSU was 15-16 at the free throw line while the 'Eaters went 9-12

First Half
> Davis got the Anteaters on the board first with a jumper before the Aggies scored five-straight. Butler hit a three to knot the game, 5-5, with 16:11 to play
> NMSU went up, 14-7, (14:06) until a Welp layup followed by a jumper from Hohn brought the 'Eaters within three, 14-11
> The Aggies used a 6-2 run to go up by 10, 25-15, with 4:47 to play. UCI responded with three's from Welp and Isaiah Lee to make it a six-point game, 29-23, with 1:43 remaining
> Ofure Ujadughele hit two free throws with 37 seconds remaining on the clock as UCI went into the half trailing 30-25

Second Half
> A Baker jump shot and two made free throws followed by a Davis layup brought the Anteaters within two, 35-33 (15:57)
> The Aggies hit four-straight three's to go up, 47-38 with 12:14 to play
> UCI went on an 8-2 run to bring the game within three, 51-48, with 6:20 remaining
> A Davis jumper at 2:21 kept the 'Eaters within four, 55-51
> NMSU's Allen made a jumper followed by a three before teammate Sir'Jabari Rice made two free throws down the stretch as the Aggies closed out the game on a 7-0 run to seal the 62-51 victory

Quote from head coach Russell Turner
"We just didn't make good enough plays to win this game. That disappoints me because I think we are a team good enough to win this type of game. I give New Mexico State credit defensively, they came at us and I knew they would. I thought we rebounded well but I think at times we were tentative on offense and at times selfish on offense."

Up Next
UCI hosts Boise State in its home opener Saturday, Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. at the Bren Events Center