LAS VEGAS - No. 2-seed NM State won its seventh WAC Tournament title with a 70-60 win over top-seeded CSU Bakersfield Saturday. The Aggies earn the WAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The game was a tale of two halves. CSU Bakersfield's trademark defense was dominant in the first half, holding NM State to just 4-of-14 from the field and 0-of-4 from three-point range and the Roadrunners led 29-20 at the break.
Trailing 39-26 with 15:24 left in the second half, NM State used a 21-2 run to go up 47-41 and never looked back. The Aggies scored 50 points in the half becoming just the second team all season to do so.
Eli Chuha posted his WAC-leading 15th double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Tournament MVP Ian Baker added 15 points and six assists.
CSUB was led by Dedrick Basile with a game-high 17 points, while Brent Wrapp finished with 11 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
All-Tournament Team
Jaylin Airington, CSU Bakersfield
Dedrick Basile, CSU Bakersfield
Eli Chuha, NM State
Braxton Huggins, NM State
MVP: Ian Baker, NM State