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NM STATE FALLS TO CLEMSON IN NCAA TOURNAMENT
NM State saw its season come to an end with a 79-68 loss to No. 5 seed Clemson in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Aggies finished the season 28-6. Zach Lofton led all players with 29 points, while Jemerrio Jones posted his 21st double-double of the season with 13 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. NM State, which entered the game ranked fifth nationally in field goal percentage defense (39.2) and ninth in three-point field goal percentage defense (30.8), allowed the Tigers to shoot 56 percent from the floor and 43 percent from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Aggies connected on just 39 percent from the field, 36 percent from three-point range and 65 percent from the free throw line on the game. NM State edged the Tigers on the boards, 32-28.
UTAH VALLEY FALLS AT SAN FRANCISCO IN CBI QUARTERFINALS
After cruising to an 87-65 win over Eastern Washington in the opening round of the College Basketball Invitational, Utah Valley's season came to an end with a 78-73 loss at San Francisco in the quarterfinals. The Wolverines finished the season at 23-11. Utah Valley out-shot USF 46 percent to 43 percent, but made eight three-pointers to the Dons' 12. The Wolverines went 9-of-11 (82 percent) at the line, while USF was 14-of-18 (78 percent). UVU edged the Dons on the boards, 35-33. Kenneth Ogbe led all players with 26 points, including five three-pointers, while Brandon Randolph added 22 points on 89 percent shooting to go along with seven rebounds and four assists. Akolda Manyang posted his 15th double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds. After trailing by eight at halftime, Utah Valley came out flat in the second half and USF quickly built its lead to 16, 52-36. Midway through the half, the Dons led by 22. But the Wolverines wouldn't quit and went on a 21-1 run to make it a two-point game (65-53) with just under four minutes remaining in the game. Utah Valley had several chances to tie the game, but USF made its free throws down the stretch to go on to the victory.
In the win over Eastern Washington, the Wolverines connected on 56 percent from the field, knocking down 44 percent of their three-point shots and 85 percent at the free throw line. Utah Valley also dominated the glass, 46-27. The Wolverines had assists on 23 of their 29 baskets. Manyang led Utah Valley with 20 points and 11 rebounds, Ogbe added 17 points and Jerrell DeBerry finished with 16. Zach Nelson chipped in 10 points to surpass the 1,000-point mark for his career.
SEATTLE U FALLS IN OVERTIME TO CENTRAL ARKANSAS IN FIRST ROUND OF CBI
After leading by two at halftime, the Seattle U men's basketball team fell in overtime, 92-90, to Central Arkansas in the first round of the College Basketball Invitational. The Redhawks closed the season at 20-14. Seattle U out-shot Central Arkansas 46 percent to 45 percent from the field, but made just 12-of-21 free throws (57 percent), while the Bears connected on 16-of-22 (73 percent). UCA also edged the Redhawks on the glass, 46-44. Four players scored in double figures for Seattle U, led by Richaud Gittens, who posted his second double-double of the season with 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting to go with 11 rebounds. Matej Kavas added 21 points, including five three-pointers. In his last collegiate game, Jordan Hill was just shy of a triple-double, finishing with 19 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. Aaron Menzies also doubled up, finishing with 19 points and 12 boards.
GCU FALLS TO MERCER IN FIRST ROUND OF CBI
Grand Canyon's season came to an end in the first round of the College Basketball Invitational with a 78-73 loss to Mercer at GCU Arena. The Lopes closed the season at 22-12. GCU led by five with nine minutes to play, but went nearly eight minutes without a field goal. The Lopes pulled within three with 33 seconds left in the game, but that was as close as they got. Keonta Vernon scored a team-high 20 points, while Casey Benson added 17 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Mercer shot 51 percent from the field, including 50 percent from three-point range against a GCU team that entered the game leading the nation in three-point field goal percentage defense at 21 percent. The Lopes shot 46 percent from the field on the game.
UTRGV DROPS HEARTBREAKER AT NEW ORLEANS IN CBI FIRST ROUND
UT Rio Grande Valley saw its season come to an end with a 77-74 loss to New Orleans in the opening round of the College Basketball Invitational. The Vaqueros end the season at 15-18. UTRGV shot 46 percent from the field, 39 percent from three-point range and 88 percent from the free throw line on the game and out-rebounded the Privateers 40-32. But the Vaqueros committed 16 turnovers that UNO converted into 20 points. Terry Winn led UTRGV with 14 points and seven rebounds, while Mike Hoffman scored 13 points while going 4-for-5 from beyond the arc. Nick Dixon finished with 11 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Greg Bowie chipped in 10 points.
NM STATE WINS WAC TOURNAMENT
After defeating eighth-seeded Chicago State 97-70 in the first round and surviving No. 4-seed Seattle U 84-79 in the semifinals, NM State held of a Grand Canyon rally in the second half to beat the third-seeded Lopes 72-58 in the championship game of the 2018 WAC Tournament title game to earn its eighth tournament title. Tournament MVP Jemerrio Jones posted his WAC-leading 20th double-double of the season with 15 points and 19 rebounds, while Zach Lofton scored a game-high 21 points.
All-Tournament Team
Alessandro Lever, Grand Canyon
Zach Lofton, NM State
Akolda Manyang, Utah Valley
Keonta Vernon, Grand Canyon
MVP: Jemerrio Jones, NM State
THREE WAC TOURNAMENT RECORDS BROKEN
Three WAC Tournament records were broken in 2018. NM State's Jemerrio Jones broke the single-game rebounding record with 22 against Seattle U. He also broke the tournament rebounding record with 55 in three games, surpassing the previous mark of 53 set by Boise State's Jason Ellis in 2005. As a team, NM State set the record for most three-pointers in a tournament with 32 over three games.
NM STATE'S JONES NAMED AP HONORABLE MENTION ALL-AMERICAN
NM State senior forward Jemerrio Jones was named an Associated Press honorable mention All-American, becoming the third straight Aggie player to earn the honor. The WAC Player of the Year and WAC Tournament MVP averaged 11.0 points, 13.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. He was named WAC Tournament MVP after averaging 18.3 rebounds and 12.3 points over the three tournament games while also breaking the WAC Tournament single game (22) and tournament (55) rebounding records. Jones led the nation in defensive rebounds per game (9.5) and total rebounds (450), ranked second in rebounds per game (13.2), third in triple-doubles (1), sixth in double-doubles (21) and 10th in offensive rebounds per game (3.74). He finished the season with 450 rebounds, a new WAC single-season record. In addition, his 13.24 rebounding average ranks tied for seventh all-time in WAC history. In his two seasons in of WAC play, he posted a rebounding average of 11.5 in WAC games, good for seventh place all-time. Overall, he posted a career average of 10.8 boards per game, good for 12th all-time in the WAC record books.
THREE WAC PLAYERS NAMED NABC ALL-DISTRICT 6
Three WAC men's basketball players were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 6 Team. NM State's Jemerrio Jones was a first team selection, while teammate Zach Lofton and UT Rio Grande Valley's Nick Dixon were named to the second team.
Jones, the WAC Player of the Year, averages 11.0 points, 13.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He was named WAC Tournament MVP after averaging 18.3 rebounds and 12.3 points while also breaking the WAC Tournament single game (22) and tournament (55) rebounding records. Jones leads the nation in defensive rebounds per game (9.45) and total rebounds (436), ranks second in rebounds per game (13.2), third in triple-doubles (1), seventh in double-doubles (18) and 10th in offensive rebounds per game (3.76).
Lofton was named to the All-WAC first team after averaging 19.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He joined Jones on the all-tournament team after averaging 24.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game over the three games. His 83 three-pointers this season rank fifth in the NM State single-season record books, one shy of fourth place and six away from third place. Lofton ranks 46th nationally in total points (634) and 50th in points per game (19.8).
A first team All-WAC selection, Dixon leads the WAC in scoring (20.6), ranks second in steals (1.4) and seventh in free throw shooting (79.3). Nationally, he ranks third in the NCAA in free throw makes (219) and attempts (276), 31st in total points (659) and 34th in points per game (20.6). His 276 free throws attempted are third all-time in WAC history and his 219 free throws made rank fourth.