LAS CRUCES – The closer to the rim this game got, the bigger the advantage for New Mexico State.

Freshman guard Daniel Mullings scored a team-high 17 points as the Aggie men routed Utah State 80-60 on Thursday at the Pan Am Center. With their fourth consecutive win, the Aggies (12-5, 2-0) helped put the UtAgs’ (9-8, 1-2) drive for a fifth straight regular-season title in an early hole.

Redshirt senior forward Wendell McKines posted his 10th double-double of the year and 37th of his career with 13 points and 11 rebounds as the Aggies exploited their size advantage and outscored the visitors by a whopping 52-14 in the paint.

	Saturday Idaho at NMSU: Women at 3:30; men (AggieVision, KQTM-FM 101.7) at 7 p.m.

Of the 52, 12 came on dunks, including three slams by the electrifying Mullings, who was 8-of-10 from the field.

The Aggies committed a season-low six turnovers and shot 60 percent in the second half to run away with a game that was tied at the half at 34.

A 26-6 run over nine minutes of the second half put New Mexico State up by 18, 70-52, with 4:07 to play. Utah State made just two field goals in that span.

Kyisean Reed led Utah State with 18 points.

WOMEN: NMSU junior Camila Rosen posted her first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, but the Aggies fell 74-56 to Utah State in their league opener, a matinee contest. NMSU drops to 3-13. Utah State is 10-5.
SaturdayIdaho at NMSU: Women at 3:30; men (AggieVision, KQTM-FM 101.7) at 7 p.m.Mullings, Inside Strength Spark Rout of Utah State

NMSU Basketball
— This article appeared on page D5 of the Albuquerque Journal