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Given that it began with a resounding win at Utah Valley, it’s been a miserable road trip so far for the New Mexico State basketball men.

The team arrived in Phoenix on Friday for tonight’s game at Grand Canyon with a lighter load than when it left Las Cruces. Following their 51-38 win Thursday at Western Athletic Conference foe Utah Valley, the Aggies (18-10, 10-1) took a bus from the UVU campus in Orem to Salt Lake City for an overnight stay close to the airport for their morning flight out of Utah.

Marvin Menzies missed Thursday night’s game at Utah Valley because he was sick with a case of suspected food poisoning. (AP File Photo/John MIller)

But sometime overnight, thieves broke into the bus. They took the unwashed white uniforms from Thursday’s game and “some very minor equipment” such as tripods, timeout stools and coaches’ dry boards, said NMSU spokesperson Bill Powers. A police report was filed. No estimated value of the uniforms was immediately available.

NMSU was in white Thursday because, as part of a “blackout” promotion at Utah Valley, the host team wore its black uniforms. NMSU has its regular road crimsons for tonight.

Powers and coach Marvin Menzies stressed Friday that Thursday’s visit to Orem was incident-free. A year ago, the Aggies and the host team got into a postgame brawl that included fans spilling out of the stands.

Menzies, on the other hand, didn’t even see Thursday’s win. He was sick from what is thought to be food poisoning from eating bad sushi. The team ate elsewhere and was unaffected.

Menzies is expected to return to his usual role and position on the bench for the Grand Canyon game.

The Aggies already clinched a share of the regular-season title with Thursday’s win and can secure the whole thing with a win tonight over the Antelopes (16-11, 7-3).

WOMEN: NMSU (17-7, 10-1) hosts Grand Canyon (11-12, 5-5) today two games up on the field with three to play. NMSU escaped with a 67-62 home win Thursday over Utah Valley.