Western New Mexico opened its season with a 92-64 road loss to New Mexico Highlands, falling behind early and unable to overcome the Cowboys’ scoring and rebounding advantage. Emori LaSalle and Jordan Sapien each led the Mustangs with 15 points.

By the Numbers
  • Final score: New Mexico Highlands 92, Western New Mexico 64.
  • Rebounds: New Mexico Highlands 42, Western New Mexico 29.
  • Field goals: New Mexico Highlands 33 of 65; Western New Mexico 21 of 54.
  • Turnovers: Western New Mexico 24; New Mexico Highlands 13 steals.
  • LaSalle and Sapien scored 15 points apiece; Teeya Gordon added 11.
Yes, But

The Mustangs showed some offensive momentum, outscoring Highlands 18-16 in the second quarter and putting up 35 points in the third. But Highlands scored 46 in that third quarter, while 17 offensive rebounds helped the hosts generate 22 second-chance points.

State of Play
  • Western New Mexico is 0-1 overall; New Mexico Highlands is 1-2.
  • The Mustangs’ next game is at home against Metropolitan State University of Denver on Nov. 18 in Silver City.
Bottom Line

Western New Mexico’s second-quarter response wasn’t enough to offset a rough start, missed-shot gap and costly turnovers. Rebounding and ball security will be key areas to address before the home opener.