‘We’ve got to get our minds right’: Washington State lets 18-point lead slip in loss to New Mexico State

PULLMAN – Building a lead doesn’t seem to be an issue for Washington State.

But maintaining one? That’s been giving the Cougars fits.

WSU has allowed a double-digit second-half buffer to slip away in four contests this season – and the Cougars have now dropped two of those games.

They squandered an 18-point advantage Wednesday night at Beasley Coliseum, falling 64-61 to New Mexico State.

“It hurts,” forward Efe Abogidi said. “We’ve got to get our minds right. That’s our big issue right now. That’s what I’m focused on.

“We just need to learn how to close out games.”

WSU (7-4) closed the first half on a 17-3 run and drained three consecutive 3-pointers out of the break to fashion a 44-26 margin with less than 18 minutes to play.

But the Cougars managed one field goal over the next 6 minutes, and NMSU (9-2) – the Western Athletic Conference favorite this year but an underdog in this one – sliced away at the WSU cushion, taking advantage of Cougar fouls and sinking a few timely 3s.

“We’ve gotta move the ball, gotta move the ball,” Abogidi said. “We gotta get somebody the ball that can make the shot.”

WSU scored three points throughout the final 5 minutes. Aggies guard Teddy Allen lifted NMSU to a three-point lead with about 2 minutes left – the visitors’ first advantage since midway through the first half – when he hit three free throws after getting tagged by Cougars guard Noah Williams on a 3-point try.

A series of errors ensued for the hosts.

Abogidi, not the Cougars’ first choice for deep attempts, settled for a 3, which missed. WSU had trouble inbounding the ball with about a minute to go and was hit with a 5-second violation. Shortly after, forward DJ Rodman accidentally kicked a loose ball out of bounds on a crucial possession.

Still, the Cougars had a good look from 3 at the buzzer to potentially tie it, but Williams’ 3-point attempt rattled off the rim.

“(The Aggies) were the tougher team, especially in the second half,” coach Kyle Smith said. “They really rallied and kept competing and we played tentatively.

“Our second halves have been poor, especially at home. It’s either conditioning or mental mindset. We’ve had a lot of guys that have missed practices for injuries and stuff like that, sickness. You gotta practice. We’re trying to do things to address it.”

The Cougars struggled with inefficient 3-point shooting again. They went 10 of 33 from beyond the arc. Combining that mark with its last game – a last-second loss to South Dakota State – WSU is 19 of its past 67 on 3-pointers.

Guard Michael Flowers led WSU with 15 points, shooting 5 of 9 from 3. Abogidi and guard TJ Bamba added 11 points apiece, and Williams scored 14 despite dealing with the flu.

WSU was outscored 30-20 in the paint, committed 17 turnovers and shot 20 of 60 overall. NMSU hit 48% of its shots in the second half. Sir’Jabari Rice paced all players with 22 points – 19 in the second half – and Allen logged 18 

“It was amazing we were still in the game shooting 33% from the field and 30% from 3,” Smith said. “That’s tough to beat anybody.”

WSU started to separate late in the first half with its big run, which spanned about 5 minutes and turned a 19-18 deficit into a 35-22 lead at halftime behind 3s from Flowers and Andrej Jakimovski, and stylish transition play from Williams.

The opponents combined for 23 turnovers in a first half that was at times devoid of rhythm for either side.

WSU hit 4 of 8 on 3-pointers and jumped ahead by nine early before the Aggies capitalized on a stagnant stretch of offense to slip in front by one point.

WSU absorbed a loss to Eastern Washington after leading by double digits in the second half. UC Santa Barbara and Winthrop also made late rallies from down 10-plus in Cougar wins.

“Not turning teams over and getting outscored in the second half has been a trend, for sure,” said Smith, noting that the young Cougars must establish a tougher identity and a mature mindset, and not get rattled when the momentum shifts.

“They were the grittier team. That’s why we play these teams: They have the experience and they’re used to winning. Making that next hurdle, where you understand how to close out games … it’s a process. There’s a pride we gotta try to develop.”

WSU was without its No. 3 scorer in guard Tyrell Roberts, who is recovering from an illness. Smith expects Roberts to be available when the Cougars host Northern Colorado on Saturday.