Box score
LAS VEGAS - New Mexico State women's basketball senior guard Jasmine Lowe posted season highs with 20 points and eight rebounds to help the sixth-seeded Aggies defeat seventh-seeded Hawai'i 71-59 inside the Orleans Arena Wednesday night during the first round of the Western Athletic Conference basketball tournament.
The Aggies trailed much of the first half but recovered for a one-point halftime lead of 27-26. They broke open the game early in the second half with a 14-4 run to lead 41-30 after a pair of three-point baskets from senior guard Danisha Corbett at the 16:27 mark.
The Aggies led by double-digits for much of the remainder of the game as they shot 61.5 percent from the floor in the second half. Lowe scored 12 of her 20 points after halftime and Corbett went 4 for 4 on 3-point attempts in the second half.
Lowe led four New Mexico State players in double figures. Junior forward Tabytha Wampler posted 18 points and nine rebounds, Corbett added 14 points and junior guard Kaitlyn Soto recorded 11 points.
With the win, the Aggies improved to 14-17, while Hawaii ended its season at 11-19. The Aggies will face No.3 seed Utah State in a Thursday night quarterfinal matchup at 9:30 p.m. MT in Orleans Arena.
�"I thought our players distributed the ball well tonight," said Aggies head coach Darin Spence. "Early on we were trying too hard and I think we were a little nervous but we settled down in the second half. I thought Kaitlyn Soto played the best game of her career tonight for us."
