Siakam tallies 24 points, 23 boards in Aggies' win over UTEP
LAS CRUCES, N.M. -- Pascal Siakam scored 24 points, grabbed a career-high 23 rebounds and tallied five blocks, leading New Mexico State to a 73-59 win over UTEP in the Battle of I-10 Wednesday night.
Siakam's 20-20 game is the fourth in Division I this season. He recorded a double-double in both halves.
New Mexico State (5-2) opened the game on a 10-0 run and led by as many as 16 points in the first half.
But the Miners (6-1) chipped away at an eight-point halftime deficit, cutting the Aggies' lead to four with an Earvin Morris 3-pointer to make it 51-47 with 10:51 left.
Jalyn Pennie responded with a dunk and tip-in for New Mexico State, helping the Aggies quickly build their lead back to double digits.
Ian Baker had 22 points on 8-of-18 shooting for New Mexico State, which led in second-chance points 17-1, thanks largely to Siakam's 10 offensive rebounds.
Dominic Artis had 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting for UTEP.
