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LOGAN, Utah -

New Mexico 56, Utah State 51

In a consistent, even-paced game between the teams, Utah State women's basketball fell 56-51 to New Mexico at home Saturday afternoon.

Senior guard/forward Jasmine Porter was the top scorer for the Aggies Saturday, tallying 14 points, while freshman guard Funda Nakkasoglu joined her in double-figures with 12. Senior guard Elise Nelson and senior forward Franny Vaaulu were tops defensively, adding eight rebounds each. New Mexico had three players score in double-digits, led by Khadijah Shumpert with 13.

With the loss, Utah State falls 6-17 overall and 3-8 in Mountain West play, while New Mexico improves to 12-10 overall and 8-3 in league play with the win. The loss is the fourth-straight for the Aggies, while the Lobos picked up their sixth-consecutive victory.

With a very similar feeling to the teams' meeting last month in Albuquerque, Saturday's game was played very evenly throughout with 11 lead changes and 16 ties on the day. The Aggies were first on the board with a pair of free throws from freshman guard Tilar Clark, opening the floor for both teams to trade shots back-and-forth.

Neither team led by more than three throughout the first half, as the alternating scoring continued over the entire 20 minutes. Nakkasoglu recorded 10 of her 12 points in the first half, while she and senior forward Ingrida Strikas each drew three fouls early. The entirety of the Aggies' free throw points also came in the first half, as the team went 13-of-15 from the line.

The final possessions of the first half worked in the Lobos' favor. New Mexico doubled up on Utah State down the stretch, adding 10 points in the final five minutes. A missed trey from Porter in the final seconds of the half sent New Mexico into the locker room with a 30-27 lead.

Out of the break, the Lobos were first to score, finding the first of its two five-point leads, the biggest advantage the team would see all day. Porter found her groove in the second half, adding 10 points and five boards to her totals.

The final five minutes of the game proved to be problematic for the Aggies, as the team was held scoreless while also committing five turnovers in that stretch of time. A 3-point shot and a pair of free throws in the final minute cemented the win for New Mexico, matching its game-best five-point lead to end the game.

Overall, Utah State shot 36.7 percent (18-of-49) from the field, 22.2 percent (2-of-9) from three and 86.7 percent (13-of-15) from the free throw line. New Mexico shot 33.9 percent (19-of-56) from the field, 30.8 percent (4-of-13) from three and 73.7 percent (14-of-19) from the free throw line.

Utah State has just one game next week, traveling to Reno to take on the Nevada Wolf Pack. Action from the Lawlor Event Center is set for 7:30 p.m. (MT) on Wednesday, Feb. 11.

Aggie women's basketball tickets will be available by contacting the USU Athletics Ticket Office at (435) 797-0305 or at 1-888-U-STATE-1 (1-888-878-2831) for more information or visit the Utah State athletics web site at www.UtahStateAggies.com.

Fans can follow USU women's basketball on Twitter, @UtahStateWBB, on Instagram, @USUWBasketball, as well as on Facebook, at USUWBB. Aggie fans can also follow Utah State Athletics on Twitter.com, @USUAthletics, on Instagram, @USUAthletics and on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics.