LAS VEGAS (March 10)-The New Mexico State men’s basketball team advanced to the WAC Tournament Semifinals to play No. 2 seed Boise State, Friday, March 11 at 10 p.m. on ESPN2. The game is available on KGRT 104 FM with the ‘Voice of the Aggies’ Jack Nixon calling the action, and the pregame show starts 30 minutes prior to tip.

New Mexico State Aggies

The Aggies defended their WAC Tournament crown with a 66-60 win over Nevada in the tournament quarterfinals, March 10. NM State improved to 16-16 after the victory. Junior forward Troy Gillenwater leads NM State with a team-high 19.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Junior guard Hernst Laroche is averaging 11.5 points and 4.7 assists per contest.

WAC Tournament History

Since joining the WAC in 2005-06, the Aggies have an 11-3 record in the conference tournament. NM State has two tournament titles in 2007 and 2010, and has won two of the last four championships. In head coach Marvin Menzies’ tenure, the Aggies have played in the championship game twice, 2008 and 2010. NM State fell to Boise State in triple overtime, 107-102, March 15, 2008 in Las Cruces, and defeated Utah State, 69-63, March 13, 2010 in Reno, Nev. The Aggies are looking to repeat as champions, which is a feat that hasn’t happened since Hawai’i claimed the WAC Tournament crown in 2001 and 2002.

2010 WAC Tournament Recap

The Aggies won their second WAC Tournament Championship in 2010 as the No. 3 seed with a 69-63 win over Utah State, March 13, 2010. NM State beat tournament host Nevada, 80-79, March 12, 2010, in the semifinals and San Jose State, 90-69, March 11, 2010, in the quarterfinals. With the victory, the Aggies earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament, their 18th appearance in school history. 

Aggies Advance with Win over Nevada 66-60

In the 2011 WAC Tournament Quarterfinals, the Aggies defeated Nevada, 66-60, March 10. NM State advanced to the tournament semifinals for the sixth consecutive season. Junior forward Troy Gillenwater scored a game-high 18 points along with a season-high four blocked shots. Senior guard Gordo Castillo added 14 points, which included a 10-of-10 performance at the free-throw line. Junior guard Hernst Laroche was also in double-digits with 11.

Scouting Boise State

The Broncos finished in second place in the WAC with a 19-11 overall record and 10-6 conference record. Boise State has four players with double-digit averages including 15.4 points per game from senior guard La’Shard Anderson. Senior forwards Robert Arnold (12.6), Paul Noonan (10.5) and Daequon Montreal (10.3) also contribute to the offense.

Series Notes

NM State leads the all-time series 15-10 after each team won on its home floor this season. In neutral site games, the Aggies post a 2-0 lead. Boise State claimed the first meeting of the season, 81-78, in Boise, Idaho, Dec. 31, while the Aggies won the game in Las Cruces, 96-87, in overtime, Jan. 27. In WAC Tournament games, the Aggies have a 2-1 lead. NM State won 88-69, March 9, 2007 in the semifinals in Las Cruces and 80-70, March 12, 2009, in the quarterfinals in Reno, Nev. The Aggies lost 107-102 in triple overtime in the title game, March 15, 2008 in Las Cruces.

Previous Meetings

In their second overtime game of the season, the Aggies survived Boise State, 96-87, Jan. 27. Junior forward Troy Gillenwater scored a career-high 34 points. Junior guard Hernst Laroche also had a career night with 24 points, and sophomore forward Tyrone Watson recorded his first double-double with a career-high 17 points and 10 rebounds.

The Aggies said goodbye to 2010 with its second WAC game of the season at Boise State, but they fell to the Broncos, 81-78, in the New Year’s Eve game. NM State had four players in double-figures with Gillenwater scoring a game-high 24 points. Senior guard Gordo Castillo had 14 points, while sophomore forward Bandja Sy and Laroche supplied 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Gillenwater Named First Team All-WAC

Junior forward Troy Gillenwater garnered first team All-WAC and first team NABC District Six honors in 2010-11. This is Gillenwater’s first career All-WAC selection. Also, the fifth consecutive season the Aggies have had a first team all-conference honoree. Gillenwater leads the Aggies with 19.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. In conference games, he averaged 20.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He has 12 games over 20 points this year and 15 in his career.

Aggie Double-Doubles in 2010-11

The Aggies have had eight double-doubles this season. Junior forward Troy Gillenwater leads the team with four. Senior guard Gordo Castillo, freshman center Tshilidzi Nephawe, junior center Hamidu Rahman and sophomore forward Tyrone Watson have all recorded a double-double in 2010-11.

National Campaign

In the NCAA rankings, junior forward Troy Gillenwater is No. 36 in points per game (19.2). Junior guard Hernst Laroche is No. 40 in steals (2.0 per game) and No. 59 in assists (4.8 per game). As a team, the Aggies rank No. 50 in 3-point field goal defense (31.9) and No. 85 in scoring offense (72.1) as of March 6.

Home Sweet Home

NM State utilized its home court advantage this season at the Pan American Center and finished with a 7-1 record in WAC home games in 2010-11. The Aggies had their 12-game WAC home win streak snapped March 2 against Utah State.

A Floor General

Junior guard Hernst Laroche continues his command at the point for the Aggies in 2010-11 with a team-high 150 assists and 62 steals. He also ranks second in scoring with 11.5 points per game. Laroche has 414 career assists and ranks second on the all-time list at NM State.

Career Leaders in Assists

1. Sam Crawford-592

2. Hernst Laroche-414

3. Keith Hill-379

4. Ernest Patterson-371

5. Steve Colter-347

Gillenwater Joins 1,000-Point Club

Junior forward Troy Gillenwater became the 27th member of the Aggie 1,000-point club, March 2. Against No. 25/21 Utah State, Gillenwater joined the club with his second field goal of the game. He now has 1,053 career points and ranks No. 21 on NM State’s all-time scoring list.