Lockdown Defense Powers Aggies to Momentous Win Over UTEP

Christian CookLAS CRUCES, N.M. - The air was a little different in the Pan American Center on Thursday night. Not only were the Aggies hosting UTEP, but the game signified the beginning of a new era. For the first time in over 60 years, the Battle of I-10 was a conference matchup. NM State logged a win for the record books, toppling the Miners 63-53 to start 1-0 all-time in Conference USA games.

First Half

The first basket of the Aggies' CUSA era belonged to Robert Carpenter on a driving two-handed dunk. A Christian Cook contested 3-pointer and Femi Odukale layup on back-to-back possessions sparked a 5-0 Aggie run that gave them a 17-13 lead, forcing a UTEP timeout with 12:03 left. The streak…