LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Behind a big third-quarter run, Western Athletic Conference powerhouse New Mexico State pulled away late with a 63-46 win over Utah Valley women's basketball Saturday afternoon at the Pan American Center.
 
The Wolverines (6-15, 1-5 WAC) held leads in the first and second quarter, but the Aggies (15-6, 7-0) used a 20-4 run at the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth behind guard Brooke Salas' 22 second-half points and game-high 24. Junior guards Mariah Seals and Taylor Gordon combined for 29 points to finish as UVU's offensive leaders.
 
"The outcome wasn't what we were hoping for," said Utah Valley head coach Cathy Nixon. "But I was honestly really proud of the way our girls competed. That third quarter was obviously the difference where we let them get away from us a little bit. Overall, I'm happy with the way this young team responded to their second game of this road trip against the league's best team in New Mexico State."

With less than two minutes to go in the third, a Salas jumper ignited the Aggies' 10-0 quarter-ending surge, which she paired with another basket from three-point range near the end of the quarter. During NMSU's scoring spree, Salas also added a basket in the paint and another three-pointer to give her 10 points within a 6-minute span.
 
The Wolverines' backcourt duo of Seals and Gordon finished with 18 of UVU's 21 points at the half and cut the deficit to 22-21 heading into the break. They also scored 13 of the Wolverines first 15 points, tying the score at 15-15 with 4:24 to go in the second quarter.
 
Seals then spearheaded a 5-0 scoring outburst with her second three-pointer of the first half to bring the Wolverines even with the Aggies, before Gordon added a jumper in the paint to give UVU its final lead of the game at 21-19.
 
After an 8-2 NMSU run to start of the third quarter, Gordon poured in five of UVU's next eight points to bring the score to 35-31. Following a Britta Hall three-pointer from the wing, she then cut the deficit to 38-36 on a pair of free throws that gave her seven points in the period.
 
UVU's backcourt leaders finished as the Wolverines' only two double-digit scorers, behind 15 points from Gordon and 14 points from Seals. UVU's standout junior duo, which leads all starting backcourt duos in the WAC in scoring with 29 points per contest, reached their combined scoring output despite being held to under 30 points for the first time in three games.
 
"I feel like Mariah (Seals) had a really good game. She controlled the tempo and controlled things, so I'm really proud of the way she played. Taylor (Gordon) was also consistent for us again, so I feel like we showed we can compete and hope that we can carry that momentum with us into next weekend," Nixon said.
 
Center Sam Lubcke scored her first bucket of the contest with 9:12 left in the third quarter, igniting a 5-0 UVU run to bring the score to 28-28. After Lubcke drained a free throw, Gordon followed with a put back after she missed her second attempt.
 
After being limited to zero first-half points with foul trouble, UVU center Sam Lubcke scored each of her nine points in the last two periods to go along with seven rebounds on the day. Despite the second-half burst, Lubcke's streak of scoring in double digits in 13 straight games came to an end.
 
In addition to finishing as the Wolverines' top scorer for the seventh time in eight games, Gordon pulled down a team-high eight rebounds on the day to lead a contingent of four Wolverines with at least five boards. Along with  Lubcke's seven rebounds, freshmen Sariah Wi Neera and Jordan Holland each reeled in six boards a piece.

Despite missing UVU's past eight games due to injury, Hall shot 50 percent from beyond the arc (1-of-2 3-pt FG) to finish with three points in her return to the court.
 
Utah Valley will now prepare for a three-game homestand beginning with another WAC contest versus Seattle U on Feb. 4. That game precedes matchups with UMKC on Feb. 9 and Chicago State on Feb. 11.