OREM, Utah — Rodrea Echols' bucket with 10.6 seconds to go helped New Mexico State to a 65-62 win over Utah Valley University on Friday night at the UCCU Center.
 
Echols scored and on the ensuing possession, the Wolverines (7-5, 5-4) were whistled for an off-ball foul to give the ball back to the Aggies (5-9, 3-4). Echols split two free-throws, keeping the window open for the Wolverines, but Shay Fano's three rattled in and out.
 
"New Mexico State came out and played aggressive and had a couple of kids get going. Credit to them for how they played," said UVU head coach Dan Nielson. "The defensive effort in the second half just wasn't there, and we can't get outrebounded the way we did. We've got a lot to fix in the next 24 hours to get ready to go and that's the nature of it this year so hopefully we'll be ready to go tomorrow afternoon.
 
Maria Carvalho led UVU with 15 points and also had five assists and five steals. Josie Williams scored seven of her 15 points in the fourth quarter and Shay Fano added 12 points and eight assists. Aaliyah Prince led NM State with a game-high 21 points, with Echols chipping in 16. The Aggies held a 38-26 edge on the glass with Soufia Inoussa hauling in a game-high nine rebounds.
 
The teams went back-and-forth in the opening quarter with the lead changing hands seven times and neither team leading by more than three points. Kayla Anderson hit a three with under 10 seconds left in the first to give the Wolverines a 17-15 lead after one.
 
Carvalho scored and was fouled early in the second to push the UVU lead to five. Prince scored to get the Aggies within one, 25-24, but Madison Grange hit a three to push the lead to four and followed it with a driving layup to give the Wolverines their biggest lead of the half, 30-24. Prince scored with just seconds to go to make it 30-26 at the break.
 
NM State made a run in the third behind an eight-point quarter from Prince. She scored seven straight on her own to turn a 37-33 UVU lead into a 40-37 advantage for the Aggies. Grange scored and was fouled with 90 seconds to go in the quarter to get back to within one, 45-44, after three.
 
The Aggies scored the first four of the final quarter to take a 49-44 lead and were in front 51-46 when Williams knocked down a three. Carvalho tied the game with two from the line, but Prince scored and later knocked down 1-of-2 from the line to put NM State back in front by three.
 
UVU trailed by three with under five minutes left before Fano scored was fouled and knocked down a free-throw to again tie the contest. The teams traded baskets on four straight possessions, with Sohail driving to the bucket for a layup to tied it at 60-60 with 2:58 left.
 
The Wolverines got a stop and Williams gave the Wolverines their first lead of the quarter with 2:22 to go, but Inoussa tied it two trips later with 1:26 remaining. Neither team scored again until Echols hit what turned out to be the game-winner.

Anderson added nine points for the Wolverines with Grange finishing with eight points and four assists. The weekend series concludes on Saturday with a 3 p.m. MT tip.