New Mexico St. fights past CS Bakersfield 63-55 for WAC lead

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) Ian Baker scored 16 points, Braxton Huggins added 12 off the bench and New Mexico State closed on a 23-14 run to defeat Cal State Bakersfield 63-55 in a battle for first place in the Western Athletic Conference on Thursday night.

Baker hit a 3-pointer that gave New Mexico State a 43-42 lead with 7:31 left to play, and Huggins followed with a pair of treys and two free throws to spark a breakaway 10-0 run down the stretch.

Matt Taylor scored 11 points and Pascal Siakam, a 6-foot-9 sophomore from Cameroon, added 12 rebounds with five points for New Mexico State.

The defending Western Athletic Conference champion Aggies (19-9, 10-1) remain alone in first place. Bakersfield (18-8, 8-3) fell just behind Grand Canyon (23-4, 9-2). The Roadrunners play host to Grand Canyon Feb. 27 in a fight for second seed to the WAC tournament.

Kevin Mays scored 13 to lead the Roadrunners.