New Mexico State wins 3rd straight WAC title
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Las Vegas, NV (SportsNetwork.com) - Daniel Mullings had 18 points and eight rebounds and New Mexico State won their third straight WAC Conference Tournament Championship following a 77-55 rout of Idaho.
Sim Bhullar tallied 14 points and nine boards, while Tshilidzi Nephawe added 12 points for the Aggies (26-9), who shot 55.8 percent (29-of-52) from the floor and outrebounded the Vandals 38-21.
Led by the massive 7-foot-5, 355 pound center Bhullar, the Aggies outscored Idaho 46-16 in the paint.
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"It's not easy being my size and running around the court," Bhullar admitted. "My teammates do a good job motivating me. They always tell me to keep my head up and keep doing my thing."
Stephen Madison netted 17 points for Idaho (16-18), which was playing in its first WAC title game since 1993.
"It's always tough to end a career or season like that," said the senior Madison. "Got to be proud of the guys. It's tough to leave the court."
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The Vandals haven't made the NCAA Tournament since 1990.
The game was tied 11-11 before New Mexico State seized control of the contest with an elongated 19-4 run. Two Bhullar free throws capped the surge and gave the Aggies a 30-15 advantage.
New Mexico State took a 39-25 cushion into the break and led by as many as 23 in the second half before cruising to the easy win.
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Game Notes
The Aggies shot 55.8 percent (29-of-52) from the floor, while Idaho finished 38.3 percent (18-of-47) from the field ... The teams split two games during the regular season.