Arkansas State low after guard's high

DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE PRESS SERVICES

LAS CRUCES, N.M. -- It was a career high for New Mexico State's Eric Channing, and a Sun Belt Conference low for Arkansas State.
Channing, a junior guard, scored 32 points Thursday night as the Aggies dominated the second half and handed the Indians their worst conference loss of the season, 92-71 at the Pan American Center.
Channing hit 6 of 7 three-pointers and scored 27 points in the second half, and the Aggies broke a 52-52 tie with an 18-0 run that put the game out of reach.
Channing started the run with a three-pointer from the right side with under 12:40 left and ended it with a three-pointer at the 6:09 mark. The Indians committed five turnovers during the stretch.
ASU Coach Dickey Nutt was called for a technical with 5:33 left and the Aggies leading 71-54 after a foul was called on guard Jamie Rosser, who wasn't in the game, while Channing was attempting a three-pointer. The foul was eventually charged to Nick Rivers and Channing sank all five free throws.
The Aggies' biggest lead was 80-56 after a three-point play by James Moore, who scored 20 points, with just over four minutes left.
ASU blew a 10-point first-half lead and trailed 37-35 at halftime. The Indians were outscored 6-0 to open the second half, but fought back to tie it 52-52 thanks to a three-pointer by Rivers and Kolin Weaver's follow of a miss by Rosser.
Rivers led the Indians (15-10, 9-4 Sun Belt East) with 21 points, junior center Jason Jennings scored 20, and Rosser had 16. Brandon Mason added 16 for New Mexico State (11-14, 6-6 Sun Belt West).
It was the sixth victory in seven games for New Mexico State, coached by NCAA veteran Lou Henson. The Aggies are prohibited from postseason play because of recruiting violations and academic fraud under the previous coaching staff.
ASU dropped to third in the East Division after Louisiana Tech beat Middle Tennessee to claim sole possession of second. After Saturday's game at West member North Texas, the Indians play host to East leader Western Kentucky (10-3, 18-6) when ASU returns to the Convocation Center on Thursday.
Western Kentucky handed ASU its previous worst conference loss, 79-61 at Bowling Green on Jan. 25.
ASU used a 9-0 run to build its biggest lead of the first half, 15-5. Jennings opened the rally with a basket from the low post. Weaver contributed a three-pointer, then Jennings got two points thanks to a goaltending call and Rivers closed out the run with a running, left-handed jumper with under 15 minutes left.
But the Aggies fought back within 19-17 on a three-pointer by Mason and a free throw by Dennis Trammell with under 11 minutes left. A pair of free throws by Mason tied it at 19, and the Aggies took their first lead since the opening seconds on a turnaround jumper by Daveeno Hines with just over seven minutes left.
Neither team led by more than three the rest of the half.

This article was published on Friday, February 16, 2001

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