The Aggie Men’s Basketball season started off on a poor note for an exhibition in Mexico. Coach Hooten had to leave several players left behind for visa issues. This is reminiscent of the Baseball Exhibition last month (10-11-25) with a Mexican team.
The team did win over Adams State, a DII school, last week, 83-72. The Aggies led all the way, but it was not an entirely comfortable win. Coach Hooten’s interviews have been trying to lower expectations. I think the last two years of Aggie Men’s Basketball have already accomplished that. Jemel Jones led with 23 points and 9 rebounds. Cyr Malonga had 16 and Julius “Juice” Mims had 12. The team shot 40% overall and 33% on 3’s. They had 40 points in the paint.
New radio voice, Russ Langer, joined Anita Skipper on the radio broadcast, and they worked well together. He was friendly and professional and seemed to be an appropriate replacement for Jack Nixon. Russ was stumbling a bit on the multitude of ad reads for that first game, but tightened it up for tonight’s game. Seeing him in person, I noticed Russ is wearing a microphone headset, but actually holds the mic while talking into it.
That brings us up-to-date. I was already at the Pan-Am Center for the Aggie Women’s Basketball game before this one. I left my prime seat at center court, figuring a season ticket holder would have that seat. I went up to the concessions for dinner. I’ve been avoiding them all season, but for a free game, I figured I owed them something. UTEP was also playing a double header today, but the Women played in the morning and the Men played in the evening, so I couldn’t done this in El Paso.
For $16, I got a personal pizza and a Dr. Pepper. It was probably about as good a deal you’d get from them. The pizza was from Papa John’s and was cold and probably wouldn’t have been that great when it was warm. (And trying to choke it down before the game started didn’t help the taste.) I was lured to Papa John’s last weekend for a 50% off deal, which I didn’t get with my order. See you guys some day in the far future when I forget about this slight. The drink was at least large and lasted for the whole game.
Sitting down to eat the meal was a different matter. I thought I could just find a seat near the top row somewhere, but ushers were all there checking tickets. Completing a circuit around the concourse, I found one unguarded entrance and took a seat in the upper bowl in the front row. No problem, but I was a little nervous. This wasn’t like last year (11-14-24) when I was there with dad for a double header. (I didn’t invite him this time, since he could barely sit for the first game and we left before halftime in the second.)
It was maybe a disappointing crowd at 3,856. On the radio broadcast, Russ hoped for double (Anita said, “Triple.”) the crowd on Saturday for the game against the Lobos. (They also discussed their chili preferences in the pregame.) Everyone seemed to have a good time at the game, anyway (myself, included). The Highlands fan section may have left or moved. I saw them in the concourse, so they were probably somewhere inside. Their team came out in eye-catching (?) purple stripped pants. Unlike their Women’s team, these were a bunch of big guys, who looked like they’d give the Aggies a game.
The Sundancers joined the Cheerleaders for the game. The male Sundancer, who we saw at Football (10-2-25), was performing. I’ll give him credit, the guy was working it. It looked entirely inappropriate, but he was doing it. I’m having trouble imagining that the other Sundancers are really comfortable with this arrangement or that this was what they signed up for. (Let me add, this is completely different than the male Cheerleaders. Those are big guys, who hold up the girls one-handed, or smaller guys that do acrobatics.)
First Half
I was nearly sitting in total darkness in the upper bowl, so filling out a scorecard was a challenge. At least that’s my excuse this scorecard not adding up. I was 0 for 4 on scorecards for this evening. I was stuffing my face with cold pizza right up until tipoff.
Oddly, the Cowboys were in home whites for the game with the Aggies in crimson. Maybe the Cowboys packed the wrong uniforms. (It happens.) The NMH coaches were in nice suits, if not stylish. The Aggie coaches were in polos.
Anthony Wrzeszcz began the game for the Aggies with a 3. What does a Polish man give his wife on their wedding night that’s long and hard? His last name. Big man Malonga got a steal and Gabe Pickens was fouled and converted on his free throws. Jae’Coby Osborne stripped a ball away, but the Aggies lost it and NMH converted it into a jumper. It was 5-4 Aggies with 16’ left in the half.
Amusingly, the Aggies made a pass directly into the Highlands bench. NMH turned that into a bucket and took a 5-6 lead. Marcus Pierce added a 3 and the Aggies took a timeout, trailing 5-9 with 14’ left. Augustine Ekwe blocked a shot and got a bucket on the other end. Elijah Elliot put in a 3 and the Aggies were back up, 10-9 with 12’ left. The Aggies got another block taking us into another timeout. On the radio, they were running an Aggie Sports ad for the “Beer-ito,” the beer/burrito combo meal. If they could develop a beer-flavored burrito, they might really be on to something. (As if they could even keep a pizza warm.)
NMH went down inside and retook the lead, 10-11. Malonga made a rebound on a miss on a 3 and was fouled. The big guy (6’11”) missed both free throws. Anita did not approve, but laughed about it. The Aggies got a steal and a breakaway, but Cowboy Latavious Morris broke up the basket. Jayland Randall was fouled and made his free throws for a 12-11 Aggie lead with 8’ left. That ended a 4’ scoring drought.
Former AD Mario Moccia was here. I saw him shaking some hands in the stands and later sitting at courtside. He gave one of the little mop girls a hug when she came by him. Did he get season tickets as part of his dismissal? Glad to see that he’s still a fan. He may be collecting a lot of wishes that he was still AD from fans. From what I’m seeing this year from Aggie Sports, I wonder if the collapse happened because he was fired, or if he got lucky to be let go before he was blamed for this eventuality.
From the radio, the Aggies were only shooting 25% to this point and both teams were committing a lot of turnovers. NMH intercepted a pass. Ekwe came back and put down a jam after the Aggies nearly had two turnovers on the possession. It was 14-12 Aggies with 6’ left in the half. BJ Comer sank a 3 for Highlands and put them back up, 14-15. Jemel missed a jumper, got the rebound, and put it in. Anthony committed a foul, but NMH missed both of their free throws.
Jemel sank another jumper and the Aggies were back up, 18-15 with 5’ left. Jemel followed that with another jumper. The defense stepped up and forced a shot clock violation. On the other end, Anthony made a steal, a layup, and got the foul. 23-15 Aggies with 3’ left. In another timeout, the Cheerleaders gave away large Lorenzo’s pizzas. They probably weren’t warm either, but likely tasted much better. The section of ROTC cadets got one and seemed to be enjoying it.
Cowboy Dontae Walker made a layup off a nice pass to make it, 23-19 with 2’ left. Robert Dix then hit a 3 and closed the Aggie lead to 1 point. Jemel answered with a 3 right after. Dix went inside for another bucket, but Chris Terrell answered that with another 3. 29-24 Aggies as the half expired.
Halftime
There was no halftime show, other than an attractive woman below me in a cowboy hat and a tank top dancing on Dance Cam. I was reluctant to expose myself to leave my seat, but I needed to go to the bathroom after having half of that large Dr. Pepper. I also picked up some cinnamon roasted nuts on the way back. I was about on the same level with the suites, which were all occupied. The TV screens inside had another college basketball game on.
Second Half
Jemel found Malonga for a bucket and a free throw, which he made. (He must have heard Anita.) 32-24 Aggies. Jemel added a jumper to get it to a 10-point lead with 18’ left in the game. In the timeout, the broadcasters read a promo for the Harlem Globetrotters coming to town. They’d been promoting this since the beginning of the season. I finally listened to it and realized the game isn’t until April of next year. Me and Russ have both seen the team perform. (I saw them as a kid.)
Swish! Jemel sank a 3. Anita proclaimed it, “The Jemel Show!” 37-24 Aggies. Cowboy Ibrahima Sacko came back with a dunk. I had trouble recording this, since there wasn’t a #35 on the program. He’d gotten blood on his starting #7 jersey and had to change during the game. 37-26 Aggies with 17’ left. In the timeout, Twist Cam was on and this time, they got the music right and people were twisting in the stands.
Even with the lead, Coach Hooten was going crazy on the sidelines for the entire game. I swear I heard him a couple of times even in the upper bowl. (Okay, he might have come in over the announcers’ microphones.) One of his black assistant coaches was equally animated. I would not have been shocked if he’d broke off an N-word at the players. (Of course, I mean “nitwit.”)
Ekwe got a rebound and a putback. Jemel made an alley oop to Osborne. It was 41-30 Aggies with 15’ to go. In the timeout, there was a basketball contest for a fan to make a layup, a free throw, and a three-pointer before time expired. His last second 3 hit the rim. I’m not sure what he was playing for. NMH drew fouls on successive plays, but were only 2 of 4 on the free throws. Ekwe came back with a baby hook shot. Anita loved it. He also scored from underneath, along with Kyrese Mullen doing the same. It was 47-32 Aggies with 13’ left. It was the Aggies’ biggest lead.
Cowboy Trey Tate came out of a timeout with an eponymous 3. NMH got the ball right back and he took another that airballed. The crowd and the Band let him have it. Randall made an offensive rebound and Jemel got a jumper off it to make it, 49-35. NMH got free throws, but the Aggies fouled on the second attempt and Highlands got two more free throws.
Jemel made a running shot and was fouled on his next attempt. Nikk Williams fouled out on that. Morris made another 3 for Highlands and it was 53-45 with 9’ left. There were lots of fouls and the teams traded free throws. Ekwe grabbed a rebound and back the other way, Anthony drained another 3. Next trip, he dropped another and was fouled for the 4-point play and Morris fouled out. Anthony fell on his back on the foul in front of the Aggie bench. His teammates pounded on him there. That was the back-breaker. 62-46 Aggies with 7’ left.
Across the court, there was a little girl in red dress playing in the aisle. It was so cute. She was having a great time. Back on court, Ekwe and Anthony both picked up their fourth fouls and had to come out. Jemel was unaffected and his jumper swirled around the rim before falling in. It was that kind of night for him. The next three shots, two by the Aggies and one by the Cowboys, all missed. Malonga made a layup off a great pass by Pickens. 66-50 Aggies. Osborne cramped up after the play. He had to be carried off in a seated position by his teammates.
Johannes Kirsipuu came in for the Cowboys wearing key lime colored shoes and immediately hit a 3. 68-53 Aggies with 3’ left. Terrell made a steal and Randall was fouled, but missed both free throws. The crowd was thinning by now. Anthony went up and dunked one and Highlander Pierce hit a long 3 to end it. 74-58 Aggies was the final.
For Highlands, Robert Dix scored 12 points with 6 rebounds, Marcus Pierce had 12 points, BJ Comer had 9 points, and Ibrahima Sacko 4 points and 6 rebounds. They shot 42% with 14 second chance points, 22 points in the paint, and 18 points off turnovers.
Jemel Jones led the Aggies with 24 points. Anthony Wrzeszcz had 15 points, including 3 3’s. Cyr Malonga had 6 points and 5 rebounds with Augustine Ekwe dropping 10 points with 6 rebounds. The Aggies shot 51% and 35% on 3’s, which is good. 68% on free throws isn’t so good. They had 28 points in the paint, 19 fast break points, and 26 points off turnovers.
I was handed a free Whataburger coupon walking out the door. Well now, I’m glad I came. I’ll be using that this weekend. I didn’t have to wait too long for traffic to clear out. I listened to the postgame show in the parking lot. The Coach and Anita talked about missing Juice Mims. He was out for concussion protocols, but they hoped to have him back for Saturday’s big game against the Lobos.
Seriously, I did have a good time. Sitting for two games by myself wasn’t as arduous as I was afraid it might be. I’ll see if dad wants to go to either of the two Sunday afternoon games next month. Otherwise, this might be it for me and Men’s Basketball, except for listening on the radio. It’s hard to say how good the team is without seeing the full team, but they took care of business tonight. The Lobos may be a bit down after losing their coach after last season, but it should be a more serious test of the team.
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