Long Beach Can’t Stay With New Mexico State

Randy Brown scored 18 points and No. 23 New Mexico State used a 16-1 second-half run to beat Cal State Long Beach, 80-63, Monday night in a Big West Conference game.

New Mexico State, 10-1 overall and 2-0 in the conference, ran their home-court winning streak to 24 games, third longest in the nation behind No. 6 Arizona and defending national champion and top-ranked Nevada Las Vegas.

Brown, shaking a season-long shooting slump, made five of nine shots from the field and seven of eight free throws. The Aggies, averaging only 61% at the free-throw line, sank 26 of 31 free throws.

New Mexico State took a 38-32 halftime lead, but the 49ers tied the score, 41-41, with 17:43 left on a basket by Ronnie Winbush.

New Mexico State then put together the first of two decisive runs. The Aggies outscored Long Beach, 10-4, for a 51-45 lead, with Brown getting seven of the points.

Long Beach forward Lucious Harris made a three-point shot to cut the lead to 53-52, but the Aggies scored 16 of the next 17 points for a 69-53 lead. William Benjamin scored seven points and Reggie Jordan added five for the Aggies during that run.

Jordan and Benjamin each scored 17 points, and Michael New added 15.

Long Beach (4-8, 0-3) was led by Harris with 27 points and Kevin Cutler with 14 points and 12 rebounds.