Troy Gillenwater’s return to the Aggies basketball lineup was a triumphant one as NMSU beat San Jose State on Saturday, February 6 at the Pan Am center.
The team immediately felt the impact of having Troy Gillenwater back in uniform.
“It was good having him out on the floor and just playing with energy.” said Aggie head coach, Marvin Menzies.
Five minutes into the game, Gillenwater checked into the lineup and 1:45 later, put in a layup while drawing a foul for his first points of the season. He put in the free throw to complete the three-point play.
“It felt real good coming out here and getting a win. We pulled it together and we played as a team. My team looked for me and I was able to finish.” said Gillenwater. He finished with a double-double and recorded 19 points in only 21 points for his sophomore season debut.
Troy says that he has a lot to improve on still to get back to last season’s form. “I just tried to play as hard as possible. I got a little fatigued but I think the more I play, I’ll be fine.” he said.
The addition of Gillenwater seemed to work well with the team chemistry. “I think it’s a big advantage having Troy back.” Said senior Jonathon Gibson, “More depth, more scoring, more rebounds, more everything.”
Jahmar Young came out with a hot hand to start the game. He scored 11 of his 25 points in the first eight minutes of the period as the Aggies jumped to a 23-14 lead.
San Jose State was able to battle back to bring the score to within two points, but the Aggies finished the half strong. An emphatic dunk by Hamidu Rahman capped off the period and sent the teams into the intermission with a score of 49-42.
Underlying the first half was a dual between the opposing guard tandems--the Aggies’ Gibson and Young, and the Spartans’ Adrian Oliver and Robert Owens. Both combinations finished the half with 26 points.
The Aggies’ lead began to slip away at the start of the second half, as Gibson and Young struggled on the offensive side. The duo combined for only two points in the first eight minutes.
On the other side, Robert Owens continued his historic shooting night. Owens tied a school record for most three-point shots made in a single game with seven. “The way he was shooting it, the rest of the team looked to find him because he was hot and that’s just what a good team does.” said Menzies. Owens finished with a game-high 29 points.
Adrian Oliver also supplied 9 second-half points to finish with 22.
Despite losing the tug-of-war between the guards’ stat sheets, the home team was able to win on the scoreboard thanks to a balanced offensive attack. Five Aggies finished the game in double-figures.
68-65 was the closest that San Jose State was able to make the score in the final 10 minutes and a late 7-0 surge at the three-minute mark ensured the victory for the Aggies. The final score was 94-82.
The Aggies will have another home game next against Louisiana Tech on Monday, February 8.
Troy Gillenwater leads men's basketball to big victory over San Jose State
Published: Monday, February 8, 2010
Updated: Monday, February 8, 2010 10:02
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