Huggins scores career-high 31 as NMSU wins 12th straight

Jan 5, 2017, 10:34 pm

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Braxton Huggins scored a career-high 31 points and New Mexico State won its 12th straight game, beating UMKC 77-64 on Thursday night in a Western Athletic Conference opener.

The Aggies (14-2, 1-0) are off to their best start since the 1993-94 team went 16-1.

Huggins tied his career high with six 3-pointers. Eli Chuha added 20 points on 9-of-10 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds, his sixth double-double this season. Ian Baker scored 12 points with a career-high 10 assists, the first Aggie to reach double-figure assists since 2013-14.

Lavell Boyd scored 15 points and Kyle Steward had 12 rebounds for the Kangaroos (7-10, 0-1), losers of six straight.

NMSU led by seven at halftime. UMKC got within five in the second half but a 13-4 run, including five straight baskets by Chuha, gave the Aggies a 14-point edge with eight minutes left and the Kangaroos would get within eight only once thereafter.