**For Immediate Release**
Big Weekend for Aggie Basketball
by Scott Puryear of Aggie Sports on 01/23/06

Goodwell, OK- The Oklahoma Panhandle State men’s basketball team battled Western New Mexico this weekend. The Aggies earned two victories, but had to play tough in two physical games against a well-matched opponent.

Aggies 80, Western New Mexico 64
Friday night’s game was a battle in the paint between OPSU’s 6-foot-9 center Aaron Harrison and WNM’s 6-foot-8 Kris Taylor.

The game was close in the first half. Although the Aggies surged ahead by nine points with six minutes left in the half, the Mustangs fought back, and the game stood tied at 28 at halftime.

Both teams came out determined in the second half, and each team shot over 60 percent. However, the Aggies dominated the boards, with Harrison pulling down 13 rebounds in the game. OPSU put together a strong run with about 10 minutes left in the game, and a Nick Malinowski steal followed by a flying slam dunk ignited the crowd and put the Aggies ahead 57-46.

As the clock wound down, WNM tried to get back into the game, but the Aggies held them off. A dunk by OPSU’s William Preston at the 2:14 mark gave the Aggies a 73-58 lead and seemed to take the wind out of the Mustangs for good. The Aggies closed out the game for an 80-64 win.

Harrison led all scorers with 23 points and had a game high 13 rebounds. Eddie Moss scored 14 points, and senior forward Preston had 11 points and six rebounds. Malinowski added nine points and pulled down seven rebounds.

One of the most notable performances of the night came from OPSU guard Tim Anderson. The 5-foot-10 senior was all over the court, scoring eight points, handing out seven assists and picking up three steals. Anderson hit the floor several times, but each time jumped up and raced back into the action.

WNM’s Taylor was helped from the court during the final minute of play with a dislocated knee.

Aggies 82, Western New Mexico 81in OT
Saturday’s game was another physical battle, but WNM was without one of the their best inside players. Taylor sat out the game due to the knee injury from Friday night’s game.

OPSU came out fast in the first half, shooting 56 percent. However, WNM appeared ready for the Aggies, and the game stayed close. The Aggies held only a 34-30 lead at halftime.

In the second half, the Mustangs and the Aggies continued to battle it out. With just 1:42 left to play, WNM surged ahead by five points. Two NBA-range 3-pointers in just 24 seconds by Moss tied the game at 69 at the end of regulation.

In overtime, fans in Oscar Williams Fieldhouse had a chance to catch their breath. With nine seconds left, Anderson calmly stepped to the line, dried his hands on the bottom of his shoes, and sunk the game winning free throw.

WNM tried to keep the ball away from Moss all night, but the senior fought his way open and led all scorers with 26 points. Both Moss and Anderson had six assists on the night and confounded the WNM offense, coming up with ten steals between them. Moss had six rebounds.

Preston also came up big with 17 points, and Malinowski scored a dozen and pulled down a game high rebounds. Harrison continued his solid play with 14 points, making six of 7 field goal attempts.

The Aggies will continue their home stand on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at approximately 8:00 p.m. after the Lady Aggies’ game. The Aggies play Heartland Conference opponent the University of the Incarnate Word.

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