LAS CRUCES, N.M. (Interstat) — The Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters used a dominant second quarter and a game-high 20 points from Alexia Weaver to pull away from the New Mexico State Aggies for a 77-58 victory in a Conference USA women’s basketball game Saturday at the Pan American Center.

Louisiana Tech, which entered as a heavy favorite according to advanced metrics, improved to 17-5 overall. New Mexico State fell to 8-15.

The game was a contest of contrasting halves for the Aggies, whose third-quarter surge was ultimately undone by a frigid offensive performance in the other three periods.

The Lady Techsters set the tone early, leading 15-13 after a first quarter where both teams searched for rhythm. The floodgates then opened in the second period as Louisiana Tech’s defense clamped down. The Aggies managed only 10 points in the quarter, hampered by eight turnovers that the visitors converted into easy opportunities.

Weaver, a 5-foot-8 guard from Louisville, Kentucky, was the catalyst. She hit a trio of three-pointers in the first half, including one during a 13-0 run that stretched a narrow 20-16 lead into a commanding 33-16 advantage. Her backcourt partner, Paris Bradley of Carrollton, Texas, facilitated the offense with five assists by halftime, adding seven points as Louisiana Tech took a 38-23 lead into the break.

The most important part of the game arrived in the third quarter, as New Mexico State mounted a serious challenge. Sparked by Imani Warren of Milwaukee, who scored 10 of her 17 points in the period, the Aggies erupted for 26 points. They attacked the paint and found success from the perimeter, with Anna Csenyi of Szolnok, Hungary, hitting two of her three three-pointers. A 15-4 Aggies run cut the deficit to 44-38, forcing a Louisiana Tech timeout and energizing the crowd of 787.

The Lady Techsters’ lead, once 19 points, was whittled down to just six. However, the rally exhausted New Mexico State. Louisiana Tech steadied itself in the final minutes of the third, taking a 53-49 edge into the fourth quarter, and then delivered the knockout blow.

The Aggies’ offense completely collapsed in the final frame, scoring only nine points on 3-of-16 shooting. Meanwhile, Weaver and Bradley extinguished any hope of a comeback. Weaver scored seven points in the fourth, including a crucial three-pointer off a Bradley assist after the Aggies had closed within four points early in the quarter. That shot sparked a definitive 15-2 Louisiana Tech run that put the game out of reach.

Bradley finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists in 35 minutes. Jordan Marshall of Little Rock, Arkansas, provided a significant interior presence off the bench with 10 points, five rebounds and three assists in just 19 minutes.

For New Mexico State, Warren’s 17 points led the way. Csenyi added 13 points, all in the second and third quarters. Lucia Yenes of Madrid, Spain, contributed seven points, six rebounds and three assists, but the Aggies were undone by 22 turnovers, which Louisiana Tech converted into 15 points.

The Lady Techsters shot 44% from the field while holding New Mexico State to 32% shooting. The Aggies won the battle in the paint, 30-28, but could not overcome their perimeter struggles and ball-handling issues.

Louisiana Tech will look to continue its momentum when it hosts Florida International on Thursday. New Mexico State begins a two-game road trip at Delaware on the same night.