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LAS CRUCES, N.M. – University of South Alabama senior Augustine Rubit (Houston, Texas) became the all-time leading rebounder in Sun Belt Conference history, but New Mexico State placed four players in double-digit points and dealt the Jaguars an 82-64 loss Saturday night at the Pan American Center.

Rubit passed Muntrelle Dobbins of Arkansas-Little Rock and currently has 1,015 in his career. He led the team tonight with 11 points—all in the second half—and six rebounds.

"I think it's an unbelievable individual achievement. To be the leading rebounder in a conference's history really says something about how great of a rebounder he is," USA head coach Matthew Graves said. "I know he's disappointed about his game tonight but with the way he rebounds the basketball, he's going to have better games than this."

The Aggies got a game-high 18 points from Daniel Mullings and their five starters combined for 65 points. NMSU jumped out to an early 13-5 lead in the first four minutes and never looked back.

"I thought we started off the game very timid, for whatever reason," Graves said. "We weren't very assertive and attacking. We missed a wide open '3' early, Augustine went 0-for-3 at the free-throw line and we allowed our lack of production on the offensive end on the floor to affect how we guarded. There were stretches where New Mexico State was trying to allow us an opportunity to get back in the game a few times and we didn't take advantage of it. Ultimately when you allow a team to shoot 63.5 percent from the flield, you're not going to win those type of games."

NMSU shot 63.5 percent from the floor, the most by a Jaguar opponent this season, and allowed the Aggies to convert 68.0 percent in the second half alone.

"Certainly they're talented and I don't want to take anything away from them but at some point, you've got to have enough pride in guarding your own man and deciding enough's enough when you continue to get scored on and not allow it to happen again," Graves said. "It was tied to how bad we were playing offensively and we really let that dictate our energy and effort on the defensive end of the floor.

"If we're wanting to win championships—and that's what we want this program to be about—we've got to focus more on the defensive end. For the most part this year we've done a good job defensively, but tonight was a very bad outing for us."

After a Mychal Ammons (Vicksburg, Miss.) three-point play on South Alabama's first possession of the second half cut the New Mexico State lead to eight, the Aggies reeled off 11 of the next 12 points over the next 1:29. Mullings answered with a three-point play of his own and NMSU made its next three shots, including a 3-pointer and another three-point play, to go up 18.

The Jaguars chipped away at the lead and got it down to 10 on three occasions midway through the second half, but the Aggies answered each time on their next possession and the Jags would get no closer.

D.K. Eldridge scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for New Mexico State while K.C. Ross-Miller also had a double-double with 10 points and 10 assists.

Senior Antoine Allen (Baltimore, Md.) was the only other Jaguar in double-digit scoring with 10. Freshman Aakim Saintil (Roselle, N.J.) had nine points—seven after halftime—and dished out four assists.

South Alabama opens Sun Belt Conference play Thursday evening at 5:05 p.m. against Western Kentucky.

NOTES: Saintil earned his first career start; it was just the third starting lineup the Jags have used this season… After combining for just two assists and nine turnovers against Arkansas, the USA point guards had seven assists and no turnovers tonight… South Alabama's 24 total rebounds and minus-14 rebounding margin are new season lows… New Mexico State's shooting percentage is the highest by a USA opponent since UALR shot 70.5 percent on Feb. 5, 2004… The Jaguars' six turnovers is a new season low… Saintil's plus-four assist-turnover ratio ties his best this season… South Alabama is 0-6 this season away from the Mitchell Center.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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