LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) -- Leonard Hopkins scored a season-high 24 points and Calvin Watson added 23 to lead North Texas past New Mexico State, 79-69, Saturday night.
The Mean Green, (8-4) who last won in Las Cruces in 1974, held off a late Aggie rally and made several key free throws and defensive plays in the final three minutes to clinch the win.
It was the Sun Belt Conference opener for both teams. It was also supposed to be NMSU Coach Lou Henson's first game back on the bench this season. But Henson, who was stricken in September with viral encephalitis and had been going through physical therapy to regain use of his right leg, was hospitalized Thursday with pneumonia. He was released from the hospital Saturday and is expected to make a full recovery.
Josh Jenkins led New Mexico State (4-9) with 21 points. The freshman from Albuquerque hit 5 of 7 3-pointers and scored 16 of his points in the second half.
The Aggies were within three points of North Texas, 69-66, with two minutes to play, but Hopkins hit a jumper with 1:53 to play and added a pair of free throws to push the lead to 73-66.
Watson and Ty Thomas also hit free throws in the final two minutes to clinch the win. The Mean Green was 8-for-8 from the free throw line in the final two minutes of the game.
North Texas led by as many as nine points in the first half and as many as 11 in the second half, but could never pull away comfortably until the final two minutes.
Mike Mitchell added 14 points for New Mexico State and Duane John scored 13.
The Aggies made 47 percent of their 3-pointers, but only 35 percent from the field.
