Cowgirls Show Grit, Fall to Aggies 78 to 61 in Las Cruces

New Mexico Highlands women’s basketball struggled to find the basket and control physical play in a 78 to 61 loss to Division I New Mexico State in Las Cruces on Tuesday night. The Cowgirls shot 24 of 75 overall and 4 of 23 from three point range, and early miscues allowed the Aggies to open a double digit lead that Highlands was unable to erase.

The game was notable for the starting lineup that featured four players from the Navajo Nation, including sophomores Kapiolani Anitielu, Kamalani Anitielu, and Aniya Johnson. The trio started together and provided a visible moment of representation for Diné student athletes competing at the NCAA level. Kapiolani led Highlands with 12 points and seven rebounds while Kamalani added five points and steady defense. Johnson, a two way post player from Navajo Prep, finished with five points and five rebounds before foul trouble limited her minutes and ultimately led to her fouling out late in the game.

Highlands opened slowly, committing 10 turnovers and converting only 4 of 15 shots in the first quarter. Kapiolani scored all eight of the team’s first quarter points as Highlands trailed 18 to 8 after one. The Cowgirls rebounded in the second quarter, matching New Mexico State’s 20 point output behind outside shooting from junior Aspen Salazar and drives from junior Kimora McClure. Salazar, McClure, and freshman Brynn Hargrove each finished with nine points for Highlands.

Coach Lindsey Fearing assessed the performance with candor. “We didn’t come out playing our A game, but Kapiolani kept us in it at the beginning,” she said. “Our team came out a little flat and maybe nervous. Aniya is usually a sizable factor, but she didn’t play at the level she can contribute.”

New Mexico State tightened interior defense in the third quarter, limiting Highlands to 10 points while extending a lead that reached 20 points. Hargrove led a late surge with nine fourth quarter points as Highlands outscored the Aggies 23 to 20 in the period, but foul trouble and missed opportunities from long range prevented a sustained comeback. Another Cowgirl, Samia, also fouled out as the team battled to the end.

For San Juan County and the Highlands campus, the game mattered beyond the scoreboard. The visibility of multiple Navajo starters on a regional stage underscores the program’s role in providing pathways for Indigenous athletes and strengthens local ties between the university and tribal communities. On the court, the loss exposes specific areas to address, namely perimeter shooting, ball security, and managing fouls against bigger, more physical opponents.

Highlands were scheduled to return home the following week to host Cameron University at the John A. Wilson Complex as part of the South Central Regional Challenge, a chance to regroup in front of the Las Vegas, New Mexico community and to convert lessons from the matchup against a Division I opponent into measurable improvement.