Key Takeaways
- Stacy Chovino rescued New Mexico State in a 64-63 win over Southern Utah after teammate Emma Christiano accidentally scored in the wrong basket in the final seconds.
- Chovino scored the Aggies' final four points, stole a crucial inbounds pass and hit the winning jumper with 1.4 seconds left, finishing with 25 points and eight rebounds.
- Northwestern State's Karma Wynn also scored on her own basket that day, but her first-quarter mistake came during an 89-59 loss to Arkansas.
New Mexico State pulled off one of the wildest finishes of the college basketball season after a costly mistake nearly handed Southern Utah a victory.
The Aggies escaped with a 64-63 win over the Thunderbirds on Friday (November 6) after senior guard Emma Christiano accidentally scored in her own basket in the final seconds, forcing teammate Stacy Chovino to come to the rescue.
With New Mexico State trailing 61-60 and just 20.9 seconds remaining, Chovino deflected an inbounds pass from Southern Utah's Denver Anderson. Christiano recovered the loose ball but mistakenly raced toward the wrong basket and converted a layup, extending Southern Utah's lead to 63-60.
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The bizarre sequence even confused the ESPN+ broadcast team, which initially believed Christiano had given New Mexico State the lead. "Christiano… Aggies lead!" play-by-play announcer Adam Young shouted.
However, analyst Anita Maxwell Skipper quickly realized what had happened. "Wrong basket. Wrong basket. She shot it in their basket," Skipper said.
Young acknowledged the confusion, admitting: "That threw me for a loop, as well."
Fortunately for Christiano, Chovino wasn't about to let the mistake cost New Mexico State the game. The senior guard immediately went to work, scoring a layup with nine seconds remaining to cut Southern Utah's lead to 63-62.
Chovino then made another crucial defensive play, stealing an inbounds pass intended for Melicia Nelson to give the Aggies one final opportunity.
Following a timeout, Chovino drove toward the basket but missed her initial shot. She recovered her own rebound and knocked down a short jumper with just 1.4 seconds remaining, putting New Mexico State ahead 64-63.
Southern Utah had one final chance to steal the win, but Anderson’s buzzer-beater missed, completing the Aggies' improbable comeback.
Chovino finished with a game-high 25 points and eight rebounds, scoring New Mexico State's final four points to secure the victory. Ava Uhrich led Southern Utah with 19 points and eight rebounds.
The win also gave New Mexico State some revenge after Southern Utah defeated the Aggies 69-59 in their previous meeting on December 4, 2025.
Interestingly, Christiano wasn't the only college basketball player to accidentally score on her own basket that day. Northwestern State's Karma Wynn committed a similar mistake during an 89-59 loss to Arkansas, although hers came in the first quarter.
