New Mexico State Just Created a Recurring Nightmare

Bob Seger once wrote of waking one night to the sound of thunder.

How far off? He sat and wondered.

At least, that brought back memories of him scoring.

For this season's New Mexico Aggies squad, when they wake up from last night onward, all they'll remember is they didn't score.

 

What in the name of Fat Man and Little Boy were the Aggies thinking in the final minutes of their first round game against Auburn?

Down two points with the ball in the final 1.7 seconds, State had not one, not two, but three chances to tie or go ahead and, when viewed in the harsh light of cold reality, blew it.

Can't say the final moments weren't entertaining, though, as the Aggies mounted what almost a comeback against Auburn that woulda been the talk of Las Cruces for decades to come:

 

How do Aggie fans justify drinking heavily? Let us count the ways:

• Dudes needed only two points to extend the game, for chrissakes! Take the damn lay-up;
• Guards on 30-win teams can't doink two of three free throws in crunch time; and
• When a perimeter dude's all alone in the corner, 1.1 seconds is an eternity.

And what's with the fallaway? If nothing else, he should wanna get fouled. Only Dirk is Dirk, dammit!

 

State's 78-77 brain farts hurt even more than being knocked out in yet another NCAA tournament. That makes 12 straight.

It's a record.

The last time they won in the Dance, it was 1993, back when Gen Z's were still being invented.

 

Dudes did all of that. Auburn fans were no doubt beyond thrilled.

One alum definitely was:

 

So the Tigers advance.

As to the Aggies, it'll be a long summer, and before they know it, autumn will be closing in.