LAS CRUCES, N.M. -- The Wichita State (4-6) women's basketball team held a late second half lead but could not withstand a late New Mexico State (7-2) rally as the Aggies used 22-9 advantage at the free throw line to hand the Shockers a 66-61 loss at Pan American Center Sunday evening.

Kiki Stephens led the Shockers with 17 points, the only WSU player in double figures on the evening. Sherrel Neal led New Mexico State with 16 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, while Anikia Jawara added 12 and Tyshae Walton chipped in 10.

Playing without a starter for the second time in the last three games with junior center Marcy Sudbeck sidelined with flu-like symptoms, the Shockers out-rebounded the Aggies over the first four-plus minutes 7-3 as WSU pushed out to an early 4-1 lead following a Jacie Hoyt baseline jumper with 16:43 left in the first.

A 6-0 run by the Shockers midwat through the half opened its biggest lead of the game to that point after Hoyt's putback gave WSU a 24-19 lead with 5:13 left in the first. A Stephens runner with 3:20 left gave the Shockers a 28-22 edge before the teams traded baskets over the final minutes, giving WSU a 32-27 lead at the half, just the third time this season the Shockers have taken a lead into the break.

WSU shot 44.1 percent in the first frame, while limiting New Mexico State to a 30 percent effort from the floor. NMSU outshot the Shockers 10-2 at the free throw line, but only connected on six of them for a four-point edge at the line. WSU outboarded the Aggies 27-18 while the teams combined for four first half blocks.

The Aggies opened the second half on a 4-2 run but could not take the lead as a Kyrie Kinder 3-pointer gave the Shockers a 48-43 advantage with 9:24 left. A Samantha Smith runner with 8:25 left gave WSU a 50-46 lead, but a 8-0 Aggie run fueled by four transition points by Tyshae Walton, captured the first second half lead for New Mexico State, a lead the Aggies built to as many as four before Hoyt ended a near four-minute drought with 4:44 left on a running baseline jumper.

WSU closed to within two after a Smith putback but NMSU answered with four-straight at the line to take a 59-54 lead with 2:32 left. A Hoyt free throw closed the lead to 59-55, but Samantha Smith was caught in the lane on the second of two Hoyt's two free throws, erasing a point from the scoredboard and keeping the deficit at four. Sherell Neal connected on a free throw with 1:26 to extended the Aggie advantage to 60-55, but the Shockers came up empty at the line as New Mexico State completed the come from behind victory.

The Shockers are next in action at noon on Tues., Dec. 18 against Texas State on School House Rocks Day in Charles Koch Arena.