LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The NM State women's hoops team hits the road once again this weekend, beginning with UT Rio Grande Valley at 6 p.m. (MT) on Saturday. The showdown between the league-leading Aggies (17-3, 6-0 WAC) and current second-place Vaqueros (13-8, 5-1 WAC) will complete the first-half of conference play for both teams as well.
 
UTRGV's Jonah Goldberg will have the call with Tony Forina serving as the analyst in the WAC Digital Network broadcast. Aggie fans in the Texas area with Time Warner Cable can watch the tape delayed game on TWC Sports Channel 323.
 
UTRGV LINKS: WAC Digital Network | Live Stats | @NMStateWBB | @GoUTRGV
 
REMATCH REWIND
The showdown between No. 1 and No. 2 in the conference is slated to tip-off at 6 p.m. (MT) when NM State and UT Rio Grande Valley square off this Saturday. The Aggies sit atop the Western Athletic Conference standings at 6-0 while the Vaqueros sit just below at 5-1 in conference play after their loss to Seattle last week.
 
The Vaqueros are the only team in the WAC that is above .500, coming in with a 13-8 overall record. UTRGV had won five-straight before its loss to Seattle U on a last second 3-pointer from Delanie Parry, who finished with just five points.
 
The Vaqueros have maintained their average in scoring in conference play, but have held opponents to 50.8 points – 6.6 points less than what they were giving up in non-conference play.
 
Shawnte' Goff leads UTRGV with 14.9 points per game and 72 assists on the year while her 37 steals is good for second on the team. The 5-8 guard has also stepped up her game up in conference play, putting up 15.2 points per game to go with her 6.7 boards per game, 23 assists and nine steals. After being held to just two points versus Grand Canyon, Goff has responded with double-digit scoring efforts in her last five games – including 23 against Utah Valley and 19 against CSU Bakersfield.
 
Anushka Maldonado is third on the team in scoring at 9.4 points per game, but is second on the team in scoring since the start of WAC play. The 6-1 forward is averaging 13.5 points and a team-best 8.8 boards and 11 steals. She had a career-best against Chicago State, dropping 28 points on 10-12 shooting from the floor, including a 4-5 night behind the arc.
 
Bernesha Peters, who has been sidelined the last two games for UTRGV with a reported knee injury, is third on the team in scoring in WAC play with 11.3 points per game. She's shooting .424 from the floor and .474 from 3-point range for the Vaqueros.
 
UTRGV has been without the services of its 6-0 junior forward, Mary Savoy, since mid-December due to a broken knuckle. Through 11 games, Savoy was averaging 11.7 points and shot .438 from the floor. Her 27 steals is still good for third on the team, tying her with Maldonado who has been starting in her place.
 
JANUARY JAM
After setting a program-best in November, going 7-0, the NM State women's hoops team is shooting for another program-best in January. The Aggies, who are 7-0 so far in the month of January, look to surpass the program record for best record in the month of January with a win on Saturday over UTRGV.
 
PACK THE PAN AM
Pack The Pan Am 2.0 was a huge success for the NM State athletic department and women's basketball program. The promotion brought in a regular-season record breaking 5,034 fans to the Pan Am, eclipsing the previous mark of 4,427 set on Feb. 23, 1988, against UTSA.
 
AGGIES HONORED SCHROEDER AND SANCHEZ-GALAZ FOR NGWSD
The NM State women's basketball team and NM State athletic department honored Linda Schroeder and Mari Sanchez-Galaz on Saturday, Jan. 23, when it celebrated the 30th anniversary of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. This year's NGWSD theme, Leading the Way, is a nod to all those individuals and organizations who are on the frontline for girls and women on and off the court.
 
ROADKILL
Playing against a CSU Bakersfield team that left a blemish on its near-perfect conference season, the NM State women's basketball team left no doubt on the court and throttled the Roadrunners 86-63 last Saturday. The Aggies were led by senior Sasha Weber, who scored 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting – six of which came from 3-point land.
 
ROLLIN' ROLLIN' ROLLIN'
The Aggies have been on a roll this year, winning 17-of-20 games so far and will take an eight-game win-streak into Saturday's match-up with league-rival UT Rio Grande Valley. New Mexico State has also won 11 of its last 12 games. During that stretch, the Aggies have held opponents to just 58.3 points per game to their 67.7 points per game.
 
The Aggie defense has also been ferocious in that stretch, forcing 19.9 turnovers per game and registering 10.9 steals per game.
 
KEY WAC-OPENING WIN
With its win last Thursday over Utah Valley in the conference opener, NM State became 1-of-4 teams to have won their WAC opener. In the 10 years NM State has been in the conference, every team that has gone on to win the regular-season has won their opening game of the conference slate.
 
LEADING LADIES
With the non-conference slate concluded, NM State and its players lead the league in several categories or are in the top-10.
 
As a team NM State leads the league in scoring offense (70.2), scoring margin (+9.6), blocked shots (87), turnover margin (+4.8), turnovers forced (19.94), 3-point field-goals made (160) and steals (209).
 
Sasha Weber's 13.1 points per game is good for third. Brianna Freeman, who is shooting .479 from the field, is third in the league while Weber's 44-percent from the field is good for eighth. Freeman's 6.8 boards per game also have her in sixth.
 
In the assist column, Shanice Davis is fifth in the WAC with 3.4 dimes per game.
 
Weber is also second in the conference in 3-point field-goal percentage, checking in at .394 and tops the league for 3-point field-goals made with 50 (2.6 per game).  Fellow senior, Abby Scott is 14th on the list with 1.3 triples per game.
 
Freeman is second in conference play with 1.4 blocks per game (26) and also tied for eighth on the Aggies' all-time blocks leaderboard. Tamera William's 44 steals (2.2 SPG) has her sitting in third while Davis is tied for ninth with 1.7 swipes per game.
 
SALAS SHINES
Freshman Brooke Salas has taken full advantage of the opportunity as a starter for NM State. The Placentia, Calif., product opened her Aggie career with 10 points against North Dakota State in a hostile road game and nearly had a triple-double. She also finished with eight boards and seven steals.
 
The 5-10 guard followed up with a 13 point showing against New Mexico in NM State's home-opening rivalry match. Her final line included four rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal.
 
After going 0-19 behind the arc in her first five collegiate games, Salas finally knocked down her first 3-pointer against Northern Arizona and finished the night 3-of-5 from downtown. She also picked up a new season-high that night, scoring 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting.
 
Salas tallied a new season-high over the Christmas break when she dropped 18 points against Texas A&M Corpus Christi at the Fordham Holiday Classic.
 
The freshman yet again set a new season-high in scoring against Seattle U, scoring 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting to go with seven rebounds and six dimes. The six assists tripled her previous high of two and was also one rebound shy of tying her season high.
 
Salas is currently fifth on the team in scoring, averaging 9.0 points and 4.8 rebounds.
 
RETURN OF THE MACK
Since her return to the line-up, Moriah Mack is averaging 10.6 points and 5.0 rebounds for NM State through 12 games. She also has 25 steals, 23 assists and shooting .445 from the field during that stretch. The junior is second on the team in conference play with 12.3 points per game and 5.5 boards per game with a .424 shooting clip.
 
MAGIC MACK
NM State was able to pull away from Utah Valley at home in its WAC opener thanks to the solid guard play of junior Moriah Mack. The 5-8 guard had a career-high night, scorching the Wolverines for 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting. She went 3-of-5 from beyond the arc and had four assists as well. Her three triples Thursday also tied her new career-high for the third time. She last hit three treys against Florida Atlantic on Dec. 20, 2014.
 
OPENING ACT
Since joining the Western Athletic Conference for the 2005-06 season, NM State is 7-4 when playing in its conference openers and 3-3 when those conference openers are played at the Pan Am Center.
 
Overall, the Aggies are 24-18 all-time in their conference opening games with the exception of 1973-74 season due to incomplete records.
 
Under head coach Mark Trakh, NM State is 4-2 in its first conference match and is currently on a three-game winning streak after Thursday's victory over Utah Valley.
 
Conference Opener Breakdown (Includes 2015-16)
• WAC – 7-4 (1-0 in OT)
• Sun Belt – 2-3
• Big West – 5-5 (1-0 in OT)
• High Country – 6-2
• Intermountain – 4-4 (Missing results from inaugural season in 1973-74 due to incomplete records)
 
TRENDING UPWARD
The NM State hopes to see the same upward trend its players had last season now that the conference slate is in full swing. Last season, Sasha Weber (13.8) Shanice Davis (11.1) and Brianna Freeman (9.2) combined to average 11.3 points during the non-conference schedule. Once the dust settled, the three combined to average 16.5 points – 5.2 points better – in league play.
 
TRAKH-ING THE WINS
NM State's victory over Eastern New Mexico gave head coach Mark Trakh his 350th career-win at the helm. The fifth-year head coach has brought the national spotlight back to New Mexico State, leading the Aggies to their first WAC regular-season crown and first WAC Tournament title in 2014-15. He also led the Aggies to their first NCAA appearance since the 1987-88 season.
 
The win last week over Texas A&M Corpus Christi marked the fourth-straight year Trakh has guided the Aggies into the double-digit win category.
 
TAYLOR'S TIME
Tyesha Taylor showed the Aggie faithful a glimpse of what the redshirt freshman is capable of. The 6-4 forward recorded a career-high 15 points in 13 minutes of action for the Aggies versus Eastern New Mexico. Her 13 points against the Greyhounds eclipsed what she had scored in her first seven games combined (10). Another great sign for NM State was that Taylor made 5-of-6 from the free-throw line.
 
Against Western New Mexico, Taylor smashed her previous career-high in rebounds of five with 15 against the Lady Mustangs. She also finished the contest with seven points and 5-of-10 shooting from the line.
 
WILL HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF?
The last time NM State followed a home loss with a victory was against Eastern New Mexico in 2014-15. That team wound up winning 22 of its final 25 games and went on to win 17-straight home games, 12 of which came from the 2014-15 season, at home before falling to UTEP on Dec. 5.
 
The Aggies followed up that home loss to UTEP with a win against Eastern New Mexico on Dec. 14, setting them up for another clash with history. NM State has won six-straight since its loss to UTEP.
 
AWARDS CENTRAL
Sasha Weber received NM State's second WAC Player of the Week honor this season when she reeled off 20 points and 16 points against San José State and New Mexico, respectively, on the road. This is the second honor of her career and first of the season. During the three-game stretch, Weber averaged 14.3 points and 4.0 rebounds. The Lacey, Wash., product was also .519 from the floor and .474 from three to go with seven assists, three blocks and three steals.
 
Brianna Freeman earned the Aggies' first player of the week honor on Nov. 30 when she recorded back-to-back double-doubles in the Hotel Encanto Thanksgiving Classic hosted by the Aggies. During the tournament, the junior forward averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 boards.
 
Brooke Salas tallied NM State's second College Sports Madness WAC Player of the Week honor on Jan. 25 after guiding the Aggies to a 2-0 weekend. The freshman recorded a career-high 20 points against Seattle U to go with her seven boards and six assists. She then put up a dozen points to go with four boards, four assists and a pair of blocks. She finished the weekend averaging 16.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists.
 
HOW SWEEP IT IS
NM State swept the WAC Player of the Week (Nov. 30) honor for both men's and women's basketball for the first time ever in school history. The last time NM State swept a weekly conference honor in basketball dated back to March 3 of the 2002-03 season when the Aggies were in the Sun Belt Conference.
 
IN THE NATION
Through Wednesday night's games, NM State is tied for 19th in NCAA Division I women's basketball with a 16-3 record. The Aggies are also in the top-75 of several categories.
 
On the offensive end, NM State's 160 three-pointers has them in 16th-place while their 8.0 shots from downtown per game rank them 22nd.
 
On the defensive end, NM State's 20.00 turnovers forced average is also good for 31st in the country. Its 209 steals on the year has them in 21st while its 10.5 steals per game puts NM State in 31st. New Mexico State's 4.75 turnover margin is good for 20th in the nation. The Aggies' 87 blocked shots also has them in 64th-place while its 4.4 blocks average is good for 90th amongst the 344 teams.
 
Tamera William's 44 steals on the year has her sitting in 77th amongst Division I players this season and third in the conference.
 
Sasha Weber's 50 made 3-pointers has her ranked 36th in the country and while her 2.63 average beyond the arc has her sitting in 39th.
 
BEST OF THE BEST
Sasha Weber currently ranks amongst the best of the best in the NCAA. Her 1,386 career points total has her 58st in the NCAA Division I active career leaders list in scoring while her 234 made 3-pointers has her checking in at No. 10 amongst active players.
 
WRITING THEIR OWN STORY
The 2015-16 NM State women's basketball team etched its name into the Aggie record books when it started the season 6-0, and was two wins shy of the 1993-94 squad that started the year off 8-0. That team went on to finish the season 24-4 and 14-4 in Big West play.
 
NM State's (17-3) win on Saturday over CSU Bakersfield keeps its hope alive on matching the 26-3 mark the 1987-88 team set.
 
The Aggies saw their 17-game win-streak at the Pan Am Center snapped against I-10 rival UTEP, 71-65. The 17-game win-streak at home is the third-longest streak ever in program history since the 1992-94 squads won 18-straight.
 
There were 370 days between NM State's last lost at home to Cal State Fullerton (Nov. 29, 2014) and its loss to UTEP on Dec. 5, 2015.
 
The last time the Aggies lost at home, they went on a 22-3 run to end the 2014-15 season. Counting last season, NM State has now won 39 of its last 45 games.
 
TWICE IS NICE, BUT THREE IS BETTER
With its 52-47 win over New Mexico on Dec. 20, NM State swept their neighbors to the north for the first time since the 1995-96 season. The win also made it three-straight for the Aggies over the Lobos. The last time that happened, the Aggies won 10-straight from 1992-96.
 
The last time NM State defeated New Mexico at The Pit came on Dec. 22, 1995, a 78-73 double-overtime thriller in favor of the Aggies.
 
NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER
NM State had one of its best starts in program history thanks to a 6-0 record in the month of November. It is the most wins for the Aggies in the opening month of the season. The best record in the month of November for NM State was back in 2010 when the Aggies went 5-0. This is only the seventh time in 43 seasons that the Aggies have been undefeated in November.
 
THE WILLIAM WAY
Junior Tamera William started the season on a tear for NM State. The 5-9 guard is averaging 8.3 points. The Las Vegas, Nev., product is also shooting 37.8-percent from the field and 53-of-68 from the charity stripe to go with her 44 steals, 12 blocks and 99 rebounds.
 
William also tallied her first-career double-double on Nov. 19 when she netted 14 points and 10 boards against Sacramento State.
 
In the season-opener against North Dakota State, she paced the Aggies with a career-high 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting. William then followed it up with a game-high 18 points to help guide NM State past in-state rival, New Mexico, for the second-straight time in two years. The first time NM State has won back-to-back games against UNM since the 1995-96 season.
 
She followed up her double-double performance with a new career-high in rebounds with 13 against Southern Utah. On Dec. 2 against Arizona, out of the Pac-12 Conference, William recorded a new career-high with 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting. She was also 2-of-3 from deep and a perfect 6-for-6 at the line.
 
William was two points shy of passing her career-high (20 points) at Chicago State. The junior recorded 19 points on 5-of-12 shooting to go with a perfect night from the line (7-of-7). She also added five boards, three assists and two steals to go with her team-high 19 points.
 
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE LETTER Z
Sophomore Zaire Williams came off the bench and nearly had a double-double against Sacramento State. The Dana Point, Calif., product dished out eight dimes to go with her eight points, six steals and six rebounds to help the Aggies down the stretch against the Hornets. The eight assists by Williams was also a new career-high. Head coach Mark Trakh believed she was the impact player of the game against the Hornets, being the most stable guard for the Aggies against Sacramento State's pressure.
 
WEBER MOVING ON UP
Sasha Weber, a 6-0 senior guard, continues to leave her mark in the record books as she moved into 11th all-time in scoring for the Aggies. The Lacey, Wash., product now has 1,366 points in her career. She's now two points shy of passing Princess Moore (1,387, 2000-04), an Irvine, Texas, native that played at MacArthur High School for 10th-place.
 
Weber passed Sinnamon Garrett (1,344, 2000-04) for 11th place against UMKC (Jan. 14).
 
With eight games remaining in the regular season, Weber will crack the top 10 this weekend and could possibly be in the top six if her scoring average stays within the range of years past.
 
Weber (75) passed Vicki Evans Thursday night against Seattle U and is now tied for eighth-place in the Aggies' all-time blocks leader list with teammate Brianna Freeman.
 
Weber also made her 200th three-point field-goal against Southern Utah when she nailed a 3-pointer with 32 seconds remaining in the first quarter. She now has 234 career three-point field goals.
 
WHAT'S ON TAP
With the first-half of conference in the Books, NM State will continue its three-game road-swing with a pair of games in the southwest part of the country. First up for the Aggies will be Grand Canyon on Thursday, Feb. 4, before squaring off against Utah Valley on Saturday, Feb. 6.
 
NM State will then return home for a home bout with Chicago State on Saturday, Feb. 13, for its #Play4Kay night as the Aggies join programs around the nation to honor those who have battled cancer and those that have been affected by it. Prior to the game, the Aggies will be hosting their second free kids clinic. Information on how to sign up can be found   by clicking here.