LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The much anticipated rematch between New Mexico State and CSU Bakersfield is now on the horizon as the two teams prepare to square off on Saturday, Jan. 14, at 7 p.m. in the Pan American Center.
 
GAMEDAY PROMOTION
Saturday night's game will feature the annual Mascot Madness halftime show sponsored by Subway. In addition, the game is also designated City of Las Cruces night.
 
GET CONNECTED
Get up to the minute information and news about the NM State men's basketball team all season on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by following @AggieArmy.
 
LISTEN UP!
Aggie fans that can't make it to the game can listen to NM State Athletics/US Bank Hall of Famer Jack Nixon Saturday night on 99.5 Zia Country and affiliate stations. Fans can also listen to the game live with their mobile or tablet device on the TuneIn app for free. The game will be available on following affiliate stations as well:
 
Alamogordo      103.7 FM KNMZ
Albuquerque     101.7 FM KQTM
Carlsbad           1240 AM KAMQ
Gallup               1230 AM, 94.9 FM KYVA
Las Vegas         107.1 FM KMDS
 
PACK THE PAN AM
Operation Pack the Pan Am is only a week away! Be sure to grab your tickets now for the Jan. 21 game against UMKC before it sells out. Lower bowl tickets will be $10 while upper bowl tickets are $5. To get your tickets in advance, call the Pan American Center ticket box office at 575-646-1420.
 
WAC MINI PLAN PACK
With five home games remaining after Saturday, all of which are conference contests, Aggie fans can select four of the remaining five games to attend for just $50 for a savings of $22. Fans choosing to buy adjacent seats for the Four for $50 WAC mini-pack will not be required to make an AAC donation for the designated seats. Games selected in the mini-pack can't be purchased on game day.
 
For more information, please visit the Pan American Center box office or call 575-646-1420.
 
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS
Next Saturday, Jan. 21, will be the third chance Aggie fans can get into the game with the 4-for-$40 deal where they'll get four tickets, four soft drinks and four hot dogs for just $40! Fans can take advantage of the deal in advance by purchasing the 4-for-$40 pack at the Pan American Center ticket office or by calling 575-646-1420.
 
WAC TITLE REMATCH ARRIVES
When NM State and CSU Bakersfield takes Lou Henson Court on Saturday, Jan. 21, it will be a much anticipated showdown between the reigning WAC Tournament Champions and a hungry Aggie team that had its eyes sights on going to the Big Dance last season.
 
New Mexico State is 11-1 all-time against CSUB and had won 11-straight until the 'Runners took down the Aggies on a last second shot in the championship game of last year's conference tournament. NM State is 5-0 on its home floor when playing against CSUB as it looks to stay perfect in the Pan Am Center.
 
CSUB (11-6, 2-0 WAC) won its third-straight contest Thursday night thanks to an 88-81 victory over host UT Rio Grande Valley. Matt Smith led all scorers with 23 points and nine rebounds on 7-of-10 shooting while Dedrick Basile, who hit the game-winner in the conference tournament last year, chipped in with 19 points on top of Jaylin Airington's 18 points. The CSUB front court dominated UTRGV, edging the Vaqueros with a 50-18 edge in the paint.
 
Damiyne Durham leads a group of four 'Runners averaging in double-figures with 15.6 points off the bench while Airington is second on the team with 14.9 points per game. Basile, who has started all 17 games, is averaging 13.7 points with Smith rounding out the list with 10.1 points per game. Smith's .545 shooting clip tops the team while Basile's .410 clip from deep paces CSUB. Durham (59), Basile (34) and Airington (25) are responsible for 118 of the 'Runners 130 buckets from downtown.
 
On the glass, Smith's 5.7 rebounds per game is good for the team lead while Airington boasts 5.4 boards per game. Basile's 62 assists is a team-high, but Brent Wrapp is not far off with 59 dimes himself. CSUB's 64.6 points allowed per game is good for the league lead while the Aggies are in second with opponents averaging 66.2 points per game.
 
WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER
Through Thursday night's games, NM State's 16 wins this season is tied with seven Division I programs across the country for the second-most wins. UCLA tops the list with 17 wins overall this season while Arizona, Villanova, Florida State, Creighton, Gonzaga and UNC Wilmington sit at 16 wins with the Aggies.
 
LAST TIME OUT
With six players in double-figures led by Jemerrio Jones, the New Mexico State men's basketball team strolled past Grand Canyon, 81-69, Thursday night in front of a raucous crowd for the Pan American Center's 600th victory.
 
Jones finished with a team-high 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting with seven boards in 26 minutes of action. Braxton Huggins, Baker and Matt Taylor each added 11 points while Chuha recorded his WAC-tying eighth double-double with 10 points and 13 boards – six of which came on the offensive glass.
 
UP NEXT
After Saturday night's game versus CSU Bakersfield, NM State gets a whole week off before wrapping up its three-game homestand with UMKC on Jan. 21 for its Pack the Pan Am game. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 

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