LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The NM State women's basketball team will put their 6-0 record on the line this Wednesday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. when they face off against the Wildcats of Arizona at the McKale Center.
 
The Aggies are 11-12 all-time against the Wildcats and 3-6 when playing on the road. The last time NM State won in Tucson was during the 1990-91 season when the Aggies came out on top, 82-73.
 
Head coach Mark Trakh is 0-1 against UA since taking over the NM State program. The lone loss for Trakh came in his first season at the helm, an 84-67 loss at home on Nov. 21, 2011.
 
Wednesday's match-up will available to watch through the Arizona Pac-12 Live Stream. Fans can also listen in on the Arizona radio broadcast through TuneIn Radio online or on their cell phone or tablet device using the TuneIn Radio App. Listeners can download the app on their Apple devices by clicking here, or for their Android device by clicking here.
 
LINKS: Live Stats | Live Stream | Live Audio | @NMStateWBB | @ArizonaWBBall
 
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Heading into Wednesday's contest, Arizona is 4-1 on the year with wins at Toledo (62-59), vs Howard (65-28), vs Kansas (67-52) and at North Texas (51-44). Its lone loss came at the hands of San Diego, a WNIT second-round team, on the road by a narrow margin of 59-54.
 
The Wildcats lost a pair of starters from last year's team that went 10-20 (3-15 Pac-12), including their leading scorer Candice Warthen. Warthen averaged 12.8 games for UA to go with 5.2 rebounds, 83 assists and 34 steals. The second starter UA lost was Alli Gloyd, who was sixth on the team in scoring average with 5.1 points.
 
Malena Washington currently leads the team with 10.4 points per game, 12 assists and seven steals. Washington is shooting 40-percent from the floor and is tied for second on the team with six made shots from three.
 
The other player averaging in double-figures for Arizona is Taryn Griffey, the daughter of MLB legend, Ken Griffey, Jr. She checks in at an even 10 points per game and 2.4 rebounds per game. Griffey, a redshirt freshman, is currently tied with Washington with 12 assists and leads the team with 11 made three-point field goals.
 
Arizona is playing without the services of LaBrittney Jones, who had a foot injury prior to the start of season and has yet to play in the 2015-16 season. Jones was second on the team last season, averaging 9.0 points per game to go with a team high 5.7 boards per game. She was also a force in the paint for UA, tallying 44 blocks.
 
The Aggie offense will be tested against a Wildcats defense that has held opponents to just 48.4 points per game and 33.3 shooting percentage. NM State comes into the game averaging 77.2 points per game and shooting 42.7-percent from the floor.
 
However, Arizona has only been able to produce 59.8 points per game, 2.2 points less than that of what NM State opponents have been averaging per game.
 
UA has been successful against opponents in the closing periods of each half, outscoring foes 75-50 in the second quarter and 85-62 in the fourth. NM State is best in the second and third quarter of games, outscoring its opponents 257-180 in those two quarters.
 
POWER BATTLE
The last time NM State defeated a Power 5 conference team was back in the 2009-10 season when the Aggies defeated Kansas 61-60 at home. The last time NM State defeated a Power 5 conference on the road was during the 1990-91 season when the Aggies came into Tucson and beat the Wildcats, 82-73.
 
GAME SET FREEMAN
Reigning Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Brianna Freeman, reminded opponents last weekend why she was the unanimous vote for the WAC Preseason MVP. The junior recorded back-to-back double-doubles in the Hotel Encanto Thanksgiving Classic hosted by the Aggies.
 
For her efforts, she was named this week's WAC Player of the Week. It is the first honor for Freeman this season and third of her career.
 
In the opening game against Northwestern State, Freeman put up a career-high 27 points on 12-of-18 (.667) shooting to go with 11 boards. She also racked up a pair of blocks and assists to help the Aggies defeat the Lady Demons, 65-54.
 
On Saturday, the 6-1 forward, notched her second-straight double-double and third one of the year against Northern Arizona. The 12 points and 10 rebounds also gave the Killeen, Texas, product her 12th-career double-double.
 
MAKIN' IT RAIN
In its final game of the Hotel Encanto Thanksgiving Classic, the NM State women's basketball team was on fire from the floor. They shot a blistering 50-percent from the floor (34-of-68) and was also 50-percent from beyond the arc (16-of-32) against Northern Arizona.
 
The last time the Aggies shot 50-percent from the floor in a game was in Ceder City, Utah, against Southern Utah last year. NM State won that game, 81-64, thanks to 28-of-56 shooting from the floor and a 15-for-30 night behind the arc. Like Saturday's game versus NAU, the Aggies had a player scorch their opponents for seven 3-pointers. Like Sasha Weber's 7-of-10 performance against Northern Arizona, then-freshman Zaire Williams was 7-for-9 that night against the Thunderbirds.
 
IN THE NATION
Through Sunday night's games, NM State is one of 28 undefeated teams remaining in NCAA Division I women's basketball. The Aggies are in the top-50 of several categories compared to other Division I teams. New Mexico State is 32nd in blocked shots with 5.5 blocks per game. The Aggies' 15.2 scoring margin is good for 48th, while their 77.2 points per game rank them 49th in scoring offense. NM State is also 41st when it comes to three-point field-goals made per game, checking in with 7.8.
 
Brianna Freeman's 2.0 blocks per game ranks her 60th in the nation while her three double-doubles this season has her in 18th-place. Her .585 field-goal percentage has her ranked No. 40 while Sasha Weber's three-point field-goals made average of 3.0 ranks her 25th in the nation.
 
BEST OF THE BEST
Sasha Weber currently ranks amongst the best of the best in the NCAA. Her 1,216 career points total has her at No. 56 in the NCAA active career leaders list in scoring while her 209 made 3-pointers has her checking in at No. 13 amongst active players.
 
WRITING THEIR OWN STORY
The 2015-16 NM State women's basketball team continues to write its own story for the year, becoming the first team since the 1993-94 team to start the year off 6-0. That team went on to win eight-straight games to start the year and finished with 24 wins, including a 14-4 mark in Big West play. They also earned a bid to the WNIT, going 1-2. The lone WNIT victory in program history was against Gonzaga, 83-63, that year.
 
ELLIS EXPLODES
Junior forward Tyler Ellis had a breakout game last Tuesday against Southern Utah, scoring a career-high 14 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the floor to go with five rebounds. What's more impressive is the fact that she did it all in just nine minutes of action.
 
The 6-2 product from Antelope, Calif., came up big for NM State down the stretch. She scored 10 of the final 15 points for the Aggies in the third quarter, which held Southern Utah from chipping away at the NM State lead.
 
THE WILLIAM WAY
Junior Tamera William has been on a tear for NM State early on in the 2015-16 season. The 5-9 guard is averaging 10.8 point, which is good for fourth on the team and 15th in the conference as of through games on Nov. 29. The Las Vegas, Nev., product is also 4-of-10 from beyond the arc and 21-of-28 from the charity stripe to go with her seven steals, four blocks and 35 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.
 
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 is currently third on the team in scoring, averaging 11.2 points and 5.3 rebounds.
 
PAN AM LOVE
After last weekend's wins, the Aggies have now won 17-straight games at the Pan American Center and looks to continue that streak this Saturday, Dec. 5, when they host I-10 rival UTEP at 2 p.m. (MT).
 
The last time NM State lost at home was a year ago. That loss came against Cal State Fullerton in a 66-51 affair on Nov. 29.
 
That loss, however, catapulted the Aggies to a 22-3 run to end the 2014-15 season. Counting last season, NM State has now won 28 of its last 31 games.
 
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 15th all-time in scoring for the Aggies. With her 25 points this past Saturday against Northern Arizona, the Lacey, Wash., product now has 1,216 points in her career. She's now 26 points shy of passing Anna Boldt (1,241, 1979-1984), a Victoria, Texas, native that played at Victoria High School, for 14th place.
 
Weber recently passed Mari Sanchez (1,196, 1990-2003) last Saturday when she scored a career-high 25 points against Northern Arizona.
 
With 22 games remaining in the regular season, Weber has an opportunity crack the top 10 and could possibly be in the top six if her scoring average stays within the range of years past.
 
With her two blocks last Saturday, Weber is now in sole possession of ninth-place in career blocks with 69.
 
Weber also made her 200th three-point field-goal last Tuesday against Southern Utah when she nailed a 3-pointer with 32 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
 
WHAT'S ON TAP
NM State returns home for a pair of contests at the Pan Am Center as the Aggies look to surpass the second-best winning-streak at home. New Mexico State first plays host to I-10 rival UTEP for a 2 p.m. (MT) tilt on Saturday Dec. 5 before playing host to Eastern New Mexico at 7 p.m. (MT) on Dec. 14.
 
The Aggies will then hit the road the rest of the year before returning home in 2016. NM State will first head to the Bay Area for a battle with San Jose State. The Aggies will then play the second game of the Rio Grande Rivalry on Dec. 20, this time in Albuquerque. After that, the team travels to New York for the Fordham Holiday Classic after Christmas.