LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The NM State women's basketball team is headed to the Bronx for a pair of games at the Fordham Holiday Classic this upcoming week. The Aggies are set to square off against another Power 5 opponent in Vanderbilt (Dec. 29) for their opening game before taking on either the host, Fordham, or Texas A&M Corpus Christi (Dec. 30) depending on the outcome against the Commodores.
 
NM State will not have a radio broadcast for the tournament. However, Aggie fans can listen to Charlie Mattos, who will be calling the game on Vanderbilt's radio. A live stream and radio broadcast will be available via Fordham should NM State play the host. If the Aggies play the Islanders, there won't be any radio broadcast available.
 
VANDERBILT LINKS: Live Stats | Live Audio (Vandy) | @NMStateWBB | @VandyWBB
FORDHAM LINKS: Live Stats | Live Stream | Live Audio (Fordham) | @NMStateWBB | @FordhamWBB
TAMUCC LINKS: Live Stats | @NMStateWBB | @IslandersWBB
 
LINING UP AGAINST THE COMMODORES
NM State will face a formidable foe on Tuesday when it faces off against Vanderbilt at 1 p.m. (MT), a team that has made 15-consecutive NCAA tournaments (2000-14) prior to missing the tournament last season. Both teams enter the match-up at 9-2 on the year and nearly identical in most statistical categories. This is only the second meeting between the two programs with Vandy taking the first meeting 90-77 in 1987 at the Wahine Classic.
 
VU cruised in its season-opener against Mississippi Valley State, winning 89-39, but was tripped up in its next two games before going on its eight-game winning streak.
 
Its first loss of the season came at the hands of Dayton on the road, 81-56. The Commodores then fell to Green Bay, who is currently No. 2 in the College Insider Mid-Major Top-25 poll at 9-4, by a score of 58-56.
 
Both teams are averaging in the low 70s, but VU has held opponents to just 51.5 points per game while the Aggies are holding teams to 62.3.
 
The biggest concern for NM State will be the Commodores' +10.0 rebounding margin. With that said, the Aggies match up well with VU height-wise. The shortest person on the floor would be NM State's Shanice Davis or Zaire Williams at any point with the two point guards checking in at 5-6. Despite her height disadvantage, Davis is averaging 4.0 rebounds per game.
 
Vanderbilt has used a team effort to gain its advantage on the boards. Only two players, who play regularly for VU, haven't recorded 20 rebounds on the year. Starting forward Rayte'a Long is averaging 4.5 boards while Marqu'es Webb is averaging 4.4 rebounds off the beach. Kristen Gaffney, a 6-1 forward who also comes off the bench, checks in with 4.0 rebounds per game.
 
Vanderbilt has three players averaging in double-figures with Rachel Bell (12.0), Christa Reed (11.7) and Jasmine Jenkins (10.0). Reed paces VU with 23 made shots from downtown and .468 shooting from the field. Bell is right behind Reed in 3-point shooting, knocking down 20.
 
Jenkins, is tied for second on the team with 14 steals and 29 dimes. The Aggies will need to keep an eye on the 5-8 senior guard as she has gone to the line a team-high 36 times.
 
Minta Spears, the Commodores' floor general, has dished out 55 assists on the year – good for fifth in the Southeastern Conference and 58th in the nation.
 
SCOUTING THE RAMS
Fordham, the host, comes into the tournament just 4-7 on the year. Of the nine players that have played significant minutes, four are upperclassmen while the other five are underclassmen.
 
It is also worth noting that Fordham has played some heavy-hitters this season during its non-conference schedule. The Rams have played the likes of Texas Tech (10-1), Syracuse (7-3), Seton Hall (10-1) and Princeton (9-3).
 
Wednesday's game, should the two teams square off, will tip-off at 11 a.m. (MT) and will also be the first meeting between NM State and Fordham.
 
The Rams have only managed to score 55.4 points per game, but is led by senior Samantha Clark. Clark, a 6-2 forward, leads the team with 13.6 points per game and 8.6 boards per game. She's also tied with G'mrice Davis for first on the team with 15 steals and is third in assists (24).
 
Junior Hannah Missry is second on the team with 11.7 points per game while Davis rounds out the double-digit point scorers for Fordham with 10.2 per game. Davis, a 6-2 freshman, is second behind Clark with 7.8 boards per game.
 
The next closest person is Danielle Burns who is averaging 5.1 points and 3.1 boards. Her 27 assists on the year is good for second on the team behind sophomore Asnate Fomina (33).
 
A LOOK AT THE ISLANDERS
Texas A&M Corpus Christi, who enters the tournament 3-6, is NM State's other potential opponent on Wednesday. If NM State plays A&M-Corpus Christi, tip-off is schedule for 1 p.m. (MT) on Dec. 30.
 
The Islanders have only been on the road once this season, falling at Texas Southern 51-43.
 
The Islanders started the year 0-2 before reeling off three-straight wins against Rice, Western New Mexico and UT Rio Grande Valley. From there, the Islanders have struggled to find the bottom of the net and have dropped four-straight.
 
A&M-Corpus Christi is led by sharp-shooter Brittany Mbamalu, who is averaging 12.7 points thanks to her .438 shooting behind the arc. Her 32 three-pointers are most amongst players in the four-team tournament. Sasha Weber is second behind Mbamalu with 30. The redshirt sophomore tallied a career-high 24 points on 6-of-9 shooting from deep in a loss to Houston.
 
Shay Weaver is the only other Islander averaging in double-figures with 11.0. The 5-9 transfer from Marshall has only played in five games, starting in three, for A&M-Corpus Christi.
 
Jennifer Ramirez, a 5-6 senior guard, captains the offense for the Islanders and has dished out a team-high 39 assists. Camesha Davis, a 6-1 junior forward, leads the team on the glass with 7.6 boards per game.
 
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.
 
TRAKH-ING THE WINS
Last week's victory over Eastern New Mexico gave head coach Mark Trakh his 350th career-win at as a head coach. The fifth-year head man 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. Trakh has the 2015-16 squad at 9-2 on the year as the Aggies prepare for the second leg of their four-game stretch on the road.
 
TAYLOR'S TIME
Tyesha Taylor showed the Aggie faithful a glimpse of what the redshirt freshman is capable of on Monday. The 6-4 forward recorded a career-high 15 points in 13 minutes of action for the Aggies. Her 13 points on Monday against Eastern New Mexico 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.
 
RETURN OF THE MACK
Since her return to the line-up, Moriah Mack is averaging 9.0 points per game and 6.0 rebounds for NM State through three games. She also has eight steals and seven assists during that stretch and shooting .433 from the field.
 
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 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 Monday night, setting them up for another clash with history.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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 37th in NCAA Division I women's basketball with a 9-2 record. The Aggies are also in the top-75 of several categories.
 
On the offensive end, NM State is ranked No. 69 when it comes to scoring offense with 72.3 points per game. The Aggies' 82 three-pointers rank them in 46th-place while their 7.5 shots from downtown per game rank them 47th.
 
On the defensive end, NM State's 20.73 turnovers forced average is also good for 31st in the country while its 10.7 steals per game puts them at 27th. New Mexico State's 4.27 turnover margin is good for 40th in the nation.
 
BEST OF THE BEST
Sasha Weber currently ranks amongst the best of the best in the NCAA. Her 1,285 career points total has her at No. 52 in the NCAA Division I active career leaders list in scoring while her 221 made 3-pointers has her checking in at No. 12 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.
 
The Aggies saw their 17-game win-streak at the Pan Am Center snapped last week 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.
 
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 29 of its last 34 games.
 
There were 370 days between NM State's last lost at home to Cal State Fullerton (Nov. 29, 2014) and last Saturday's loss to UTEP on Dec. 5, 2015.
 
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 9.8 points. The Las Vegas, Nev., product is also shooting 41.3-percent from the field and 35-of-47 from the charity stripe to go with her 18 steals, seven blocks and 59 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.
 
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 fifth on the team in scoring, averaging 8.7 points and 5.4 rebounds.
 
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 13th all-time in scoring for the Aggies. The Lacey, Wash., product now has 1,285 points in her career. She's now 39 points shy of passing Jeanette Feaster (1,323, 1982-86), a Millersburg, Pa., native that played Susquenhanna High School for 12th place.
 
Weber recently passed Tabytha Wampler (1,254, 2008-12) for 13th place last week at San José State.
 
With 17 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.
 
Weber (73) is just two blocks shy of passing Vicki Evans (74, 1985-89) for eighth all-time in blocks at NM State.
 
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 213 career three-point field goals.
 
WHAT'S ON TAP
NM State returns home for its final non-conference match-up of the season against in-state opponent, Western New Mexico on Monday, Jan. 4, at 7 p.m. (MT).
 
Three days later the Aggies open up Western Athletic Conference play against Utah Valley (Jan. 7) and Grand Canyon (Jan. 9). Thursday's contest against the Wolverines is set for 7 p.m. (MT) while Saturday's game against the 'Lopes is set for 2 p.m. (MT).