LAS CRUCES, N.M. – With its best start to a season since 1993-94 (11-3), the NM State women's basketball team is set to defend its Western Athletic Conference title on Thursday, Jan. 7, when the Aggies host Utah Valley at 7 p.m. (MT).
 
Adam Young will have the call for NM State while Patrick Knapp serves as the analyst on a multitude of networks that Aggie fans can view from.
 
UTAH VALLEY LINKS: ESPN3 | Live Stats | @NMStateWBB | @UVUwbb
 
WHERE TO WATCH
NM State's match-up with Utah Valley on Thursday can be viewed on a multitude of TV networks listed below
 
-ESPN3 online or via the WatchESPN App on your mobile phone/tablet
-FOX Sports Arizona PLUS (Live)
-DISH: SD: 444, HD: 9514 | DISH Hopper: 412-32 | DirectTV: 686-1
-FOX Sports Southwest PLUS (LIVE)
                -DISH: SD: 445, HD: 9515 | DISH Hopper: 412-33 | DirectTV: 676-1
-FOX College Sports Pacific
-Altitude 2
-FOX Sports Arizona will also replay the game on Friday, Jan. 8, at 10 a.m. (MT)
 
ENTER THE WOLVERINES
NM State's first challenge in its title defense will be a 7-8 Utah Valley team. The Wolverines have lost seven of their last eight contests after reeling off six-straight wins.
 
UVU is 3-4 when playing on the road this year as they face off against an Aggie squad that is 7-1 when playing on the parquet floors of the Pan American Center.
 
The Aggies lead the all-time series 4-2 and are 2-1 against the Wolverines when playing at home. Last time out, NM State had to battle back late in the second half and to gut out a 67-62 win behind 20-point performances from Brianna Freeman (21) and Shanice Davis (20).  UVU had four players record double-figures that game, all of whom are returners this season, in Mariah Seals (15), Deijah Blanks (14), Rhaiah Spooner-Knight (13) and Georgia Agnew (10).
 
Looking at the statistical categories, both teams have fairly similar numbers. However, the Aggies have a distinct advantage in most, if not all, defensive categories. NM State leads Utah Valley in steals, blocks and scoring defense. NM State has allowed 60.4 points per game compared to UVU, who has allowed opponents to score 67.4 points per game.
 
The Wolverines have a good mix of veteran players and young players. Spooner-Knight, who has missed the last three contests for UVU, paces the team with 13.8 points per game – good for third in the conference. She's also pulling down 4.7 boards per game, while shooting .455 from the floor and .733 from the free-throw line.
 
Seals, a 5-3 guard who started in all 30 games for UVU last season, is second on the team with a 12.3 points average. Seals was the only player to play and start in every game for UVU last season as a freshman. Now a sophomore, she is second on the team with 21 triples (.269), second only to Rebecca MaWhinney. However, Seals finished with 56 deep balls last season, eight more than MaWhinney.
 
Sam Loggins is third on the team in scoring, checking in with a 9.5 points average – 2.1 points better than her average last season. Loggins has been quite efficient on the floor for UVU, she's shooting .513 from the floor, good for tops in the league, in just 316 minutes (min. 100 FGA). The 6-5 senior is also second on the team in rebounds, pulling down 5.1 boards per game.
 
MaWhinney has been Utah Valley's biggest threat from beyond the arc. Of her 34 made field-goals, 30 have come from the perimeter. The 6-1 forward is shooting .349 from downtown and .767 from the charity stripe. Not only has MaWhinney been great for the Wolverines beyond the arc, she's also been a force for them in the paint. Her 5.5 rebounds average is tops on the team.
 
Playing the role of floor general for UVU is Agnew. The 5-9 junior has dished out a team-best 63 assists with Seals serving as a backup with 42 dimes of her own.
 
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 (69.9), scoring margin (+9.4), blocked shots (64), turnover margin (+4.2), 3-point field-goals made (105), steals (155) and defensive boards (26.1).
 
Sasha Weber's 12.4 points per game is good for sixth while Brianna Freeman's 11.4 points average has her in ninth. Freeman, who is shooting .509 from the field, trails just UVU's Sam Loggins while Weber's 44.5-percent from the field is good for eighth. Freeman's 7.1 boards per game has her in fourth.
 
In the assist column, Shanice Davis is fourth in the WAC with 3.6 dimes per game while Weber is in ninth with 2.5.
 
Weber is also second in the conference in 3-point field-goal percentage, checking in at .402 and leads the league in 3-point field-goals made (2.5 per game).  Fellow senior, Abby Scott is eight on the list with 1.8 triples per game.
 
Freeman, who is currently tied for 10th on the Aggies' all-time blocks list with 67, is second in the conference with 1.5 blocks per game. Tamera William's 30 steals has her sitting in third while Davis is in ninth with 1.6 swipes per game.
 
OPENING ACT
Since joining the Western Athletic Conference for the 2005-06 season, NM State is 6-4 when playing in its conference openers and 2-3 when those conference openers are played at the Pan Am Center. Overall, the Aggies 23-18 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 3-2 in its first conference match and is currently on a two-game winning streak.
 
The most points NM State has scored in a WAC opener was against Boise State in 2010 when the Aggies won 87-83 in overtime. The most points the Aggies have given up in a conference opener was in 2012 versus Utah State, 74-56.
 
The most points scored for NM State in the WAC home opener was against Idaho (2008) in a 73-61 win. However, the Aggies also scored the least amount of points in a WAC home opener against the Vandals in 2006 in a 59-50 loss.
 
Conference Opener Breakdown

• WAC – 6-4 (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 once the conference slate begins. 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.
 
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
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.
 
On Monday 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.
 
RETURN OF THE MACK
Since her return to the line-up, Moriah Mack is averaging 8.8 points per game and 4.5 rebounds for NM State through three games. She also has 14 steals and nine assists during that stretch and shooting .471 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 Dec. 14, 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 Monday night's games, NM State is tied for 46th in NCAA Division I women's basketball with an 11-3 record. The Aggies are also in the top-75 of several categories.
 
On the offensive end, NM State's 105 three-pointers has them in 31st-place while their 7.5 shots from downtown per game rank them 42nd.
 
On the defensive end, NM State's 20.71 turnovers forced average is also good for 30th in the country. Its 155 steals on the year has them in 17th while its 11.1 steals per game puts NM State in 19th.  New Mexico State's 4.21 turnover margin is good for 39th in the nation. The Aggies' 64 blocked shots also has them in 59th-place.
 
The Aggies' 561 boards on the year has them just outside the top-75 at No. 79.
 
BEST OF THE BEST
Sasha Weber currently ranks amongst the best of the best in the NCAA. Her 1,298 career points total has her tied 57th in the NCAA Division I active career leaders list in scoring while her 224 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 33 of its last 39 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 8.5 points. The Las Vegas, Nev., product is also shooting 38.5-percent from the field and 38-of-52 from the charity stripe to go with her 30 steals, nine blocks and 69 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 third on the team in scoring, averaging 9.1 points and 5.2 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 1,298 points in her career. She's now 26 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 14 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
After hosting their first two conference games at the Pan Am Center, the Aggies will now get tested on the road in conference play. NM State first flies to Kansas City to face the 'Roos of Missouri-Kansas City on Jan. 14 before continuing north to face Chicago State on Jan. 16.
 
The Aggies then return home for a pair of matches against Seattle U (Jan. 21) and CSU Bakersfield (Jan. 23).