LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Another rival comes to the Pan American Center this Saturday, Nov. 25, when the New Mexico State men's basketball team welcomes Battle of I-10 rival UTEP. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. in the first of two meetings between the two storied programs.
 
Saturday's game against UTEP will be the latter half of a double-header for Aggie fans with the NM State football team jockeying for bowl eligibility against Sun Belt Conference foe Idaho at 2 p.m. in Aggie Memorial Stadium.
 
GET CONNECTED
Get up to the minute information and news about the NM State men's basketball team all season on Twitter and Instagram by following @NMStateMBB and on Facebook at FB.com/NMStateMBB.
 
LISTEN UP!
Aggie fans can also catch Saturday's game by listening to NM State Athletics/US Bank Hall of Famer Jack Nixon on 99.5 Zia Country and affiliate stations on the Aggie Sports Network listed below.
 
Alamogordo      103.7 FM KNMZ
Albuquerque     1150 AM KNMM
Carlsbad           1240 AM KAMQ
El Paso             1380 AM KHEY
Gallup               1230 AM, 94.9 FM KYVA
Las Vegas         107.1 FM KMDS
 
LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL
Keeping with the Battle of I-10 theme, Aggie fans at Saturday's game can get their picture taken with the Brass Spittoon and Silver Spade on the North Concourse inside the Pan American Center. The Aggie football team took back both rivalry trophies back on Sept. 23, when head football coach Doug Martin and company defeated the Miners 41-14 at Aggie Memorial Stadium.
 
CYBER MONDAY DEAL$
Looking for a great stocking stuffer? Well, we've got the perfect present for you! Tickets that are normally $18 can be purchased for just $10 dollars, a total savings of 44-percent savings. The Cyber Monday deal is only good for the San Diego (Dec. 6) and Eastern New Mexico (Dec. 12) game(s). Fans can take advantage of the great deal online by typing in "Cyber17" on Ticketmaster or by stopping by the Pan American Center ticket off on Monday, Nov. 27, ONLY.
 
MINER DETAILS
New Mexico State heads into Saturday's Battle of I-10, the Aggies have won the last five meetings and eight of the last nine meetings. NM State leads the all-time series 111-101 as it looks to make it the longest winning-streak in recent history since beating the Miners 10-straight from 1967-70.
 
UTEP comes into the contest with a 1-3 overall mark after dropping three-straight games at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off tournament in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The Miners opened their 2017-18 campaign with a 100-50 routing of Division III Louisiana College at home before getting challenged last weekend.
 
SMU graduate transfer Keith Frazier leads UTEP with 16.8 points per game and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 53.3-percent from the floor. The 6-5 guard is also a threat from deep, knocking down 11-of-27 (.407) shots beyond the arc so far.
 
Matt Willms, the Miners' second-leading scorer at 14.8 points per game, was recently ruled out for the next 2-4 weeks with a spiral fracture in his right wrist. The 7-1 center was also hauling in a team-high 6.3 rebounds per game with 10 blocks.
 
The Miner floor general, Omega Harris, will likely pick up the slack for UTEP. The 6-3 guard is averaging 9.5 points and 4.0 rebounds to start the season. The senior has reached double-figures in 3-of-4 games so far this season.
 
HISTORY TO BE MADE
Chris Jans looks to join seven other coaches in Aggie history to beat UTEP in their first attempt as a first-year head coach at NM State. The last people to do it were Paul Weir (2016-17), Ken Hayes (1975-76), Lou Henson (1966-67), John Gunn (1947-48), T.R. Coffman (1927-28), Robert Brown (1922-23), John G. Griffith (1917-18) and Clarence W. Russel (1914-15). Hayes, Henson and Weir are the only three to go undefeated (2-0) in their first year at the helm against the Miners.
 
Hayes, Henson and Weir are also the only three coaches in Aggie history to beat both UNM and UTEP at home in their first try as a head coach. Meanwhile, Brown and Henson are the only two head coaches to beat both the Lobos and Miners in their first try.
 
Below is a list of Aggie head coaches who defeated UTEP in their first try…
 
Year             Name                                 A/H/N      Score                      
1914-15      Clarence W. Russel               A            W, 32-28
1917-18      John G. Griffith                      H            W, 55-8
1922-23      Robert Brown                        A            W, 18-12
1927-28      T.R. Coffman                         H            W, 47-26
1947-47      John Gunn                            A            W, 55-50
1966-67      Lou Hensn                            A            W, 68-55
1975-76      Ken Hayes                            A            W, 49-47
2016-17      Paul Weir                              A            W, 79-68
 
IN THE NATION
Through games on Sunday, Nov. 19, Jemerrio Jones leads the country in offensive rebounds per game (6.0) and is sixth nationally in rebounds per game with 12.8 through four games. Zach Lofton's 25.3 points per game ranks him eighth in the country.
 
As a team, NM State is 10^th nationally in rebound margin (13.8) and 23rd in total rebounds per game with 43.25 while it's 14.75 offensive boards per game is good for 10th nationally.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Big offensive nights from Zach Lofton and Eli Chuha lifted New Mexico State past its second-straight Mountain West Conference opponent this past Wednesday, 89-76, against Colorado State. Lofton poured in a game-high and season-high 30 points while Chuha added 24 points. The two were very efficient from the floor, combining to go 20-26 from the floor.
 
Lofton also tied a career-high in rebounds with eight in the win. New Mexico State did a great job keeping a great rebounding team in CSU off the glass and out-rebounded the Rams 36-29 and also held a 40-28 edge over Colorado State in the paint.
 
UP NEXT
Five days later after hosting the Miners, NM State heads down the road to face UTEP on their home court at the Don Haskins Center for the second edition for the Battle of I-10 on Thursday, Nov. 30, at 8 p.m. Fans can also catch the game on Watch Stadium via Facebook LIVE. A link can be found on the NM State men's basketball schedule page closer to the competition or can by going to FB.com/StadiumCollegeBasketball.