LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State men's basketball team stays on the road this week for conference play with a 7 p.m. (MT) match-up at Grand Canyon this Thursday, Jan. 11.
 
Barry Beautal will have the call on ESPN3 while Scott Williams serves as the analyst and Kate Longworth as the sideline reporter. Fans can also catch the game on the WAC Digital Network via over-the-top apps for Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV or Roku devices.
 
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 that can't make it to Saturday's contest can catch the 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
 
ACTIVE LEADERS
Through games on Jan. 9, Jemerrio Jones is ranked sixth amongst active Division I players with a 9.4 career rebounding average and is also ranked 32nd when ranked across Divisions I, II and III. His 19 career double-doubles also has him ranked 36th amongst Division I players. Meanwhile, teammate Zach Lofton's 17.4 career scoring average ranks him 21st amongst Division I players.
 
SHOWDOWN IN THE VALLEY OF THE SUN
The southwest has treated NM State teams well this athletic season so far as the men's basketball team looks to continue that success Thursday when it battles Grand Canyon. NM State holds the all-time series 7-2, but have lost on the road to the Lopes that last two season. As a team, the Lopes have not lost back-to-back games so far this season, but have dropped two of their last four contests.
 
Both the Aggies and Lopes have lost to San Diego on their home floors this season as well. Another similar opponent is Illinois, whom NM State defeated on a neutral floor in Chicago while GCU lost to the Illini in Champaign.
 
WAC Preseason Player of the Year Joshua Braun paces GCU with a 13.4 points average to go with 4.0 rebounds per game, including a team-best 39 made 3-pointers. The redshirt senior has reached double-figures in 10-of-16 games so far this season and reached the 20-point plateau in four of those 10 games.
 
Oregon transfer Casey Benson is the younger brother of GCU assistant coach TJ Benson and second on the team in scoring with 9.6 points per game. He's also dished out a team-best 76 assists (4.8 apg), which is also good for second in the WAC behind CSU Bakersfield's Brent Wrapp (5.6 apg).
 
Oscar Frayer is third on the team with a 9.4 points average while shooting 47.8-percent from the floor. Keonta Vernon crashes the boards for GCU, boasting a team-high 6.9 rebounding average to go with his 8.5 points per game. He's also got a team-best 24 blocks – which ties him for third-best in the league (1.5 bpg).
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Aggies had a great league opener on the road, blowing out Chicago State 97-60 thanks to Jemerrio Jones' 18 points, 16 rebounds and five assists. Zach Lofton pitched in with 17 points of his own while freshman Gabe Hadley poured in a season-high 14 points on 4-of-4 shooting from deep. Sidy N'Dir rounded the double-digit scorers out with 11 points, six rebounds and two assists.
 
Meanwhile, Eli Chuha pulled down seven boards to go with his eight points on 4-of-5 shooting. AJ Harris had his best game from an assists standpoint, dishing out a career-high eight dimes to go with his seven points.
 
As a team, the Aggies assisted on 26 of its 40 made field-goals - which was the first time they've hit the 40 plateau since 2012.
 
UP NEXT
New Mexico State remains on the road for another game, this time an 8 p.m. battle with the 'Runners from CSU Bakersfield on Saturday, Jan. 13, on ESPN3. Mychal Clanton will have the call for that broadcast while Sed Bonner serves as the analyst.