LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State men's basketball team makes its way down to the Don Haskins Center this Wednesday, Nov. 28, when the Aggies take on Battle of I-10 rival UTEP in a 7 p.m. (MT) match-up.
 
NM State will look for its ninth-straight victory over the Miners and sweep UTEP for the fourth-consecutive season Wednesday night.
 
WHERE TO WATCH
Aggie fans that can't make the rivalry game can watch a live-stream (paid subscription) via CSUA.tv.
 
GET CONNECTED
Get up to the minute information and news about the NM State men's basketball team all season long on Twitter and Instagram by following @NMStateMBB and on Facebook at FB.com/NMStateMBB.
 
LISTEN UP!
Aggie fans that can't make it to Wednesday's rivalry game in El Paso can catch the game by listening to NM State Athletics/US Bank Hall of Famer Jack Nixon and former Aggie Justin Hawkins on 99.5 Zia Country and affiliate stations on the Aggie Sports Network listed below or via TuneIn.
 
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
 
IN THE NATION
Heading into Wednesday's rivalry game, the Aggies as a team are ranked in the top-25 nationally in a trio of categories…
 
Category                           National Rank               Value
Fewest Turnovers                      5^th                              46
Turnovers per Game                 11^th                             9.2
Rebounding Margin                   14^th                            11.2
 
HISTORIC HAPPENINGS
Should New Mexico State defeat UTEP on Wednesday, Aggie head men's basketball coach Chris Jans would become just the second head coach ever to sweep the Miners in their first two seasons at the helm. That other coach? None other than legendary head coach Lou Henson, who did it his first two seasons from 1966-68. Meanwhile, the last head to sweep UTEP in back-to-back seasons was Coach Henson during the 1998-2000 seasons.
 
Back-to-back Season Sweeps of UTEP by a Head Coach
 
Head Coach             Years                                                                                          
Lou Henson               1998-2000 (2 games/season)
Lou Henson               1968-70 (3 games in 68-69, 2 games in 69-70)
Lou Henson               1967-69 (2 games in 66-67, 3 games in 68-69)
Lou Henson               1966-68 (2 games/season)
Presley Askew           1959-61 (2 games/season)
George McCarty        1951-53 (4 games in 51-52, 2 games in 52-53)
George McCarty        1950-52 (2 games in 50-51, 4 games in 51-52)
Jerry Hines                 1937-39 (4 games in 37-38, 2 games in 38-39)
Jerry Hines                 1936-38 (4 games/season)
Jerry Hines                 1935-37 (4 games/season)
Jerry Hines                 1931-33 (2 games/season)
 
AGGIES VS. MINERS – ROUND II
Heading into Wednesday's rivalry match, UTEP is 2-3 on the year after dropping its last game against New Mexico 84-78 at The Pit. After five games, the Miners have yet to tally a win over a Division I opponent.

Against the Lobos, UTEP had five players reach double-figures – including a game-high 22 points from Evan Gilyard thanks to a 5-of-9 night from downtown. However, the UTEP bench only produced seven points between its three players.
 
As a team, UTEP have been outscored by 6.4 points despite owning a better shooting percentage than its opponents from the floor and beyond the 3-point line. In addition, the Miners continue to progress as the season moves along as evident by its positive rebounding margin of 1.6.
 
Gilyard continues to lead UTEP in the scoring column, averaging 20.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Efe Odigie, who's started four of the last five games, is averaging a double-double for the Miners – checking in with 14.8 points and 10.2 rebounds to go along with a team best .581 shooting clip (min. 30 FGA). Rounding out the scoring column is Paul Thomas, who is averaging 11.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Another big offensive night, this time at home, saw NM State prevail against Eastern New Mexico 92-65 last Wednesday. As a team, the Aggies out-rebounded the Greybounds 48-28 and held a 36-14 advantage in the paint. Additionally, NM State turned 20 ENMU turnovers into 23 points.
 
The Aggies were led by Terrell Brown, who had a game-high 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting from 3-point land. Joining Brown in double-figures were Ivan Aurrecoechea (12pts, 7rebs), Eli Chuha (10pts, 6rebs) and Berrick JeanLouis (10pts).
 
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS
Saturday's game against Washington State will be the second chance NM State fans will have to get their hands on a special edition snapback hat. The first 1,000 fans in attendance will get a retro hat.
 
JUNIOR AGGIE DAY
In addition to facing off against a Pac-12 team at home, Saturday's contest will also be Junior Aggie Day. To join the Junior Aggie Club, contact Nicole Gomez at 575-646-8050 or by email at nicolemg@nmsu.edu.
 
JAC Member Benefits for Saturday's game includes…

• VIP seating at the game
• Hang out at the Aggie bench during warms up
• Line the court for the team intro
• Video board recognition
• Postgame autographs in the locker room

 
UP NEXT
New Mexico State returns home after its rivalry game and plays host to Washington State out of the Pac-12 Conference on Saturday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m. (MT) before welcoming Battle of I-25 rival New Mexico into the Mesilla Valley on Tuesday, Dec. 4, for a 7 p.m. showdown.