LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State men's basketball team looks to bounce back this week at home in the Pan American Center as it entertains Chicago State and UMKC for its final two home games of the 2017-18 season.
 
First up for the Aggies will be Chicago State on Thursday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m. (MT) on the WAC Digital Network. Adam Young (@youngpbp) will have the call on Saturday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. for senior day while former Aggie assistant Rus Bradburd serves as the analyst on the televised broadcast.
 
WHERE TO WATCH
In addition to Saturday's action against the Roos showing on ESPN3, fans can catch the game LIVE on FOX Sports Arizona Plus and FOX College Sports Pacific. Fans can also use the FOX Sports GO or WatchESPN app with paid cable subscription to watch the game on their mobile/tablet device.
 
ALL Times Mountain
FOX Sports Arizona PLUS (LIVE)
DISH: SD: 442 – HD: 9580 | DISH Hopper: 412-30 | DTV: 686-2
 
FOX College Sports Pacific JIP (LIVE – 7:30pm)
DTV: 608 | DISH: 454 | Comcast: 264
 
Altitude 2
DTV: 681 | DISH: 413
 
The CW (Las Cruces & El Paso)
OTA: 7.2
Comcast: 14 | DTV: 8 | DISH: 17
 
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 the games this Thursday and Saturday 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
 
FINAL SNAPBACK GIVEAWAY
The first 1,000 Aggie fans through the door for Thursday night's game against Chicago State will get their hands on the fourth and final special edition Aggie snapback hat.
 
RECORD BREAKING HUGS
Former Aggie football player and current Deputy with the Doña Sheriff's Department will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most hugs in a minute during halftime of Saturday's game against UMKC. The current record stands at 86 and was set by television actor Jason Ritter, son of the late John Ritter, on Oct. 9, 2017, in New York City on the daytime show The View.
 
GIVING THANKS
When the buzzer sounds at the end of the game on Saturday, Feb. 24, against UMKC, the Aggie faithful will have watch Las Cruces native Joe Garza, Jemerrio Jones, Johnathon Wilkins and Zach Lofton play their final game on Lou Henson Court. The four will be honored immediately after Saturday's contest as well. Fans are encouraged to stay after for the ceremony.
 
Garza has seen action in 43 games heading into the week as an Aggie and has scored 70 points in his career as a reserve off the bench. The Las Cruces product had a career-high 11 points last season at home against Air Force when he knocked down a trio of 3-pointers late in the game to help NM State defeat AFA and beat its first Mountain West Conference opponent not named New Mexico in 15 years.
 
Since his arrival to Aggie Country, Jones has been a "beast" as they say on the boards for New Mexico State. The Memphis, Tenn., native is averaging a career double-double in Division I heading into the week with 10 points and 10.2 rebounds. He also solidified himself into not only NM State history, but NCAA history as well when he became the first player this century to record 20 rebounds in three-consecutive games. Needless to say, his rebounding prowess puts him in good company with the likes Sam Lacey and Billy Joe Price. Jones also became one of four Aggies to record a triple-double in a game this season with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists against Eastern New Mexico. His 333 rebounds this season is also good for seventh-most in a single-season and could climb all the way into third past Pascal Siakam (2015-16), who had 396 his redshirt sophomore year.
 
Wilkins enters this weekend averaging 5.1 points and 3.0 rebounds in his Aggie career, while shooting 53.2-percent from the floor and 34.8-percent from beyond the arc.  He tallied a career-high in points against UMKC at home with 15 while pulling down a career-high 10 rebounds versus Chicago State – also at home.
 
Lofton, a prolific scorer in his own right, has been a scoring machine since his arrival at NM State. The St. Paul, Minn., native has averaged 20.2 points as well as 5.1 rebounds during his time in the Crimson & White so far. With 68 made 3-pointers this season, Lofton is just three shy of cracking the top-10 for most 3-pointers in a single-season. His 525 points scored to date is just 53 shy of cracking the single-season top-10 in scoring.
 

COUGARS ROLL INTO TOWN
When the Aggies take Lou Henson Court on Thursday, they'll have to defend both their home court and one-game lead in the Western Athletic Conference standings with just three games remaining in regular-season action. NM State, who dropped two-straight games for the first time since late last season, will play host to a hungry Chicago State team that is still vying for its first win in league play. The Cougars are 2-26 overall on the season and 0-11 in WAC play.
 
CSU is led by Fred Sims, Jr. on the scoring column with 13.4 points per game while Deionte Simmons is averaging 11.7 points with a .594 shooting clip and 5.8 rebounds per game. Glen Burns rounds out the double-digit scorers for Chicago State with 10 points per game and a team-high 99 assists to go with his 48.9-percent shooting.
 
Rob Shaw is second on the team in assists with 61 dimes on the year and third on the team in teals with 23. Sims has knocked down 45 shots from downtown with Montana Byrd sitting at 30 made 3-pointers.
 
In conference play, Simmons is the team-leader with 14.0 points per game while Sims is second with 11.9 points per game and Burns rounding it out with 11.7 points per game. Simmons has also upped his rebounding numbers in league play, averaging 6.5 rebounds per game while shooting 58-percent from the field.
 
ENTER THE ROOS
After hosting Chicago State on Thursday, New Mexico State will entertain UMKC on Saturday, Feb. 24, for its final home game of the 2017-18 season. The Roos, who NM State beat 73-48 on the road back in late January, have won three of their last five games – including three-straight against Seattle U, Utah Valley and Chicago State.
 
Xavier Bishop paces the group of four UMKC players averaging in double-figures with 11.9 points per game while Broderick Robinson checks in at 11.4 points per game. Isaiah Ross isn't too far behind with 11 points per game while Jordan Giles rounds it out with 10. 5 points per game. Bishop also owns a team-high 90 assists while Robinson has 42 steals to his name and a team-best 5.0 rebounds per game.
 
In conference action, Giles leads the team in scoring with 12.4 points per game while Bishop is in second with 11.2 points per game. Robinson checks in with 10.4 points per game while Ross averages 10.3 points in WAC play.
 
As a team, UMKC has allowed 76.2 points per game to opponents while scoring just 69.8 points per game. Opponents are also winning the battle of the boards by 9.5 rebounds per game on average heading into this weekend.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Aggies stumbled down the stretch despite a roaring comeback on the back of Zach Lofton last Saturday at Seattle U and fell to the Redhawks 73-63 in overtime. Lofton was the only Aggie to score in double-figures against SU, pouring in 26 points – 17 in the second-half – while pulling down 12 rebounds for his first-career double-double. Teammate Jemerrio Jones had eight points with 10 rebounds with Eli Chuha had six points with nine rebounds for the Aggies. It was also the second-straight game NM State was out-rebounded by its opponent.
 
UP NEXT
New Mexico State will head to UT Rio Grande Valley the following week for its final game of the 2017-18 regular-season. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. (MT) on the WAC Digital Network before the Aggies leave for the WAC Tournament.