Game Three
NM State (2-0) vs. UTEP (2-0)
Wednesday, Nov. 17 | 7 p.m. | Don Haskins Center (12,000) | El Paso, Texas
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets | NM State Game Notes
Opening Tip
The New Mexico State women's basketball team is set to square off with rival UTEP in The Battle of I-10 on Wednesday night in El Paso, Texas. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. Tickets for the midweek contest can be purchased ahead of tip-off online or at the Don Haskins Center ticket office.
This will be the 88th all-time meeting between the Miners and Aggies with the first matchup coming on Feb. 1, 1973. NM State leads the all-time series with a record of 50-37.
Scouting the Miners | Roster | Schedule | Statistics
UTEP will enter Wednesday's matchup with a perfect 2-0 record. The Miners have been dominant to start the year, posting a 72-point combined margin of victory in just two games. The Miners leading scorer is Destiny Thurman who averages 19.5 points per game. Thurman is also the Miners top three-point shooter, connecting on six triples this season.
Sophomore guard Katia Gallegos is the catalyst for the Miner offense, recording 6.5 assists per game in addition to averaging 14.5 points herself. UTEP also rebounds the ball well with Elina Arike pulling down 10 boards per contest to lead the way.
Last Time Out | NM State 57, Incarnate Word 48 | Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021
The Aggies conquered the Cardinals of Incarnate Word in their second game of the season. The NM State defense was the story of the day as they forced 18 turnovers and held UIW to under 50 points. Tayelin Grays was a force on the defensive end, coming up with five steals. Bigue Sarr looked tough once again, finishing with 13 points and eight rebounds. Sophomore Taylor Donaldson has also been a vital piece of this Aggie lineup early on, totaling a team-high 14 points while adding eight rebounds in the win.
Despite only scoring six points in the first quarter, the Aggies seemed to find their stroke in the middle quarters as they combined for 35 points in the second and third periods.
A 6-0 run in the fourth was the difference on Saturday, helping the Aggies pull out to a lead in the final quarter that ultimately led to the Aggies nine-point victory.
Up Next
The Aggies will have an extended break after traveling to UTEP as they will not be back in action until the day after Thanksgiving. Following eight days off, NM State will head to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to compete in the San Juan Shootout. On the island, the Aggies are scheduled to face LSU and Tennessee Tech in back-to-back days.
Sprinting Out of the Gate
The Aggies toppled Western New Mexico in their season opener, winning by a margin of 54 points. This marked the first 50-plus point win since last November when they derailed Park Gilbert, 92-38. Also, five Aggies reached double-digit scoring for the first time since Nov. 26, 2018 when they did so in a win over Northern New Mexico.
In the blowout win, the Aggies were led by Molly Kaiser who finished with a career-high 18 points. Oklahoma State transfer Bigue Sarr also had a productive night, posting 16 points and grabbing six boards in just 16 minutes of action.
2020-21 Highlights
- Finished the regular season riding a three-game winning streak.
- Aaliyah Prince was name Second Team All-WAC and earned WAC All-Defensive Team honors.
- Took down No. 5 Seattle U in the opening round of the WAC tournament as Shania Harper posted a season-high 15 points.
Sights on Six
NM State will seek its sixth WAC regular season title since the 2014-15 season. The Aggies are 80-18 in conference play across the past seven seasons.
Preseason Picks
NM State was picked to finish in seventh place in the WAC Coaches' Poll while the media selected the Aggies to land in sixth this season.
The WAC media also selected junior guard Soufia Inoussa to the Second Team All-WAC list.
Bringing Home the Hardware
Following her final season with the Aggies, Aaliyah Prince earned Second Team All-WAC and WAC All-Defensive Team honors. Prince finished the season ranked 11th in the league in steals per game while ranking 13th in points per game.
