What: Game Eighteen
Who: NM State (7-10, 0-5 WAC) vs. UT Arlington (5-13, 0-5 WAC)
When: Saturday, Jan. 14, 7 p.m. MT
Where: Las Cruces, N.M. - Pan American Center (12,504)

Watch: ESPN+ | Comcast New Mexico | Bally Sports Arizona (Tape Delay)
Listen: Zia Country 99.5 (PxP - Jack Nixon, Analyst - Anita Skipper)
Attend: Online Ticket Sales
Stats: Click Here
Follow: Twitter - @NMStateMBB, Instagram - @NMStateMBB, Facebook - NM State Men's Basketball

THE OPENING TIP                                      
• The Aggies will take the court against UT Arlington still in search of their first win in league play after opening with five straight losses to conference opponents for the first time since the 1954-55 season when the Aggies started 0-8 in the Border Conference.
• Until this season, NM State had only started with five league losses in two other seasons (1954-55, 1945-46).
• Saturday's meeting with the Mavericks will mark just the 13th all-time meeting and the first time the two programs share the floor since 2013. However, this will not be the first WAC meeting featuring the two sides as NM State and UT Arlington collided three times during the lone season the Mavericks were in the WAC during the 2012-13 stretch of games.
 
PINSON NOT MISSIN'                                
• Xavier Pinson has been automatic from the charity stripe during conference play as he currently ranks tied for second in the WAC in free throw percentage in conference play by way of making 16 of 17 across the Aggies' first five WAC contests.
• Until, Thursday against Seattle U, Pinson had not missed a free throw in WAC play - making 14 straight before missing his first.
 
CHI CHI FOR THREE THREE                     
• Sophomore forward Marchelus Avery has seen his role expand in his second year with the program and has developed his game from beyond the arc after making just 10 three pointers last season.
• Avery has already doubled that amount this season while shooting an impressive 44.4% from range.
• The Richmond, Va., native has only upped his ability to be a threat from three-point land during conference play, hitting a team-high 11 threes on just 18 attempts to post a 61.1 three-point percentage through five games.
 
FIVE FALTERS                                             
• The Aggies' five-game losing streak marks the first time that NM State has lost five consecutive games since 2010-11. This was also the last time that NM State dropped more than five games inside WAC play outside of the year affected by COVID-19 when NM State played zero games at home.
 
CHASING 1,500                                          
• In four and a half years at the collegiate ranks, senior guard Xavier Pinson has scored 1,395 points - putting him just 105 points shy of reaching 1,500 for his career.
• As of now, Pinson would need to average just 8.1 points per game to reach this milestone during the regular season slate.
• Currently, Pinson paces the Aggies in scoring, notching 12.8 points per game.
 
HISTORIC WAC DOMINANCE                   
• Amid its final season in the WAC, NM State has put together one of the most impressive runs in all of college basketball.
• Across 17-plus years, the Aggies have posted a 196-69 record against conference opponents.
• Additionally, the Aggies' 10 WAC Tournament titles is the most in conference history with UTEP's five tournament titles being the next closest.
 
TERRIFIC TANDEM                                     
• Deshawndre Washington and Xavier Pinson have been one of the most prolific backcourts in the country and are currently averaging a combined 8.9 assists per game.
• Both Pinson and Washington currently rank inside the top five in the WAC in assists per game as Pinson's 4.7 assist per game average is second-best in the conference and Washington's average of 4.2 assists ranks fifth.
• The two guards who both hail from Chicago, Ill., also each average double figures as Pinson leads the Aggies - scoring 12.8 points per game while Washington ranks second on the Aggies, posting 12.3 points per contest.
• Pinson and Washington are also the only two Aggies averaging more than 30 minutes of playing time under Greg Heiar this season.
 
NO WALK IN THE PARK IN THE WAC    
• For years, WAC Championships have run through Las Cruces and there appeared to be a gulf between NM State and the rest of the league, however, this season it looks as though the rest of the league has finally caught up.
• Currently, the WAC ranks 11th out of 32 Division I conferences in average NET ranking (160.4).
• Last season, the conference made a massive jump to finish with an average NET ranking of 194.0 to conclude the season ranked 15th out of 31 after finishing ranked 26th in 2020-21.
• Meanwhile, from 2018-19 to 2021-22, the WAC posted a final average NET ranking of 212.22 with a final average ranking of 20.5.
 
Year           Avg. NET        Rank
2021-22    194.00           15th
2020-21    238.56           26th
2019-20    245.11           25th
2018-19    171.22           16th
 
NM STATE ON THIS DATE  
• Across the history of the program, the Aggies
have played on the 14th of January a total of
27 times - boasting an overall record of 16-11, including a 4-0 mark in WAC play.
• Thursday will mark the Aggies' 12th-ever
home game on Jan. 14 with NM State posting a 11-1 record.
• The Aggies are currently riding a seven-game winning streak on Jan. 14 with their last loss coming in 1989.
 
SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS
• UT Arlington Head Coach Greg Young is currently in his 14th season on the Mavericks' sideline, however, Young only took over as the head man prior to the 2021-22 season.
• In his first season as the bench boss, Young led the Mavericks to an 11-18 overall record and a 7-10 record in UTA's final season in the Sun Belt Conference.
• The Mavericks' season ultimately came to a close at the hands of Louisian in the First Round of the Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Championship.
• UT Arlington does have a new look this year as its top three scorers from last season are not on this year's roster.
• The main focus for the Aggies on Thursday will be controlling the glass on the defensive end as UT Arlington averages 14.56 offensive rebounds per game to rank second in the nation in the category.
• That rebounding prowess is led by do-it-all man Shemar Wilson who paces the Mavericks in points per game (10.8), rebounds per game (8.6) field goals made (64), free throws made (65) and blocks per game (1.1).
• Kyron Gibson is the only other Maverick averaging double-figures in the scoring column as he posts 10.2 points per contest.
• This will mark the 13th meeting between UT Arlington and NM State with the Aggies holding a 12-2 advantage over the Mavericks.