LAS CRUCES, N.M. - NM State opened up the Women's Basketball season on Sunday, winning their lone exhibition of 2023-24. The Aggies welcomed Eastern New Mexico for the afternoon showdown at the Pan American Center. On the back of 27 points from Molly Kaiser, NM State came out on top, winning 77-55.
The Aggies got out to a slow start, but found their groove late in the first quarter. Fama Thiam hit both of her three-pointers in the opening period, as part of a big run to tie things up at 19-19. As the buzzer sounded at the end of the quarter, Molly Kaiser was fouled on a three-point attempt. Blake Huber, Eastern NM's head coach, was called for a technical foul in the following moments. Kaiser headed to the free throw line to take five shots, where she made them all, capping off the quarter 24-19.
Eastern NM would not lead for the remainder of the afternoon. Kaiser continued to pour it on, putting up a would-be career-high-tying 27 points in the win. The senior guard was efficient from everywhere on the floor, hitting eight of her 13 field goals, knocking down two of three from beyond the arc, and going perfect from the line in nine attempts. Kaiser dished out three assists, added a steal and drew seven fouls, proving her experience to be valuable.
Forward Sabou Gueye poured in 12 points and four rebounds of her own. While the junior was 0-for-2 from the three point line, she did not miss on her six shots inside the arc. Joining Gueye on the list of three Aggies to pass double-digit points was Fama Thiam. Her previously mentioned pair of three-pointers boosted her to 12 points, as she also grabbed five rebounds.
The Aggies rode a hot fourth quarter to the 22-point win at home. The team shot 8-11 from the field in the final ten minutes, while the Greyhounds shot just 3-19. NM State finished with a field goal percentage of 52.7, and hit 13 of 15 free throws.
Head Coach Jody Adams on the win: "I saw a very competitive team in Eastern New Mexico, and I think it was a great challenge for us because of the way they played. They were smaller, they had five guards and it made our bigs play at different speeds. It challenged us in some ways to settle into an offense and really be deliberate about screening and executing.
Jody Adams, on Molly Kaiser's performance: "I love that you have someone that steps up and does what she does. She works really hard on her game in the summer, and she's a three-level player. I love that we have kids like that. It brings a sense of confidence. Why wouldn't you trust a young lady that's been in the gym that much? She works every day, and she brings it every day. I think it's really important that the six returners are consistent with their approach to practice. Practice is where a lot of strides are made for us, and it's where confidence is made for each other."
Jody Adams, on improvements before the season-opener vs. Arizona: "We could take better care of the ball. We were making the right looks, but we were maybe just a little bit late on it. I'm going to give credit to Eastern NM, because they were up underneath us and right on us. We had some nice breakaways and plays at the rim that we need to settle in and complete. It's something that we do every day in practice and need to continue to work on."
Up Next
NM State is gearing up for one of the biggest season-openers in program history, as they take on Arizona from the Pan American Center. The Wildcats were runners-up in 2021, falling to Stanford in the National Championship Game. The Aggies will host Adia Barnes' squad on Monday, Nov. 6 at 6:00 PM MT.
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