CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Following a successful week at home that saw the Aggies win games over Western New Mexico and Utah Valley by a combined 66 points, NM State heads on the road for the APSU Christmas Tournament. The two-day event held in Clarksville, Tennessee spans from Dec. 20 to Dec. 21, and will feature host Austin Peay, Troy, Stephen F. Austin and NM State. 

LAST TIME OUT | NM State 70 Utah Valley 39 | 12.16.23

• Junior guard Jaila Harding led the Aggies with 17 points – including four made 3-pointers – in a wire-to-wire win over former WAC foe Utah Valley. This is Harding's third game in double figures this season, and first since posting a career-high 22 points (six made 3-pointers) against Hampton on Nov. 24.

• Behind a staunch defense that forced 23 turnovers and a season-high 11 steals, NM State held the Wolverines to 28% shooting from the field and just 3-24 (12.5%) from 3-point range, the lowest of any Aggie opponents this season.  

• Lucía Yenes posted her second straight game with double-digit points, scoring all 11 in the second half and adding in a pair of rebounds. In three games with 15+ minutes played, the sophomore from Madrid has averaged 14.6 points and 4.3 rebounds. 

• Sylena Peterson dropped a career-high seven assists in just 22 minutes against Utah Valley, adding in eight points, five rebounds and three steals. 

KAISER'S KOURT

Molly Kaiser became the first Aggie basketball player to win CUSA Player of the Week after leading NM State to a pair of dominant home wins against Western New Mexico and Utah Valley. Kaiser, a native of Watauga, Texas, garnered the Aggies' first weekly award of the season after averaging 16.5 points per game while shooting 61.9% from the field in addition to going a perfect 5-5 from the charity stripe. 

Kaiser becomes the first Aggie to garner a weekly conference award since Soufia Inoussa collected WAC Player of the Week honors on Jan. 30, 2023. 

A DEFENSIVE MINDSET

Head Coach Jody Adams has led her squad with a commitment to the defensive side of the ball. Posting the top scoring-defense in CUSA (54.3 points per game), the Crimson & White also lead the conference in opponent 3-point percentage (.235) and opponent rebounds (31.4 rebounds per game), while holding opponents to the second-lowest field goal percentage (.372). 

Nationally the Aggies' scoring defense ranks 33rd in the nation, while their 3-point defense is 20th. Twice this season NM State has held opponents to less than 40 points, and on three occasions the opposing team has failed to shoot greater than 20% from beyond the arc. 

F.A.M.I.L.Y.

Forget About Me, I Love You. Working together to achieve something greater, NM State has found a balance between the first and second units, forming one of the most efficient bench squads in the nation. Averaging 25.1 points per game off the bench, NM State ranks 69th in the nation in bench scoring. Jaila Harding leads the way with 9.7 points per contest, Sylena Peterson adds in 6.7 points per game, and Lucía Yenes has come into her own as of late, averaging 11.3 points over the last four games. 

30-30 

Last week, NM State won both of its games by more than 30 points. That marked the program's first back-to-back 30-plus point wins since 2021, against Tarleton (67-44) and Chicago State (73-40) on Feb. 27 and March 5 respectively.

During the dominant two-game stretch, the Aggies shot 53.2% from the field while holding their opponents to 34.3% shooting. NM State also shared the ball at a rate that was more than twice the average of its opponent – averaging 15.5 assists per game to the opponent's 7.0 assists per game.

This also led to a balanced showing in the scorebook as five different Aggies averaged double figures last week. Molly Kaiser led the way with 16.5 points per game while Jaila Harding (12.0), Lucia Yenes (12.0), Ene Adams (11.5) and Femme Sikuzani Masudi (10.0) each also tallied 20 or more total points against the Mustangs and Wolverines.

WINNING WAYS

Since arriving in the City of Crosses, Head Coach Jody Adams has led the Aggies to a 24-21 record including 13 wins away from the Pan American Center. Last season's 18-17 mark was program's first winning season since the 2018-19 campaign.

In the early goings of this season, the Aggies are just 1-2 on the road, however, they will have a chance to earn road wins numbers two and three when they take on Austin Peay and Troy this week.

FREE THROWS, FREE POINTS

Molly Kaiser leads the Aggies in a multitude of categories, including points per game (14.7). This is bolstered by her ability to convert at the charity stripe. Thus far, Kaiser ranks third among Aggies in free throw attempts, however is tops in free throws made as she maintains a free-throw percentage of 91.3% as she has converted 21 of her 23 attempts. 

SCOUTING THE GOVERNORS

The Aggies will start their two-day stay in Clarksville with a bout versus host Austin Peay who enters Wednesday with a 5-6 overall record, including going 2-3 at home. The Govs are led by Brittany Young who is in the third year of her first head coaching assignment. In two-plus seasons, Young has led Austin Peay to a 42-31 recording, including helping them to 20 wins in her first season at the helm to mark the first 20-win season for the program since the 2003-04 season.

On the court, the Govs are led by center Shamarre Hale who averages a team-best 12.8 points per game on 60.5% shooting while also leading the team in rebounds by hauling in 6.5 boards per game. Guard Sandra Lin will control the Austin Peay offense as she averages 4.7 assists per game. Lin's total of 52 assists is also good for 56th at the Division I level.

As a team, Austin Peay has been efficient from the field – posting a combined shooting percentage of 47.0 to rank 34th in the nation. This is also a reflection of the style of offense that Austin Peay will look to run as they rank 312th in the nation in 3-point attempts per game.

SCOUTING THE TROJANS

Following Wednesday's meeting with the Governors, NM State will meetup with Troy which will enter the week with just one win to their name to hold a 1-7 record on the season. This also includes an 0-4 mark away from home. The Thursday tilt will mark the Trojans' first neutral site game.

Long-standing Troy head coach Chanda Rigby is in her 12th year at the helm of the Trojans and has led her squads to 20 or more wins in seven of her first 11 seasons with the program.

Individually, Troy is led by Makayia Hallmon who is one of four Trojans to average double figures this season. Hallmon's 14.4 points per game leads the way while Nia Daniel, Ja'Mia Hollings and Tai'Sheka Porchia average 12.0 points, 11.4 points and 10.9 points, respectfully.

Defensively, Troy has struggled to slow down opposing offenses as it ranks 343rd out of 348 schools in scoring defense by way of giving up 84.1 points per game. This is partially due to toughness of schedule as they have already faced off with three Power Five programs, including Jody Adams' alma mater Tennessee who was ranked No. 15 in the nation at the time they collided.

 

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