BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -  NM State Women's Basketball played its first-ever CUSA game 12 days ago. In that span, the Aggies have only played one additional game, coming a week ago against FIU at home. Now, across a 46-hour span, the squad will tip off twice away from the Pan American Center for a crucial stretch against some of the league's best. Before taking on Middle Tennessee on Saturday, NM State must first head to the Bluegrass State to take on Western Kentucky. The Lady Hilltoppers enter the contest as one of just three undefeated conference members at 3-0 and 12-6 overall. NM State has dropped five in a row to fall to 6-9, 0-2 and is looking for its first-ever CUSA win. 
 
How to Follow
Who: NM State (6-9, 0-2) at Western Kentucky (12-6, 3-0)
Where: E.A. Diddle Arena – Bowling Green, KY
When: Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024 at 5:30 PM MT
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Statistics: NM State StatBroadcast
All-Time Series Record: WKU leads 6-1
Last Meeting: NM State 64 at WKU 83 (January 27, 2005)
 
Where the Aggies Stand
Following a four-game road trip, NM State returned home for its first-ever CUSA game in the Pan American Center. The Aggies welcomed a formidable FIU squad who entered at 10-5 and 1-0 in conference play. While the defense was strong for the home team, holding the Panthers to just 57 points, an 8-0 FIU run to open the fourth quarter proved costly. NM State sank just one 3-pointer in the first 39 minutes of action en route to posting just 52 points, falling short in its CUSA home debut. 
 
A bright spot for the Aggies' early CUSA era has been the emergence of Jaila Harding. The junior transfer guard kept her side in the fight against UTEP when she sank five 3-pointers and posted 22 points. While that number fell to 10 in the most recent outing against FIU, Harding drained the team's only two deep balls and was the lone member in double digits as the Aggies' offense put up 52 points. In total, Harding has canned seven of 18 3-point attempts in conference play and has brought her percentage from beyond the arc up to 36.1.
 
Old Reliable
There have been two Aggies to start all 15 games this season. Every opening tip has been taken by Ene Adams, who has put forth a career year. The senior is sinking 51.3 percent of her shots en route to averaging 6.7 points per game in just 21.8 average minutes of action. Adams also paces the Aggies in total rebounds (79) and rebounds per game (5.3). Molly Kaiser has been the other senior in every starting five of 2023-24. The fourth-year Aggie has improved in nearly every offensive statistic from a year prior. Kaiser has already made more 3-pointers this season (16) than last (12), and has nearly doubled her 3-point percentage (47.1). Additionally, the Watauga, Texas native has canned 83.9 percent of her free-throw attempts to bolster her career-high 14.9 points per game. 
 
Scouting the Lady Toppers
WKU is led by sixth-year Head Coach Greg Collins. In his time in Bowling Green, he has posted a 98-70 record and led the program to a second-place finish in last year's CUSA regular-season standings. The team would advance to the CUSA Tournament Championship Game, where they fell to MTSU. The Lady Toppers later earned a bid in the WNIT, falling to Kansas.
 
WKU began its season 6-2 with its only losses coming to Power Five programs (Vanderbilt and No. 15 Kansas State). The Lady Toppers fell short in their next three contests and four of their next six, marked by three losses to non-Power Five programs. However, WKU has won four in row and are out to a perfect 3-0 start in CUSA play. The Aggies will be attempting to upend one of just two CUSA members to start 3-0 this season (FIU).
 
Acacia Hayes is the engine of WKU's system, leading the team in points per game (16.7), free throw attempts (77) and percentage (85.7). The Murfreesboro, Tenn. native, was named to the Preseason All-CUSA Team back in October. After an impressive three-game span in which she dropped 62 points and hit 19 of 22 free throws, Hayes was named CUSA's Player of the Week on Dec. 26, 2023. 
 
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