LAS CRUCES, N.M. - After a five-game losing skid, the Aggies have won two of three and seemed to have found their stride. In the past eight days, NM State (8-10, 2-3) has picked up its first two Conference USA wins in program history; one on the road and one at home. In the three-game span, the lone loss came in the toughest game of the conference regular-season slate; at Middle Tennessee (15-4, 5-0).
In the meantime, NM State stifled Western Kentucky, holding the Lady Hilltoppers to just 44 points on their home floor. Exactly one week later, the Bearkats of Sam Houston rolled into Las Cruces, ultimately facing a similar fate. The visitors were awarded an opponent season high 34 free throws and put up a 10-0 run to end the game, but still shot just 17-for-56 from the floor, leading to a healthy 13-point win for the Aggies. NM State now turns its attention to a bout with another 2-3 CUSA team, welcoming LA Tech to the Pan American Center for a Saturday afternoon clash.
How to Follow
Who: LA Tech (8-12, 2-3 CUSA) at NM State (8-10, 2-3 CUSA)
Where: Pan American Center - Las Cruces, NM
When: Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024 at 12:00 PM MT
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Statistics: NM State StatBroadcast
All-Time Series Record: LA Tech leads 14-3
Last Meeting: NM State 66 at LA Tech 55 (Mar. 7, 2013)
Where the Aggies Stand
NM State is heading into the second stint of its first two-home game weekend of the CUSA season. On Thursday, the Aggies comfortably took down Sam Houston in the Pan American Center by a final score of 76-63. The final score is somewhat misleading, as the game was well in hand for the Aggies for the majority of the second half. The lead for the home team swelled to as many as 25 in the fourth quarter, but the Bearkats finished the game on a 10-0 run, cutting the final margin to a more respectable 13.
Four Aggies poured in double-digit points in the win for the first time since taking down Utah Valley on the same floor on Dec. 16. That matchup, entering Thursday, was also the last time NM State did not trail for the entire 40 minutes of action. That seven-game streak was snapped Thursday as the Aggies earned a wire-to-wire victory, leading for the final 34 minutes and 31 seconds.
NM State and LA Tech represent half of the four-team tie for fourth place in CUSA. Joining the Aggies and Lady Techsters are UTEP and Liberty, each facing Saturday home games with a chance of improving to 3-3 in conference play.
Old Reliable
There have been two Aggies to start all 18 games this season. Every opening tip has been taken by Ene Adams, who has put forth a career year. The senior is sinking 52.3 percent of her shots en route to averaging 6.7 points per game in just 21.1 average minutes of action. Adams also paces the Aggies in total rebounds with 86. 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 (18) than last (12), and has nearly doubled her 3-point percentage (41.9). Additionally, the Watauga, Texas native has canned 84.1 percent of her free-throw attempts to bolster her career-high 14.7 points per game.
1K Kaiser
With 1:12 remaining in the third quarter against Middle Tennessee, Watauga, Texas native Molly Kaiser employed one of her patented moves – driving down the left side of the lane before pulling up for an elbow jumper – burying the shot to give her six points in the quarter. The basket held extra significance as it gave Kaiser 1,000 career points, with every one coming as a member of the Crimson & White.
Kaiser becomes the 25th member of the 1,000 club, and the first since Gia Pack, who played for the Aggies from 2016-2020.
Jaila's Jumpers
Transferring in from Butler CC in El Dorado, Kansas, junior guard Jaila Harding has been a spark on offense for the Crimson & White, especially from the 3-point line. Last season, the Aggies ranked 328th in the nation from beyond the arc, shooting just 26.1 percent. Through 18 games in the 2023-24 season, this has jumped to 33.2 percent, while ranking 98th in the nation.
Individually, Harding paces both the Aggies and CUSA in 3-point percentage, converting at a 37.1 percent clip and making 2.1 triples per game. Across the nation, the Wichita, Kansas native ranks 89th individually by 3-point percentage.
Sabou's Swipes
Junior guard Sabou Gueye has seen massive improvement through her second season with NMState, taking significant leaps in minutes per game (+13.6), free-throw percentage (+25.5), rebounds per game (+2.3), and points per game (+5.0).
The Senegal native's most impactful improvement has come on the defensive end. Totaling 16 steals in 34 games during the 2022-23 campaign, Gueye has already posted 34 steals in just 17 contests, good for 2.0 steals a game. This ranks second in the conference and 120th nationally.
Scouting the Lady Techsters
LA Tech is led by eighth-year Head Coach Brooke Stoehr, boasting a 128-104 record with the program. In her time in Ruston, she led the team to the 2022 CUSA Tournament Championship Game, falling to UAB. The Lady Techsters are out to an 8-12 start, and are coming off a 61-57 win at UTEP on Thursday.
Anna Larr Roberson is the focal point of the LA Tech offense, pacing her team in points (12.6) and rebounds (5.7) per game. At 6-foot-3, Roberson brings a predictably high field goal percentage (53.0), but also leads the team sinking 82.9 percent of her free throws. The Ruston, La. native is in her fifth season with LA Tech and was selected to the All-CUSA Preseason Team in October.
For complete coverage of NM State Women's Basketball, follow us on Twitter (@NMStateWBB), Instagram (@NMStateWBB) and like us on Facebook (NM State Women's Basketball). You can also follow along with Aggie Women's Basketball via NMStateSports.com.
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