EL PASO, Texas - The Aggies and Miners have clashed on the hardwood 96 times since the programs first met back in 1974. While that history is rich and deep, the rivalry will rise to new heights a half century later. The stakes are raised as old I-10 foes meet once again on Saturday; but as conference opponents for the first time. NM State is opening a new chapter by playing its first Conference USA game after joining the league in July 2023. UTEP has won the last eight meetings, but enter with a 5-8 mark in 2023-24. The Aggies come into the contest with a 6-7 record, with their eyes on a win in their first-ever CUSA game.
How to Follow
Who: NM State (6-7, 0-0 CUSA) at UTEP (5-8, 0-0 CUSA)
Where: Don Haskins Center - El Paso, Texas
When: Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 at 2:00 PM MT
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Statistics: NM State StatBroadcast
All-Time Series Record: NM State leads 54-42
Last Meeting: UTEP 57 @ NM State 52 (Dec. 13, 2022)
Where the Aggies Stand
NM State has played three straight games away from home, and will finish its road trip against UTEP. The Aggies have yet to win a game on the trip, but have suffered two narrow defeats. On Dec. 20, the Austin Peay Governors came back in the fourth quarter to force overtime, where they hit a game-winning floater as the buzzer sounded. Nine days later, UT Arlington overcame a four-point fourth-quarter deficit to squeak out a 61-60 win at home.
With the loss, NM State narrowly missed out on what would have been its first winning season in non-conference action since 2018-19, when NM State went 11-6 before winning the WAC Tournament Championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. However, with six wins thus far, Jody Adams has already secured more non-conference wins in her first two seasons (14) than the previous three campaigns combined (11).
Old Reliable
There have been two Aggies to start all 13 games this season. Every opening tip has been taken by Ene Adams, who has put forth a career year. The senior is sinking 50.8 percent of her shots en route to averaging 6.5 points per game in just 22.3 average minutes of action. Adams also paces the Aggies in total rebounds (68) and rebounds per game (5.2). 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 (15) than last (12), and has more than doubled her 3-point percentage (53.6). Additionally, the Watauga, Texas native has canned 88.1 percent of her free-throw attempts to bolster her career-high 15.4 points per game.
Head Coach Jody Adams, on the excitement of CUSA and its impact on the program: "I'm excited about heading into CUSA. There are multiple programs within the conference that have had consistency with leadership, overall support of their team and have built very competitive programs that have ranked as some of the top in the country. When building a winning program, as we are doing, it takes consistency of obtaining small wins and taking lessons that you hope become blessings while building. We are so blessed to have unwavering support here at NMSU to help truly set the culture that we are building. We are excited to play these programs in CUSA that have been built and sustained winning throughout many years. I believe we can do all things when we have Big Belief."
The Adams Family
Jody Adams spent nine years at Wichita State, amassing a 170-121 record (.584). After departing WSU in 2017, the Shockers named Keitha Adams their next head coach. The latter Adams spent six seasons in Wichita before returning to El Paso in the 2023 offseason. The two coaches will now meet in a head-to-head competition as both teams look to start their respective conference seasons off with a win.
Scouting the Miners
UTEP is led by Head Coach Keitha Adams, in her 17th season with the program. After 16 successful seasons with UTEP, Adams left for Wichita State, where she coached for six seasons. Adams went 80-93 with the Shockers before returning home to the Borderland. Keitha, the winningest coach in UTEP program history, has led the Miners to two NCAA Tournament appearances, three regular-season championships and a conference tournament championship.
The bulk of the Miners' production comes from Jane Asinde, who leads the team in points (15.6), rebounds (8.7) and steals (1.6) per game. The graduate transfer spent two years at Grayson College before transferring for another two at Wichita State. The forward followed Keitha Adams to El Paso for her fifth year, where she has started all 13 games and is second on the team with 28.5 points per game.
The only other Miner to average double-digit points is Erin Wilson. The guard is posting 13.3 points per outing, and is the lone member with 50-plus offensive rebounds (54) and defensive rebounds (58). The senior therefore leads the team in total rebounds (112), as well as minutes per game (31.3).
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