HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS – The fast-approaching finale of the 2023-24 regular season is a signal received by teams and coaches across the country. NM State has just five games remaining ahead of the CUSA Women's Basketball Tournament, beginning with a pair of road contests at Sam Houston and LA Tech. Before taking on the Lady Techsters on Saturday, the Aggies must first visit an old WAC foe - the Bearkats of Huntsville, Texas – on Thursday. Sam Houston has struggled to the tone of 6-17 this season, including a 1-10 CUSA record. NM State (11-13) has eyes on its second road win of the CUSA slate to improve to 6-6 in league play. 
 
How to Follow
Who: NM State (11-13, 5-6 CUSA) at Sam Houston (6-17, 1-10 CUSA)
Where: Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum – Huntsville, TX
When: Saturday, Feb. 22, 2024 at 5:30 PM MT
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Statistics: nmstatestats.com
All-Time Series Record: NM State leads 4-1
Last Meeting: Sam Houston 63 @ NM State 76 (Jan. 25, 2024)
 
Where the Aggies Stand
On Saturday, the Crimson & White collected their first ever regular-season sweep of a CUSA opponent by taking down Western Kentucky for a second time in less than a month. Four Aggies accounted for over 90% of the home team's points (58 of 64). Kaiser, Adams, Jones and Harding all recorded 12 or more points in what was a one of the biggest wins of the season to that point for Jody Adams' squad. The quartet nearly outscored WKU as a whole, scoring 58 to WKU's 61. 
 
With the win, the Aggies improved to 5-6 in CUSA play and maintained their position in fifth place. With the visitors' loss, NM State drew closer to jumping the Hilltoppers, and earned the season tiebreaker over WKU, should the two sides finish with the same CUSA record. 
 
No Comebacks Allowed
NM State led after each quarter, as they have in all 11 wins this year. NM State is 11-0 when leading after the first quarter, 11-4 when ahead at halftime, and 11-2 with an advantage to start the final frame. The Aggies have yet to win a game in which they trailed after a single quarter, and have only a few losses when leading at any point. 
 
Home Sweet Home
The Conference USA schedule has included 50 games through Feb. 21, 2024. Road teams now have a 17-33 record in those games. The conference's top two seeds (Middle Tennessee and FIU) are a combined 10-1 away from home, with the one loss being FIU at Middle Tennessee. The league's other seven teams have combined for just seven road wins in 39 tries. Sam Houston, the league's last-place team, is 1-4 in CUSA home games as part of a 6-17 overall record. 
 
Excluding home games against MTSU, FIU and road games with Sam Houston, CUSA is collectively 3-31 in 34 road games. NM State has one of those three wins; a 50-44 defensive shutdown of Western Kentucky on Jan. 18. In games outside the Pan American Center, NM State is 4-9, with a 2-8 road record and wins in two of three neutral games. 
 
Old Reliable
There have been two Aggies to start all 24 games this season. Every opening tip has been taken by Ene Adams, who has put forth a career year. The senior is sinking 51.2 percent of her shots en route to averaging 7.4 points per game in just 21.9 average minutes of action. Adams also paces the Aggies in total rebounds with 123, 47 of which have come on the offensive end. 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 (20) than last (12), and has drastically improved her 3-point percentage to 35.7 percent (+10.2). Additionally, the Watauga, Texas native has canned 86.4 percent of her free-throw attempts to bolster her career-high 14.5 points per game. 
 
1K MK
With 1:12 remaining in the third quarter at Middle Tennessee on Jan. 20, 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 play held extra significance as it gave Kaiser 1,000 career points, with every bucket coming as a member of the Crimson & White.
 
Kaiser became the 25^th member of the 1,000-point 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 328^th in the nation from beyond the arc, shooting just 26.1 percent. Through 23 games in the 2023-24 season, this has jumped to 32.2 percent, while ranking 123rd in the nation.
 
Among members with at least 2.0 made deep balls per game, Harding paces the Aggies and is first in CUSA with a 37.7 3-point percentage. The Wichita, Kan. native ranks 76^th individually by 3-point percentage and is fourth in the conference with 2.17 made threes per contest.
  
Scouting the Bearkats
Sam Houston is led by sixth-year Head Coach Ravon Justice, who touts an 84-81 record in her time with the program. The team's leading scorer is Sydnee Kemp; a guard who averages 10.9 points per contest. She also paces the Bearkats in 3-point percentage (34.2) and assists per game (1.8). Raanee Smith is the go-to interior presence for Sam Houston, leading the team in field goal percentage (44.9), rebounds (9.1) and blocks per game (1.8). Last time out against NM State, the duo of Smith and Kemp combined for 17 points, eight rebounds, two steals and eight free throws made on 12 attempts. 
 
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