HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Wins don't have to be pretty, especially in March. NM State led for nearly the entire game in its quarterfinal matchup with FIU, swelling its lead to as many as 11. However, FIU continued to get to the free-throw line and tied up the game late in the closing moments. 42 points from Molly Kaiser and Fanta Gassama were enough to eke out a win by a score of 63-58. Awaiting the Aggies is the conference's second seed; the red-hot Liberty Flames. The winner of this semifinal matchup will become the first CUSA member to make the Women's Basketball Tournament Championship Game in its inaugural season since Western Kentucky in 2015.
The Aggies are looking for their first-ever win over Liberty. The Feb. 1 matchup was the first of its kind between Liberty and NM State. The Lady Flames won by 16 at home and came back to win 60-56 in Las Cruces.
How to Follow
Who: [6] NM State (13-17, 6-10 CUSA) vs. [2] Liberty (17-15, 11-5 CUSA)
Where: VBC Propst Arena – Huntsville, AL
When: Friday, March 15, 2024 at 7:00 PM MT
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Statistics: nmstatestats.com
All-Time Series Record: Liberty leads 2-0
Last Meeting: Liberty 60 @ NM State 56 (Feb. 29, 2024)
Where the Aggies Stand
March is unforgiving. It does not care about your record, or your seeding. All that matters is which teams are playing their best and how long they can sustain it. NM State lost four straight heading into the final game of the regular season, but have now won two straight games away from home and advanced to the CUSA Tournament Semifinals in its first season as league members.
The Aggies dominated the glass at FIU last Saturday, and followed a similar script in the quarterfinals. Fanta Gassama finished 8-for-8 from the floor, tallying 20 points and 17 rebounds in what was her best game yet for the program. Elsewhere, Molly Kaiser tallied 22 points on 7-for-11 shooting to help stave off a late Panther push.
The Aggies committed 26 fouls in the win, leading to 34 FIU free throws and matching a season-high in opponent attempts at the stripe. The Panthers connected on 27 foul shots, earning nearly half of their points at the line. Ene Adams was hit the hardest from the foul trouble, earning two fouls in less than a minute of play. The senior and Honorable Mention All-CUSA selection fouled out in just five minutes, grabbing two rebounds and finishing 0-for-4 from the field.
Postseason History
The Aggies played five postseason games a year ago, finishing 3-2 and falling in the WBI Championship Game. Their two losses were by a combined three points, thanks in part to a heart-breaking buzzer-beating heave from Southern Utah in the WAC Tournament Quarterfinals.
Over the years, the Aggies have built a history of success in March. Across 18 years in the WAC, NM State won four tournament championships and amassed a 23-14 record in the WAC Tournament. The Crimson & White last made the NCAA Tournament in 2019, when they went 26-7 and 15-1 in conference play, ultimately falling to Iowa State in the Round of 64.
CUSA Award Winners
Three Aggies earned Conference USA Postseason Awards after the program's first year in the conference. Molly Kaiser averaged a team-high 14.7 points per game, leading the team in scoring 18 times. Additionally, she led the team in games played, minutes played, starts, points, field goals attempted, field goals made, free throws attempted, free throws made and free-throw percentage. For her efforts, she earned a spot on the All-CUSA First Team.
Ene Adams and Jaila Harding each ended up as Honorable Mention All-CUSA selections. Adams started all 29 games and greatly improved over the course of the 2023-24 season. In conference play, she averaged 8.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Over the course of her final 12 regular-season games, Adams averaged 9.5 points per night. On the season, she converted on a team-high 52.4% of her shots.
Jaila Harding has been one of the most dangerous regular-season 3-point shooters in the nation, boasting a 36.4% clip (second in CUSA). Among those that made 2.0-plus triples per contest, she ranked 86th in the country by percentage and was fourth in CUSA with 2.03 made long balls per game. In the regular season, she averaged 9.4 points per game (second on team), and 10.0 in CUSA games. In conference play, she made 37.1% of all shots beyond the arc.
No Comebacks Allowed
The opening moments of games can often foreshadow the result in Aggie games this season. NM State is now 13-2 when on top after 10 minutes, 13-6 when ahead at halftime and 12-3 with an advantage to start the final frame. For the entire season, the Aggies possess only six losses when leading at any point after the first quarter.
On the flip side, Jody Adams' bunch has had minimal success coming back from deficits at any quarter break this season. When trailing or tied, the Aggies are now 0-15 after the opening frame and 0-11 at halftime. Last Saturday's win at FIU was the first time NM State won a game all season when behind or tied heading into the fourth quarter. They are now 1-14 when down or even after 30 minutes.
Gassama Greatness
The Aggies made a mid-season addition to the roster, bringing in South Georgia Tech transfer Fanta Gassama. The junior forward has been exceptional of late, most recently posting 20 points and 17 rebounds in the quarterfinals win over FIU. She went 8-for-8 from the field and was a perfect 4-for-4 at the free throw line. Her 20 points and 17 rebounds were each career highs. No other player from either team had more than seven.
17 rebounds represent the most by an Aggie since Bigue Sarr grabbed as many against Chicago State on Jan. 25, 2022. This is the second straight game with a double-double for the junior from Matoro, Spain – her first coming last Saturday in a road win over the Panthers. Additionally, Gassama now holds the most made baskets without a miss by an Aggie (min. five attempts) since Adriana Henderson went 6-for-6 against Grand Canyon on Feb. 27, 2020. Gassama's career day also made her the second player in CUSA Tournament history to go perfect from the field on a minimum of eight attempts, and the first to do so since 2003.
Old Reliable
There have been two Aggies to start all 30 games this season. Every opening tip has been taken by Ene Adams, who has put forth a career year to land on the Honorable Mention All-CUSA list. The senior is sinking 51.2 percent of her shots en route to averaging 7.5 points per game in just 21.9 average minutes of action. Adams also paces the Aggies with 158 total rebounds, 64 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, earning a spot on the All-CUSA First Team. Kaiser has made more than twice as many 3-pointers this season (25) than she to last year (12), and has drastically improved her 3-point percentage to 35.7 percent (+10.1). Additionally, the Watauga, Texas native has canned 87.5 percent of her free-throw attempts to bolster her career-high 14.9 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 25th member of the 1,000-point club, and the first since Gia Pack, who played for the Aggies from 2016-2020. The senior guard is now 16 points away from 1,200 in her career.
3-Point Priority
Last season, the Aggies ranked 328th in the nation from beyond the arc, shooting just 26.1 percent. Through 29 games in the 2023-24 regular season, this jumped to 31.1 percent, while ranking 167th in the nation.
On the defensive end, NM State has been even more impressive when it comes to shots from range. The Aggies were first in CUSA, holding teams to just 28.4% from beyond the arc in the regular season. That mark ranked 47th-best in the nation. The only other CUSA school that ranked in the top 100 in 3-point percentage defense was undefeated, top-seeded MTSU.
NM State went 6-10 in CUSA play this season, finishing with the No. 6 seed. In those 10 losses, opponents averaged 6.3 made 3-pointers per contest, shooting 33.51% from range. In their six wins, however, the Aggies held opponents to just 4.8 made triples per game and opponents shot 30.2%. That held consistent in the Quarterfinals, when NM State held FIU to just three makes on 16 attempts from beyond the arc.
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. Among members with at least 2.0 made deep balls per game in the regular season, Harding paced the Aggies and was second in CUSA with a 36.4 3-point percentage. The Wichita, Kan. native ranked 86th individually by 3-point percentage and was fourth in the conference with 2.03 made threes per contest. For her efforts, Harding landed on the Honorable Mention All-CUSA list.
Scouting the Lady Flames
Liberty is led by fourth-year Head Coach Carey Green, who touts a 564-232 record in his time with the program. Green has led the program to 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, including the 2005 Sweet Sixteen.
This season, Bella Smuda has been the engine for the Lady Flames, landing her a spot on the All-CUSA First Team. The junior center has combined for 40 points, 23 rebounds, three blocks and three steals in two wins over NM State in 2023-24.
Smuda was joined by Emma Hess on the First Team. The junior guard did not score when these two teams clashed in Lynchburg, but she had a very memorable night in Las Cruces. Hess scored 24 points in the second half alone, nearly outscoring the Aggies after the break. She finished with 26 points, five rebounds and exceptional shooting splits (8-for-16 from the field, 3-for-6 on 3-pointers and 7-for-7 at the free-throw line).
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