MIAMI – NM State's 2024 Women's Basketball regular season is coming to a close. While NM State has fallen in four straight games, the Aggies could still climb the CUSA leaderboard with a much-needed win. The Crimson & White played their first-ever CUSA home game against FIU over eight weeks ago, falling 57-52. Now, the former Sun Belt foes will swap venues, meeting in Miami for FIU's Senior Day and both sides' final regular-season bout. The Panthers (20-9, 11-4), drummed UTEP at home on Thursday by a score of 88-62, increasing their chances of clinching the league's No. 2 seed. NM State (11-17, 5-10) is aiming to snap its losing skid and head into the CUSA Tournament with momentum and a higher seed.
How to Follow
Who: NM State (11-17, 5-10 CUSA) at FIU (20-9, 11-4 CUSA)
Where: Ocean Bank Convocation Center – Miami, FL
When: Saturday, March 9, 2024 at 11:00 AM MT
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Statistics: nmstatestats.com
All-Time Series Record: FIU leads 8-0
Last Meeting: FIU 57 @ NM State 52 (Jan. 11, 2024)
Where the Aggies Stand
Last time out, NM State fell at home to Jax State on Senior Day. The Aggies failed to win a quarter, largely due to their continued shooting woes. Molly Kaiser poured in 17 points, but the team mustered up just 51. The home squad missed 22 field goals in the second half as part of a 36.4% showing from the field. The Aggies have now shot below 40% from the floor 10 times in 15 conference games, and have eclipsed 45% in just 3 of their last 18 contests.
Simply put, the scenarios are nearly endless for NM State's final CUSA seed. With a loss, the Aggies would fall to 5-11, securing the No. 8 seed, having to play an extra game versus Sam Houston on Tuesday, March 12. With a win, NM State could potentially move as high as the No. 6 seed. WKU falling to Liberty would greatly aid the Aggies, likely setting up a three-way tie alongside the Hilltoppers and Miners at 6-10. With that outcome, NM State would hold the best record in the round robin between the three, clinching the top seed among the group (No. 6).
No Comebacks Allowed
The opening moments of games can often foreshadow the result in Aggie games this season. NM State is now 11-2 when on top after 10 minutes, 11-6 when ahead at halftime, and 11-3 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 yet to come back from a single deficit at any quarter break this season. When trailing or tied, the Aggies are now 0-15 after the opening frame, 0-11 at halftime and 0-14 when down or even at the start of the fourth quarter.
Home Sweet Home
The Conference USA schedule has included 68 games through March 7, 2024. Road teams now have a 25-43 record in those games. The conference's top two seeds (Middle Tennessee and FIU) are a combined 13-3 away from home, with one loss being FIU at Middle Tennessee. The league's other seven teams have combined for just 12 road wins in 52 tries. Sam Houston, the league's last-place team, is 2-6 in CUSA home games as part of a 7-20 overall record.
Excluding home games against MTSU, FIU and road games with Sam Houston, CUSA is collectively 6-38 in 44 contests away from home. NM State has one of those six wins; a 50-44 defensive shutdown of Western Kentucky on Jan. 18. In games outside the Pan American Center, NM State is 4-11, with a 2-10 road record and wins in two of three neutral games.
Old Reliable
There have been two Aggies to start all 28 games this season. Every opening tip has been taken by Ene Adams, who has put forth a career year. The senior is sinking 52.2 percent of her shots en route to averaging 7.8 points per game in just 22.5 average minutes of action. Adams also paces the Aggies with 148 total rebounds, 58 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 twice as many 3-pointers this season (24) than last (12), and has drastically improved her 3-point percentage to 36.5 percent (+10.9). Additionally, the Watauga, Texas native has canned 87.3 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 25th 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 328th in the nation from beyond the arc, shooting just 26.1 percent. Through 28 games in the 2023-24 season, this has jumped to 31.6 percent, while ranking 145th in the nation.
Among members with at least 2.0 made deep balls per game, Harding paces the Aggies and is second in CUSA with a 36.9 3-point percentage. The Wichita, Kan. native ranks 78th individually by 3-point percentage and is fourth in the conference with 2.07 made threes per contest.
Scouting the Panthers
FIU is led by fourth-year Head Coach Jesyka Burks-Wiley, who touts a 64-57 record in her time with the program. Mya Kone is the team's leading scorer, pouring in 11.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per night. Courtney Prenger is the only Panther to start 28 games this season, ranking third in points per game (9.0), adding 103 rebounds and 28 assists on the campaign. The Panthers were led by Tanajah Hayes in Las Cruces, who contributed 18 points, three assists and a pair of 3-pointers. Hayes is averaging 10.5 points per game this season, but has improved that number to 14.5 across her past eight games.
Maria Torres added 16 points (8-for-11 field goals), 6 rebounds and three steals in FIU's win at NM State. The Spanish forward went down with a leg injury on Feb. 15 versus Sam Houston and has not played since. The Panthers, however, have found ways to win despite Torres' absence. In FIU's game on Thursday, the home team soundly defeated UTEP 88-62. The Miners took a 9-0 lead early, but FIU dropped the hammer, scoring 50 points in the next 16 minutes and 11 seconds. 32 second-quarter points put them ahead 50-27 at the break, and the Panthers never looked back.
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