LAS CRUCES, N.M. – NM State continues its homestand from the Pan American Center on Saturday, Jan. 17, as the Aggies take on Missouri State. The Lady Bears are one of two newcomers to CUSA in the 2025-26 campaign (Delaware), and one of just four league opponents the Crimson & White will play just one time this season (WKU, MTSU, FIU).
 
Tip-off in Las Cruces is set for Noon MT, with the game streaming live on ESPN+, with live stats available here.
 
The Aggies hold a 1-0 all-time series lead, with the squads last playing on Dec. 14, 1986, an 81-66 win for NM State over the program then known as Southwest Missouri State.
 
OPENING TIP
 
Who: NM State (6-11, 2-3 CUSA) vs. Missouri State (12-5, 4-0 CUSA)
Where: Pan American Center (12,200) | Las Cruces, N.M.
When: Saturday, Jan. 17, Noon MT
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Stats: nmstatesports.com/stats
 
LAST TIME OUT

• The Aggies fell against FIU 83-74, snapping a four-game winning streak over the Lady Panthers.
• Lucía Yenes recorded 19 points to lead the team, tying a career-best with three blocks.
• Freshman guard Keira Hudson and junior guard Emma Christiano rounded out the Aggies in double-digits, with each notching 10 points.
• NM State tallied a new season high in personal fouls, racking up 32 while leading to 34 free-throw attempts for FIU.
• Making 15 free throws of their own, the Aggies tallied a new season-high against Division I competition.

 
LUCIA LA REINA

• Senior forward Lucía Yenes showed out in the Aggies' season-opening contest against No. 18 USC (Nov. 4), tallying her first collegiate start en route to a career-high 27 points.
• Her point production was the most by an Aggie against power conference competition since NM State Hall of Famer and three-time All-American Anita Maxwell tallied 27 against No. 20 Ole Miss in 1996.
• Tallying back-to-back 20-plus point scoring performances to open the season, Yenes became the first Aggie to do so since Aaliyah Prince in the 2019-20 campaign.
• Against UC Irvine, the senior forward notched her third 20-point performance of the season, tallying 22 against the Anteaters.
• In an overtime victory against Delaware (Jan. 4), Yenes recorded a new career high with 10 rebounds, adding 10 points for her first collegiate double-double.
• Finishing with 26 points against WKU (Jan. 8), Yenes notched her fourth game with 20 or more points, doing so on 12-for-15 shooting (80%).
• On Jan. 10, against MTSU, a trip to the free-throw line secured 500 career points for Yenes, with 229 coming in 2025-26 alone.
• This season, she holds the eighth-highest single-game scoring output in CUSA, while ranking eighth in the league in scoring (14.6 points per game). The Spaniard leads the league in field goals made (99), ranks third in total points (229) and fifth in the conference in field-goal percentage (46.5).
• With a team-high 17 blocks on the season, Yenes is seventh in the conference in blocks per game (1.0), making her one of just seven players in Conference USA to reach that mark.

 
IMANI'S IMPACT

• Imani Warren has tallied a breakout season for the Crimson & White, setting a new career-high with 29 points against CUSA foe Liberty (Jan. 2) – the fifth-highest scoring output by a player in CUSA this season.
• This is the most by an Aggie since Molly Kaiser tallied 35 against LA Tech in the 2024-25 campaign.  
• Her 12 field goals made in the meeting with the Lady Flames are a career best. Three 3-pointers made also marked a personal best for the Milwaukee, Wis., native.
• Against Utah Tech, Warren put in the go-ahead basket to secure the victory, finishing with 13 points and four rebounds to give the Aggies their first road win of the year.
• Her three blocks against Fresno State (Nov. 28) were the most by an Aggie this season, later tying this mark against Western Kentucky (Jan. 8).
• In the matchup against the Bulldogs, she also tied a team high with six assists, matching a mark she previously set against New Mexico Highlands.
• Against New Mexico Highlands (Nov. 11), the junior guard posted her first career double-double (15 points, 11 rebounds).
• Against Eastern New Mexico (Dec. 29), Warren finished with eight made free throws – the most by an Aggie in a single game this season.
• Warren currently leads the Aggies in steals (2.2 per game; 12^th in CUSA) and free throws made (43; 11^th in CUSA). She also ranks second on the team in made field goals (79; 9^th in CUSA), scoring (12.2 points per game; 15^th in CUSA), blocks (13; 15^th in CUSA) and assists (2.5; 15^th in CUSA). She is also third on the team in both total rebounds (67) and rebounds per game (3.9).

 
WE WANT SOME MO

• Junior forward Morane Dossou recorded a dominant performance against Saint Mary's (Dec. 20), tallying 15 points (7-of-8 from the floor) while pulling down 17 rebounds, earning Conference USA Player of the Week honors.
• The Charleville-Mézières, France, native became the first Aggie to earn a conference player of the week award since Molly Kaiser on Mar. 9, 2025.
• In a thrilling overtime win over Delaware (Jan. 4), Dossou notched her second double-double with the Aggies, posting 11 points and 12 rebounds.
• Dossou is one of just four players in the conference to tally 17 or more rebounds in a game this season, ranking ninth in Conference USA with 7.9 total rebounds per contest, and fifth in defensive rebounds per game (5.9).
• Across the nation, she ranks 119^th in rebounds per contest.
• Earning her first start with the Crimson & White against Southern Utah (Dec. 4), Dossou would finish with double-digit rebounds, pulling down 11 in just over 16 minutes of action.
• Following a 12-rebound game against Delaware (Jan. 4), the junior from France holds six of the nine 10-plus rebound performances for NM State this season, with Lucia Lara (Nov. 11), Imani Warren (Nov. 11) and Lucía Yenes (Jan. 4) recording the others.

 
WHAT'S YOURS IS OURS

• Heading into Thursday's contest, NM State ranks 60^th in Division I in steals per game (10.5).
• Against Delaware (Jan. 4), the Aggies tallied 16 swipes, the most against Division I competition in a single game this season and tied for the second-most overall (ENMU, 17). Recording at least nine steals in each of the past ten games, this includes eight contests with 10 or more swipes.
• Imani Warren leads the team with 2.2 steals per contest, good for 11th in Conference USA and 127^th nationally. Lucía Yenes (1.6 steals per game, 17^th) and Emma Christiano (20^th, 1.5) also rank among the conference's best.
• The Aggies also rank 76^th in the nation in turnovers forced per game (19.4).
• Forcing 29 turnovers against ENMU (Dec. 29), this became the most in a single game for the Crimson & White since Jan. 16, 2025, against FIU (30).

 
HEATING UP

• Posting six 3-pointers made against Liberty on Jan. 2, the team tied a season-high in makes from deep for the third time this season (Dec. 4, Dec. 20).
• In the Aggies' first five contests of the season, the squad combined to make 11 triples while shooting 20.3% from beyond the arc. Since December 16^th, the Aggies have averaged 4.2 three-pointers made per game, including four games with five or more makes.
• Anna Csenyi paces the Aggies in the past eight contests, netting 14 3-pointers on 35.9% shooting.
• In conference play, Keira Hudson has notched five makes from long range at a 55.5% shooting clip.

SCOUTING THE LADY BEARS

• Head Coach Beth Cunningham commands Missouri State, now in her fourth season in Springfield, holding an 80-36 record overall, with a 12-5 mark this season. 
• On Thursday, the Lady Bears kept their undefeated start to conference play alive, knocking off UTEP 81-74 in El Paso.
• Junior guard Kaemyn Bekemeier has blossomed into a star for Missouri State, earning MVC Sixth Player of the Year in 2024-25, to leading the team in points (18.6 per game, 3^rd in CUSA), rebounds (8.4, 6^th in CUSA), free-throws made (96, 1^st in CUSA) and 3-pointers made (28, 6^th in CUSA).
• Sophomore forward Lainie Douglas ranks second on the team in a multitude of categories, including points (12.7), rebounds (5.4), free throws made (56), while pacing the team with 25 blocks – Maiesha Washington is second with six.
• As a team, the Lady Bears rank among the nation's best in getting to the free-throw line (24.2 attempts per game, 7^th in Division I) and making their free throws (17.8 made per game, 7^th in Division I).
• In conference play, Missouri State ranks second in points, averaging 70.3 per contest; however, the Lady Bears rank 12^th in both 3-pointers made (10) and 3-point percentage (20.8).  

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