LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Shifting across state lines from Kentucky to Tennessee, NM State (6-9, 2-1 CUSA) continues its road slate, taking on Middle Tennessee (8-7, 3-0 CUSA) on Saturday, Jan. 10. The Aggies look to tally their first three-game winning streak of 2025-26 and start 3-1 in conference action in back-to-back seasons. Tip-off is set for 11 a.m. MT from the Murphy Center, with the game streaming live on ESPN+, with live stats available here.
 
The Aggies hold a 2-7 record all-time against the Blue Raiders, with four of the nine matchups occurring since the Crimson & White joined Conference USA in July 2023.
 
OPENING TIP
 
Who: NM State (6-9, 2-1 CUSA) vs. Middle Tennessee (8-7, 3-0 CUSA)
Where: Murphy Center (11,520) | Murfreesboro, Tenn.
When: Saturday, Jan. 10, 11:00 a.m. MT
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Stats: nmstatesports.com/stats
 
LAST TIME OUT

• NM State secured its first road victory of the conference season, knocking off Western Kentucky by a score of 70-67.
• Lucía Yenes notched her fourth 20-plus point scoring effort of the season, putting in 26 points on 12-for-15 shooting (80%).
• Imani Warren recorded her sixth straight game with double-digit points, finishing with 18 points, seven rebounds and three blocks.
• The Aggies outrebounded the Lady Toppers 41-15, the largest rebounding margin against Division I competition since at least 2015.
• Anna Csenyi buried three 3-pointers off the bench, recording at least one triple in nine of the past ten contests.
• Emma Christiano pulled down four offensive rebounds, one of three Aggies to accomplish this feat and the lone guard (Morane Dossou, Iyana Beh).

 
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 pouring in 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%).
• This season, she holds the fifth-highest single-game scoring output in CUSA, while ranking fifth in the league in scoring (14.5 points per game). The Spaniard leads the league in field goals made (89), third in total points (218) and fourth in the conference in field-goal percentage (48.1).
• With a team-high 13 blocks on the season, Yenes is 10th in the conference in blocks per game (0.9), making her one of just 11 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 third-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.
• With six straight double-digit scoring performances, Warren holds the longest streak among Aggies this season, while her 11 games overall with 10-plus points ties Lucía Yenes for the team lead.
• 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 (2.3 per game; 7^th in CUSA), free throws made (43; 9^th in CUSA), and assists (2.7; 10^th in CUSA). She also ranks second on the team in made field goals (76; 5^th in CUSA), scoring (13.4 points per game; 10^th in CUSA) and blocks (11). She is also third on the team in both total rebounds (63) and rebounds per game (4.2).

 
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 fifth in Conference USA with 8.6 total rebounds per contest, and third in defensive rebounds per game (6.5).
• Across the nation, she ranks 67^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.

 
LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR…

• This season, the Aggies currently rank third among Conference USA members in total assists (197) and fourth in assists per game (13.1).
• On Dec. 14 against Western New Mexico, NM State notched 25 helpers, a season-high and the most in a game for the Crimson & White since Dec. 20, 2022, against Northern New Mexico (25).
• Junior guard Imani Warren leads the team with 41 assists, averaging 2.7 per contest.
• Warren ranks 10^th in CUSA in assists per contest, while Las Cruces native Emma Christiano ranks 14^th (2.8) and Lucía Yenes ranks 25^th (1.9).
• While Christiano and Warren each have two games with six assists on the year, forward Morane Dossou dished out a team-high six helpers against Saint Mary's (Dec. 20), a new career best.

 
WHAT'S YOURS IS OURS

• Heading into Saturday's contest, NM State ranks 65^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 eight steals in the past ten games, this includes six contests with 10 or more swipes.
• Imani Warren leads the team with 2.3 steals per contest, good for seventh in Conference USA and 89^th nationally. Lucía Yenes (1.7 steals per game, 15^th) and Emma Christiano (17^th, 1.5) also rank among the conference's best.
• The Aggies also rank 78^th in the nation in turnovers forced per game (19.5).
• 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 last Friday, 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 1^st, the Aggies have averaged 4.3 three-pointers made per game, converting on 31.2% of their attempts.
• Anna Csenyi paces the Aggies in the past six contests, netting 12 3-pointers on 37.5% shooting.

SCOUTING THE BLUE RAIDERS

• Rick Insell is the man in charge of the Blue Raiders, currently in his 21^st season with the program. With 497 career victories, he is one of just 21 active Division I head coaches to achieve this feat (497-172 all-time).
• Last time out, the Blue Raiders knocked off UTEP in a home matchup, 86-43.
• Middle Tennessee is 8-7 on the year, with a 3-0 record in conference action, the lone program with three wins in CUSA play.
• Freshman guard Blair Baugus paces MTSU in multiple categories, while also ranking among the best in the conference in points (13.6, 9^th), rebounds (9.5, 4^th), steals (2.5, 5^th) and blocks (0.9, 9^th).
• Baugus is also eighth in the nation with eight double-doubles through 15 Blue Raider contests.
• Stout defense sees the team rank among the best in Division I in defending the 3-point line (28.2%, 86^th) and scoring defense 59.5, 84^th).

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