LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State women's basketball team returns to Las Cruces to continue Western Athletic Conference play when it hosts CSU Bakersfield on Thursday, Feb. 7, at 6 p.m. (MT) and Grand Canyon on Saturday, Feb. 9 at 2 p.m.
 
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Where to Watch
There are a number of TV options for Aggie fans unable to attend this weekend's game with Adam Young and Pat Knapp on the call. Fans can also stream live on the FOX Sports App with a paid cable subscription.
 
NM State vs. CSU Bakersfield
 
FOX Sports Arizona PLUS
DISH: 441 SD, 9579 HD | DISH Hopper: 412-29 | DTV: 686-2 SD & HD
 
FOX College Sports Atlantic
DTV: 608 | Verizon FiOS: 300 | AT&T Uverse: 647
 
Eleven Sports
DTV: 623 | AT&T: 1665 | Verizon FiOS: 597
 
Livestream
 
FOX Sports Arizona is set to replay the game Friday, Feb. 8, at 2 a.m. (MT) and at 9 a.m. (MT).
 
NM State vs. Grand Canyon
 
FOX Sports Arizona PLUS
DISH: 444 SD, 9514 HD | DISH Hopper: 412-32 | DTV: 686-1 SD & HD
 
FOX College Sports Southwest PLUS
DTV: 442 SD, 9580 HD | DISH Hopper: 412-30 | DTV: 676-2 SD & HD
 
FOX College Sports Pacific
DTV: 608, 608-1, 608-2 | AT&T Uverse: 649
 
Eleven Sports
DTV: 623 | AT&T: 1665 | Verizon FiOS: 597
 
Livestream
 
Both games this weekend will also be broadcast live on the WAC Digital Network.
 
Follow Along
Live stats for both the CSU Bakersfield and Grand Canyon games are available through StatBroadcast.
 
National Girls and Women in Sports Day
Thursday's game is our observation of National Girls and Women in Sports Day! Come out to the Pan Am as we celebrate our fantastic female student-athletes!
 
Senior Saturday
Saturday's game against Grand Canyon at 2 p.m. (MT) is our last Senior Saturday of the season. Join us as we celebrate the outstanding career of guard Brooke Salas with Brookie Cookie Day. The first 300 fans get a free cookie!
 
Climbing Up
Through 21 games of the 2018-19 season, Brooke Salas is fourth on NM State's all-time scoring list while she is on pace to finish her career at second. Here's a look at the current all-time scoring list top-5.
 
Rank    Player                                                 GP          PPG       Points
1.            Anita Maxwell (1992-96)            119        21.9       2,601
2.            Andrea Kabwasa (1988-92)      120        14.9       1,788
3.            Kris Veatch (1984-88)                 115        15.4       1,768
4.            Brooke Salas (2015-pres.)     112       14.8      1,692
5.            Barb Weiner (1979-83)               121        13.8       1,666
 
Rankings Watch
Along with averaging a double-double, senior guard Brooke Salas is also ranked in the top-25 nationally in a number of categories, through games on Jan. 23. She ranks 12th in defensive rebounds per game (8.0), 13th in double-doubles (13), 20th in field goals made (152), 16th in rebounds (234) and 17th in rebounds per game (11.1)
 
Scouting the 'Runners
CSU Bakersfield visits the Pan Am with a 9-12 overall record and a 5-3 WAC record, beating GCU 59-46 in Phoenix in its last game. The last time Bakersfield and NM State met up, Adenike Aderinto banked in a shot at the buzzer for a 61-59 Aggie victory.
 
The 'Runners offense is led by Alexxus Gilbert who scores 16.8 points per game while Malaysia McHenry also averages double figures for CSUB at 10.5 points per game. McHenry leads CSU Bakersfield in rebounds with 6.5 per game.
 
Defensively, the 'Runners are one of the best teams in the country at generating steals as they rank seventh nationally in steals per game (12.2) and rank eighth in the country in total steals (257). They are also ranked 16^th nationally in turnover margin at +5.48.
 
A Look at the Lopes
Grand Canyon enters Saturday's game at 5-13 overall and 3-5 in the WAC. When New Mexico State visited Phoenix, the Lopes handed the Aggies their lone conference loss, 54-51.
 
ShaRon Miller leads GCU in points per game with 11.7. Joining Miller in double figures is redshirt-senior AJ Cephas with 10.6 points per game. As a team, Grand Canyon ranks eighth in the WAC in scoring offense at 56.8 points per game. The Lopes are one of the better three-point shooting teams in the conference as they rank second while shooting the three at a 32.3 percent clip.
 
GCU is slotted in the middle of the pack defensively as they have concede 65.3 points per game for fifth in the WAC. The Lopes defend the three-point line well as they stand at 30^th nationally in three-point field goal defense (27.6 percent). They're also disciplined on the defense end as they've committed the second-fewest fouls in the conference (302) while ranking 30^th nationally.
 
Last Time Out
New Mexico State enters the back half of WAC play in sole possession of first place and with a 7-1 conference record after wins at Kansas City and at Chicago State.
 
At Kansas City, the Aggies battled it out with the Roos for first place in the WAC standings. The teams went back and forth for the majority of the game before NM State pulled away early in the fourth and held on down the stretch for a 90-86 win. Gia Pack scored a season-high 32 points while Monique Mills also added a season-high 17 points to go along with five made three-pointers.
 
On Saturday in Chicago, NM State cruised to an 87-66 win behind 28 points and 15 rebounds from Brooke Salas. It was Salas' 13^th double-double of her senior campaign. Dominique Mills scored 14 to go with five boards while Monique Mills scored 14 and Gia Pack added 13, five rebounds and four assists.
 
Up Next
The Aggies are back on the road when they take on Utah Valley in Orem on Thursday, Feb. 14, at 11 a.m. (MT) before visiting Seattle U on Saturday, Feb. 16, at 3 p.m.