Opening Tip
• NM State women's basketball (10-10, 5-2 WAC) prepares to take on Abilene Christian (10-8, 4-3 WAC) this Thursday (1/26) at 6 p.m. inside the Pan American Center in Las Cruces.
• This matchup comes less than a week after the Aggies two game road trip where the team split a pair of games against Grand Canyon (L, 69-62 OT) and Seattle U (W, 58-50).
•  The Wildcats are coming off a week where they won a pair of games at Utah Valley (71-50) and UTRGV (69-65)
•  ACU is 3-0 all-time versus the Aggies with the last meeting taking place Jan. 15, 2022, in Abilene, Texas where the wildcats just snuck past the Aggies, 76-73.
 
Last Time Out
• NM State defeated the Seattle Redhawks 58-50, to capture their fifth road win of the season and third of conference play.
• Molly Kaiser scored 13 of her 17 points in the second half with 11 points coming in the fourth quarter – the most points she's scored in the final frame all season.
• The Aggies forced 22 turnovers on the night, the tenth time this season they have forced 20+ turnovers.
• The Aggies largest lead came in the first quarter (17).
• NM State led the entire game.
• The Aggies scored 22 points off turnovers compared to the Redhawks three.
 
 
Defense. Defense. Defense
• NM State is allowing just 58.8 points a game this season, leading the WAC and ranking 59^th nationally.
• The Aggies possess one of the best turnover margins in the country, tallying the 37th best turnover margin nationally (+4.4) and second highest margin in the WAC. As a team, NM State forces 19.6 turnovers a contest, which is 42nd best in the nation and third in the WAC.
• Additionally, NM State ranks 38th in the nation in steals per game (10.2) and third in the WAC.
 
The Sum of Our Parts
• Coach Jody Adams' squad this season is built on balance, with a deep rotation and scoring from all over the court.  Ten different players are averaging 10+ minutes for the team this season, while nine average at least 4.5 points a contest.
• Taylor Donaldson leads the team in minutes averaging 29.9 per game this season. The other nine players averaging double digit minutes include Soufia Inoussa (29.8), Molly Kaiser (27.6), Fama Thaim (25.3), Sylena Peterson (22.4), Tayelin Grays (21.6), Ashlee Strawbridge (20.1), Shania Harper (16.1), Ene Adams (10.6), Sabou Gueye (10.6).
• Molly Kaiser paces the team on the scoring front, managing 11.8 points a game, with that average bumping up to 13.0 in conference play. Other players scoring at least 4.5 points per contest include Sylena Peterson (9.6), Fama Thiam (8.6), Taylor Donaldson (7.8), Soufia Inoussa (6.9), Tayelin Grays (6.7), Shania Harper (6.0), Lucia Yenes (4.9) and Ashlee Strawbridge (4.5)
 
 
Changing the Landscape
• In her first season as Head Coach, Jody Adams has jumpstarted the Aggies to their best start in conference (5-3) play since the 2018-2019 season when the team finished the year 15-1 in WAC play.
• After the season got out to a slow 3-7 start, the Aggies have shifted their narrative and have won seven of their last ten games.
• Last season, the Aggies went 0-12 on the road overall and have improved to five road wins this season, including a 3-1 record against WAC competition. This marks the most road victories since the 18-19 season (11-5 road record).
• With ten wins on the year, Adams has matched the Aggies win total from last season (10), with ten contests yet to be played.
 
Scouting the Wildcats
• Abilene Christian (10-8, 4-3 WAC) currently sits seventh in the WAC standings and eighth in the WAC resume seeding system with -1.46 total points.
• The team currently holds a two-game winning streak, notching a road win over Utah Valley (71-50) and securing a home win over UTRGV (69-65).
• Preseason All-WAC selection Madi Miller leads the team in scoring, averaging 12.6 points per contest, while fellow preseason All-WAC nominee Maleeah Langstaff tops the team in rebounds (6.8).
• The Wildcats are scoring 72.1 points a game while allowing 62.7 points, giving them a +9.4 scoring margin, which ranks third in the WAC. As a team, ACU has scored 147 three-pointers which is good for second in the conference, while ranking ninth in three-point field goal defense.
 
 
Up Next
• The Aggies have a week off before heading on the road for a matchup against California Baptist (2/18) at 6 p.m. MT.  From there, NM State returns home for a meeting with Grand Canyon at 4 p.m. on Saturday (2/4).