Clash at Pan American Center: New Mexico State Aggies to Host Jacksonville State Gamecocks
As the New Mexico State Aggies prepare to welcome the Jacksonville State Gamecocks to the Pan American Center, fans can anticipate a game that could go either way based on recent performances. The Aggies have shown a mixed bag of results in their past few outings, with trends indicating both strengths and areas for improvement.
In their last game against Tulsa's Golden Hurricane, the Aggies fell short by six points, finishing with 59 points compared to Tulsa's 65. Despite this loss, there were positive takeaways; notably, they shot an impressive 90 percent from the free-throw line and secured a substantial number of total rebounds at 41. However, they struggled beyond the arc with only a 15 percent three-point shooting rate.
The previous encounter saw them score more prolifically against Stephen F. Austin's Lumberjacks with 72 points but still ended up on the losing side by just three points. Their field goal percentage was healthier at around 43 percent and they managed to convert 40 percent of their three-point attempts.
A closer look at another recent game reveals that when playing at home against New Mexico Lobos, the Aggies put up a strong fight scoring 72 points but again narrowly missed out on victory by one point. Their field goal percentage was nearly half at around 49 percent and they showed an ability to capitalize from downtown hitting nine out of twenty attempts from deep for an impressive shooting rate of about 45 percent.
While these games highlight some offensive prowess particularly in free throw accuracy and rebounding ability, turnovers have been a concern for New Mexico State; in two out of these three games they had turnovers exceeding or equaling assists which could be detrimental if not addressed.
The upcoming match promises excitement as both teams will be looking to assert dominance early on. The Pan American Center has historically been a fortress for NMSU and could play into their hands as they seek redemption after recent narrow defeats.
Fans can catch all the action live on ESPN+ when these two teams face off on February 4th at midnight local time (02:00 AM UTC) in Las Cruces' own Pan American Center.