Aggies to Battle Miners at Don Haskins Center in El Paso Showdown
As the New Mexico State Aggies prepare to face off against the UTEP Miners at the Don Haskins Center, fans are bracing for what promises to be a gripping encounter. The Aggies, coming off a mixed bag of performances, have shown both resilience and areas for improvement that could dictate the outcome of this upcoming game.
In their last outing on December 23 against Tulsa's Golden Hurricane, NMSU displayed a strong first half with 37 points but seemed to lose steam post-halftime, adding only 22 more points to end with a total of 59. Despite their efforts and an impressive free throw percentage of 90 percent, they fell short by six points. A critical look at their statistics reveals a team that can hold its own under pressure; they racked up an impressive total rebound count of 41 and maintained control over turnovers with just two team turnovers.
However, it was not all smooth sailing for NMSU. Their three-point shooting was lackluster at best – hitting only four out of twenty-seven attempts – which amounted to a mere fifteen percent success rate from beyond the arc. This is one area where they will need significant improvement if they hope to keep pace with the Miners.
The Aggies' performance on December 20 against Stephen F. Austin's Lumberjacks further underscores this point. While they managed an overall field goal percentage of forty-three percent and sank seventy-five percent from the free-throw line, their three-point shooting was again inconsistent at forty percent.
On defense, NMSU has shown tenacity; in their victory over New Mexico's Lobos on December 16th where they emerged victorious by matching them point-for-point in paint battles and fast breaks while also capitalizing on turnovers scoring twenty points off them.
Looking ahead to February 11th against UTEP Miners – who will have home-court advantage – it is imperative that NMSU tightens up its perimeter shooting while maintaining its defensive hustle if it hopes for success away from home soil.
The Aggies' fans should expect nothing less than full-throttle intensity as both teams vie for dominance in what could be one of the most exciting games this season. With tip-off scheduled for February 10th at 8:00 PM Central Time (CT) in El Paso’s Don Haskins Center, supporters can catch all live-action via ESPN+ online broadcast network.