New Mexico State Aggies Set to Host Sam Houston State Bearkats at Pan American Center
As the New Mexico State Aggies prepare to face off against the Sam Houston State Bearkats at the Pan American Center, fans are eager for a glimpse into what could unfold on the court. The NMSU women's basketball team has shown both resilience and areas for improvement in their recent performances, which may play a critical role in their upcoming game.
In their last encounter on December 21 against the Troy Trojans, NMSU fell short with a final score of 66-81. Despite this loss, there were notable efforts from the Aggies. They demonstrated strong free-throw capabilities with a 79 percent success rate and maintained an assist-turnover ratio of 0.44. However, they struggled from beyond the arc and within field goal range, shooting only 25 percent in three-pointers and approximately 39 percent in field goals.
Another aspect that requires attention is their defense; they managed only one block compared to six by Troy and secured just three steals versus ten by their opponents. These statistics highlight areas where NMSU must tighten up if they hope to outperform SHSU.
On December 20 against Austin Peay Governors, although NMSU lost narrowly with a score of 55-57 after overtime, they showed significant improvement defensively with five blocks and an impressive number of steals at fifteen. Their points off turnovers were also higher than in previous games at nineteen points.
The most promising display came on December 16 when NMSU dominated Utah Valley Wolverines with a convincing victory of 70-39 at home. Their offensive execution was efficient; they shot over half of their attempts successfully from both two-point (56 percent) and three-point range (46 percent). Moreover, they capitalized on turnovers scoring twenty-eight points off them while maintaining an even assists-turnover ratio.
These past performances suggest that when NMSU plays aggressively on defense while maintaining offensive efficiency especially from long-range shots – as seen against UVU – they can control games effectively.
Looking ahead to January's matchup against SHSU Bearkats, it will be crucial for NMSU to leverage these strengths while addressing weaknesses exposed in prior games such as perimeter defense and consistency in shooting percentages across all quarters.
The scheduled game is set for January 25th at Pan American Center starting at 6:00 PM local time (MT). Fans who wish to support the Aggies can catch live action as it unfolds directly from Las Cruces or follow along through various sports networks covering college basketball events.