NM State at Boise State, Women’s Basketball, 22nd Meeting The New Mexico State women’s basketball team faces Boise State for the second time this season in a Western Athletic Conference (WAC) showdown Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. MT in the Pan American Center. A broadcast of the contest will be carried live across the state on the Aggie Sports Radio Network with Kyle Doperalski on KSNM-AM 570.
The Aggies (14-8, 4-4 WAC) stand alone in fourth in the conference one game ahead of the Broncos (14-8, 3-5) who find themselves in a four-way tie for the fifth spot. NM State has lost three straight at home after a 64-60 loss to Nevada Jan. 30, marking its longest home losing streak since February 2006.
However, the Aggies are coming off of a 68-48 road win at San Jose State on Feb. 3 to improve to 3-1 on the road in conference action. The NM State record away from home includes a win at Boise State in both teams’ WAC opener on Jan. 6 in an 87-83 overtime thriller. The loss stands as the only downfall at home for BSU this season.
Boise State concludes a two-game conference road trip in Las Cruces after losing at Louisiana Tech 75-53 Feb. 3 to fall to 0-4 on the road in league play and just 3-7 overall away from Boise this season.
Inside the Series With an 87-83 overtime win earlier this season, NM State earned its first-ever win in Boise in the teams first meeting of 2010. The Aggies are 1-8 all-time at Boise State. BSU leads the all-time series 12-9 including wins in six of the last 10. Perhaps the most important matchup was in 2007 when the Broncos edged the Aggies 49-46 in the WAC tournament championship game. The last two meetings between the schools ended in overtime. The Broncos came from 10 points down at the half to claim a 79-77 road victory in 2009.
Scouting the Broncos The Bose State Broncos (14-8, 3-5) started off the season 11-3 in its non-conference slate. The NM State win in early January is the Broncos’ lone loss at home this season. Away from home BSU has struggled to find consistency, dropping all four of its WAC road games. Both preseason polls picked BSU to finish third in the WAC during the 2010 season; they are currently just two games out of third place.
On the hardwood, BSU averages 71.0 points per game while shooting a 39.6 field goal percentage. The Broncos hold opponents to 67.4 points per game. Boise State ranks 23rd nationally in steals, swiping the ball away an average of 11.1 times per game.
Senior guard Jessica Van Hoogen leads the Broncos in scoring at 16.3 points per game. She also leads the team in steals with 2.7 per game. Classmate Tasha Harris is the only other Bronco to average double-digit scoring at 14.9 points a contest. Junior center Janie Bos is third on the team in scoring at 8.4 points to go with a team-high 6.2 rebounds per game.
Last Time against the BroncosBOISE, Idaho - The New Mexico State basketball team opened Western Athletic Conference play with an 87-83 overtime victory at the Taco Bell Arena Wednesday evening.
The victory marked the first win in NM State history at Boise State. The Aggies improve to 11-4 on the season and open 1-0 in the conference. Boise State falls to 11-4 after its first home loss of the year and to 0-1 in the WAC.
NM State outscored Boise State 17-13 in the extra five minutes led by guards Jasmine Lowe and Crystal Boyd. Lowe led all scorers with 26 points while Boyd added 23.The Aggies hit all eight of their free throws in overtime and made four of five shots from the field including a three-point make by Lowe.
With three minutes left in regulation and the Broncos leading 68-60, Aggie guards Jasmine Lowe and Crystal Boyd combined for 10 points to lead a 10-2 rally that knotted the game at 70 when the clock hit 0:00.
The Broncos opened the second half on a 14-4 run to take a 42-38 lead. BSU continued to build a nine-point advantage at the 10:45 mark with a score of 52-43. Boyd scored six of the next eight points for the Aggies to help NM State cut the BSU lead to five at 56-51. NM State closed to within four, 60-56, after a three-point basket from Danisha Corbett with 5:40 remaining.
NM State got on the scoreboard first with a bucket by Lowe before BSU went on a 7-0 run to take a five-point advantage. With the teams tied at seven, the Broncos built their biggest lead of the half of 15-8 behind an 8-1 rally.
The Aggies countered with a 16-1 run over the next five minutes to take their biggest lead of the contest at 24-16. After the squads traded threes, Boise State went on a 12-4 run to tie the game at 31. Three points by Madison Spence ended the half for the Aggies who took a one-point lead at halftime of 34-33.
Boise State made more baskets from behind the three-point arc in the first half than inside the line canning 6-of-11 (54.5 percent) trifectas while knocking down just 6-of-17 from inside the line. NM State used 15 Bronco turnovers to its advantage in the first 20 minutes, scoring 15 points while allowing just four points on nine Aggie miscues.
BSU out-rebounded NM State in the first stanza 23-13, but the Aggies tallied 16 points in the paint while the Broncos put up only 10.
Boise State was led on offense by Tasha Harris with her second double-double of the season posting 23 points and corralling 10 rebounds. Van Hoogen added 15 points.
Madison Spence Becomes 17th Member of Aggies’ 1,000-point Club After scoring 14 points against Nevada Jan. 30, junior Madison Spence became just the 17th Aggie to eclipse the 1,000-point career mark all-time at NM State. She is just the seventh player in the program’s 37-year history to accomplish the feat prior to her senior year.
Spence boasts 1,003 points after playing in 83 games over three seasons in an Aggie uniform while never missing a start. This season, Spence has posted 247 points through 21 games to average 11.8 points per contest, just shy of her career average of 12.2.
Doubling Down Crystal Boyd notched her second straight and seventh overall double-double of the season on Jan. 30 versus Nevada. The senior guard posted 16 points and 11 rebounds against the Wolf Pack.
During the road win at Utah State Jan. 23, Boyd led NM State with a game-high 23 points and 11 boards. She is the only Aggie to record a double-double this season and ranks second in the WAC behind LA Tech’s Shanavia Dowdell who has notched 11 this season.
Aggies’ Magic Number 70 This season the 70-point mark is a key indicator on how the Aggies will fare in a particular matchup. NM State is 8-2 when scoring at least 70 points this season. The only two blemishes came on the road at Cal Poly (90-86) Nov. 15 and at home against New Mexico (92-85) Dec. 2. Defensively, the Aggies are 12-3 this year when holding opponents to 70 points or less. NM State’s losses in that scenario were all suffered at home. They include the recent home loss to Nevada 64-60 on Jan. 30, a 68-65 setback against Idaho on Jan. 20 and a 57-50 downfall against North Dakota on Nov. 23.
NM State Starts 2010 Superlatively
- The Aggies’ recent six-game win streak was the longest for the program since the 1993-94 season when NM State strung together eight wins twice that year.
- NM State (13-8) is off to its best start since a 16-5 beginning in 2007-08.
- The Aggies have started 2-0 in conference in three of the last four seasons under head coach Darin Spence.
- The 61-60 victory over No. 21 Kansas on Jan. 3 was the Aggies’ third win over a ranked team in program history and occurred on the exact five-year anniversary of an upset over No. 22 Houston on Jan. 3, 2005 - both under the direction of Spence.
- The 87-83 overtime win at Boise State on Jan. 6 was NM State’s first-ever win on the Broncos’ home court in nine tries.
- NM State eclipsed last year’s win total before conference play, posting its 10th win of the year against Kansas to begin the new year.
Aggies Rout San Jose State 68-48 in 600th Career Game for Head Coach Darin Spence The Aggies scored the first 10 points of the game against San Jose State and never looked back, dominating the Spartans on the road 68-48 at the Event Center Feb. 3.
The game marked the 600th game in NM State head coach Darin Spence's career. He claims a 408-192 record overall in 19 seasons as a head coach.
Junior guard Jasmine Lowe led three Aggies in double figures with 17 points behind 15 first half tallies. Classmate Danisha Corbett came off the bench to post 13 points, draining four from long range. Senior guard Crystal Boyd rounded out the trio in double figures by pouring in 10 second-half points to score 12 in the game to go along with seven rebounds.
The Aggies shot 41.1 percent from the field (25-of-56) and made 39.1 percent from behind the three-point line netting nine of 23 attempts. NM State held the Spartans to 31.7 percent (13-of-41) from the field and forced 21 Spartan turnovers.
NM State came out shooting hot from the field to open the game, sinking four of their first six attempts from the field while holding the Spartan scoreless on four shots to build a 10-0 lead.
Two northern California natives kicked things off for the Aggies near their home towns. In her first career start, freshman Camila Rosen, a Berkley, Calif. native, scored first for the visitors. Lowe, a native San Franciscan, hit two from downtown for six points early.
SJSU made a 10-2 run in the second haf to cut the Aggie lead to 55-39. But the Aggies pulled away down the stretch maintaining a double-digit lead through the remainder of regulation.
Spence Nets Career Point 1,000 in Aggie Loss Junior guard Madison Spence poured in 14 points to surpass the 1,000-point career mark in the waning moments of the New Mexico State women’s basketball team’s 64-60 loss to Nevada at the Pan American Center Jan. 30.
Coming into the game, Spence needed just 11 points to reach 1,000 in her time in the Crimson and White. After Nevada took its first lead of the game, 56-55, with 1:23 remaining Spence sank a shot from the lane on NM State’s next possession to reach the millennial mark with 67 ticks on the clock. Spence added the Aggies’ only three of the half late to cut the Nevada lead to one. The Wolf Pack put the game away at the line by sinking free throws and corralling all of the offensive rebounds on any missed Nevada foul shots from the charity stripe in the final seconds.
Spence became the 17th player at NM State to attain 1,000 points in her career and just the seventh Aggie to accomplish the feat prior to her senior year. The Las Cruces native was one of three Aggies in double figures in the game. Senior guard Crystal Boyd notched her seventh double-double of the year with 16 points and 10 boards. Junior guard Jasmine Lowe added a team-high 17 for NM State behind 13 first-half points.
Aggies Edge Utah State for Second Conference Road Win Junior guard Jasmine Lowe hit two free throws with nine seconds remaining to give the New Mexico State women’s basketball team a 56-55 road victory over Utah State at the Spectrum Center on Jan. 23. The home-standing Aggies used an 11-3 run in the late moments of the game to give Utah State its first and only lead of the half at 55-54 with only 12 seconds remaining in regulation. On the next possession, Lowe penetrated the lane and was fouled to give her two shots at the charity stripe. Lowe’s makes from the line secured the NM State victory. Utah State’s Alice Coddington drove the length of the floor in the final seconds but her layup attempt from the left side danced off of the rim.
Lowe scored all nine of her points in the second half after missing her initial eight attempts in the first 20 minutes. NM State senior guard Crystal Boyd notched her sixth double-double of the season with a game-high 23 points and 11 boards.
NM State Sets Season Best Marks in Loss to Idaho NM State fell to Idaho 68-65 at the Pan American Center Jan. 20 despite posting a season high 22 assists and committing season lows in turnovers (12) and fouls (13) in the contest.
Idaho put five players in double figures on the night and utilized a 9-0 run late in the second half to gain a 63-56 lead. The Aggies whittled the lead down to two at 67-65 with just under a minute remaining but could not overtake the Vandals after the initial UI rally.
Junior guard Danisha Corbett led the Aggies with 19 points. Corbett knocked down five from long range, tying her career high from beyond the arc. Junior guard Jasmine Lowe added a dozen, including nine in the first half. Sophomore forward Tabytha Wampler posted eight points and grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds.
Lowe Claims WAC Player of the Week Honor Junior guard Jasmine Lowe was named the Verizon Wireless WAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week, the conference office announced, Monday, Jan. 11 after leading NM State to wins over Boise State and Hawai’i. The award marked the first career honor for Lowe.
Lowe, a San Francisco native, averaged 21.5 points on 57 percent shooting, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.5 steals as the Aggies opened WAC play 2-0. She scored a game-high 26 points in NM State’s first-ever win at Boise State, including 12 of the team’s final 27 points. She followed it up with a game-high 17 points, a career-high-tying six rebounds, four assists and three steals in a win over Hawai’i.
NM State Knocks off No. 21 KansasNew Mexico State senior guard Crystal Boyd connected on her second free throw at the line with 0.8 seconds remaining and then swatted away the final opponent inbound pass just past midcourt to seal a thrilling upset of No. 21 Kansas 61-60 in front of 1,388 fans at the Pan American Center Sunday afternoon.
The upset marked the Aggies’ first win over a ranked opponent in exactly five years - NM State knocked off No. 22 Houston on Jan. 3, 2005 - with both victories under the direction of NM State head coach Darin Spence. NM State now leads the all-time series 2-1 over KU.
With the victory, NM State improves to 10-4 heading into conference play next week while No. 21 Kansas falls to 10-3 after their first road loss of the season.
Fittingly it was Boyd who secured the win at both ends of the floor. The Little Rock, Ark., native scored a career-high 25 points, including 20 of NM State’s 34 first-half points, to go along with team-high eight rebounds in the contest. The veteran came onto the floor with something to prove against the highly-touted Jayhawks.
NM State scored the first four points of the second half and maintained the advantage over the first seven minutes after the break. In the final 20 minutes, Lowe took over helping manage the game at the point for the Aggies and scoring 14 of her 16 points in the half. Boyd picked up her fourth foul of the game at the 12:31 mark and went to the bench until the final four minutes of the game.
Aggies All-Time vs. Ranked Opponents Prior to the KU win, NM State last played a ranked squad in 2006 falling to No. 23 New Mexico 65-45. The Aggies are 3-11 all-time against teams in the top 25 since 1988. Head coach Darin Spence led the Aggies to two of their three program victories against ranked foes.
Spence Claims No. 400; Climbs NM State All-Time Win List NM State head coach Darin Spence earned his 400th career win in a victory against border-rival UTEP, 67-55, in front of a home crowd at the Pan American Center on Dec. 15. With the win, Spence attained the 400-win mark in his career against 187 losses over 19 seasons as a head coach. At the helm in Las Cruces he currently carries an 89-109 record over seven seasons.
In the game prior to his milestone victory, Spence guided the Aggies to a 71-65 victory over North Dakota State on Dec. 12. With the victory, the NM State general became the second-winningest coach in school history, notching his 82nd win in his 188th game as head coach.
NM State Wins Thanksgiving Classic The New Mexico State women’s basketball team had a successful weekend, Nov. 27-28, as it won the Hotel Encanto Thanksgiving Classic, by beating Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (73-64) and Michigan (72-67). The Aggies averaged 72.5 points per game over the weekend, while holding their opponents to 65.5 points a contest.
Jasmine Lowe, Danisha Corbett, Madison Spence, Tabytha Wampler and Kaitlyn Soto all averaged over 10 points a game for the Aggies on the weekend.
At Home vs. on the Road The Aggies are currently 9-5 in the Pan American Center this season and 5-3 on the road in 2009-10. Here are some statistical comparisons between home games and road games.
Category Home Road
Scoring 69.2 70.9
Opp. Scoring 62.1 70.4
Rebounding 39.5 38.5
Opp. Rebounding 37.5 41.9
Field Goal % 41.0 39.4
Opp. Field Goal % 39.0 39.1
Free Throw % 72.6 67.2
Opp. Free Throw % 59.6 71.1
Turnovers/Game 17.7 18.8
Opp. Turnovers/Game 19.7 19.3
18 Home Games a School Record The Aggies’ 18 regular-season games scheduled at home this season is a school record.
Top 3
• 2009-10: 18 (9-5 at home, 14-8 overall)
• 1979-80: 17 (10-7 at home, 22-12 overall)
• 2007-08: 16 (14-2 at home, 23-9 overall)
Prior to the 2009-10 season, NM State played at least 15 regular season games at home in 10 of its 36 previous seasons. The Aggies averaged 20.7 wins overall in those 10 seasons while winning at least 19 games in eight of them.
The seven-straight home contests that NM State hosted from Nov. 20 - Dec. 15 tied the longest home stand in program history. The Aggies also played seven in a row at home in 1989-90, 1985-86, 1983-84, 1982-83 and 1976-77.
Courtesy: Tim Barnett-Queen
