WBB Preview: Aggies Play Host To New Mexico

Since the bye week that was supposed to give Utah State time to get healthy for an end-of-season push, the Aggies have instead gone on a three-game losing streak, bringing their total to 14 in a row.

While the Aggies are trying to claw their way out of last place, New Mexico is fighting for something else.

The Lobos are sitting at fifth place in the conference, which means they will be playing on the first day of the conference tournament. Moving up one spot would put them in fourth place, where they would earn a bye and play the winner of the No. 5 seed they just vacated and the last-place team, the spot Utah State is trying to avoid.

New Mexico will need some help, most likely from UNLV in Colorado State’s matchup tonight, to get even with the Rams. Grand Canyon is not far behind and could reach 12 conference wins if it wins out, so New Mexico still isn’t safe on that end either.

If the Aggies are hoping for a complacent New Mexico team to come to town, their hope is misplaced. In their final three games, the Lobos will be highly motivated to lock GCU out of the top four, then make a move on Colorado State. Unfortunately for the Aggies, they are the first team in New Mexico’s way.

New Mexico hasn’t had too much trouble with the Aggies. The Lobos boast a 30-7 advantage in the all-time series with wins in each of the past 18 meetings. The Aggies have played better at home and have won five times at the Spectrum, most recently in 2016, but compared to 14 losses on their home floor, it doesn’t provide much solace.

Part of the problem with New Mexico is the embarrassment of riches it enjoys on both ends of the floor, and that’s been a problem for just about every team in the conference. The Lobos have defeated every team in the MWC at least once, except two. The first, Nevada, got away with a 70-61 win over the Lobos at the inception of a three-game losing streak but will have to face vengeance once the Lobos are through in Logan. San Diego State was the next game on the schedule and gave the Lobos their second in the three-game losing streak with a 73-56 win in California, without a regular-season return trip scheduled.

They also lost to UNLV early in conference play but got revenge later, and to Grand Canyon to finish that three-game skid, but earned a two-point victory over the Lopes just two games ago. They’ve also split the season series with Boise State and Colorado State.

The Lobos haven’t lost to anyone twice, and won’t all year unless Nevada somehow pulls it off, and they rarely lose to teams that aren’t at the top of the conference. Again, Nevada is the outlier here. The first point doesn’t mean anything to Utah State because the Lobos won 58-33 when the teams met earlier this season, but the second point is relevant. Utah State is much closer to Nevada than it is to UNLV, San Diego State, Boise State, Colorado State or even Grand Canyon. With a sample size that excludes only the three regular-season games yet to be played, New Mexico has largely taken care of business against Utah State’s tax bracket in the conference.

With Utah State’s inability to avoid freak accidents and misfortune, it has plenty of problems on its own right now, so it really doesn’t need New Mexico to add too many to the mix. But by bringing Destinee Hooks, Cacia Antonio, Joana Magalhes, Nayli Padilla, Alyssa Hargrove, Jaisa Gamble, Emma Najjuma, and the rest of the team to town, it will add about a dozen issues to Utah State’s plate.

Hooks is an elite scorer and was named to the all-conference preseason team. She had just nine points against the Aggies, a slow night by her standards, and added three rebounds and a steal. With 12.8 points per game, she’s the 12th-leading scorer in the conference, even with Natalie Pasco and just behind GCU’s Chloe Mann and Boise State’s Dani Bayes with 12.9.

Joining Hooks in a notable place in the conference leaderboards is Laila Abdurraqib, who is tied for fourth most threes made in the conference, and a trio of Lobos in the steals category. Magalhaes is eighth with 1.7, Hargrove is sixth with 1.6, and Antonio is 11th with 1.5.

Antonio led the way for the Lobos in the first meeting with Utah State, pitching in 12 points, three rebounds, two steals and a block. Jessie Joaquim had four points and 12 rebounds that helped give the Lobos a 48-30 edge on the glass. She’s also on the conference leaderboard with 7.2 boards per game, landing her in fifth place.

Najjuma also enjoyed her time against Utah State. She had six points, nine rebounds and a block compared to averages of 3.1 points and 6.1 rebounds.

Utah State has to deal with a dangerous combination of all-conference caliber talent and players who seem to enjoy playing the Aggies, and it has to do it without its own leader from last game. Sophie Sene led the team with 12 points, while a three-way tie between Jamisyn Heaton, Karyn Sanford and Aaliyah Gayles added four each. Elise Livingston and Rachel Wilson combined for 39 minutes and didn’t score.