Aggies open conference play riding a winning streak
New Mexico State to visit UMKC tonight
New Mexico State turns its focus and takes its 11-game winning streak on the road tonight to face MissouriKansas City in its Western Athletic Conference men’s basketball opener.
The 13-2 Aggies received four points in the latest USA Today coaches’ poll. And in the most recent win at home over UTEP, which drew an announced turnout of 5,639, NMSU athletic director Mario Moccia tweeted that the ticket revenue was the sixth highest for a single game in the last 17 years.
So the recent news, at least, is good as far as the factors beyond the team’s control. On court, “I think we need to improve at taking care of the ball,” Weir told the Las Cruces SunNews, “and defensively, we have to find to a way to generate some turnovers and take care of the defensive glass.”
NMSU averaged 82.9 points per game in its last eight games and leads the WAC with a 46.8 percent field-goal percentage and is first in the conference with a plus-11.7 scoring margin.
UMKC is second in the league with a 37.2 percent 3-point field goal percentage. But NMSU has defended the 3-point line very well this season and leads in the WAC in 3-point field goal percentage defense at 30.1 percent, 39th in the nation.
“They’re an excellent 3-point shooting team and remind me a lot of Arizona State,” Weir said about the Roos. “They’re making 9½ 3s a game and are shooting a very good percentage. … The first key with those guys will be protecting the 3-point line.”
UMKC doesn’t have 2014-15 WAC Player of the Year Martez Harrison anymore. Harrison was dismissed from the team in early December for a “violation of athletic department policy.” But the Roos returned one of the top guards in the league in LaVell Boyd, who’s second in the WAC in scoring (19.8 points per game).
WOMEN: New Mexico State (8-6) opens league play at home tonight against UMKC (5-8, 0-0). Brooke Salas’ 12.1 points per game leads a balanced attack for the Aggies, who are the defending league champions. The visitors are on a five-game losing streak.