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LAS CRUCES, N.M. \u2013\u00a0NM State takes to the road for a pair of conference contests this week, opening with a matchup against Jacksonville State on Thursday, Jan. 22. The Aggies look to build on last week’s victory over Missouri State, which also served as Head Coach Jody Adams<\/a>‘ 250th career victory. Tip-off from Pete Mathews Coliseum is set for 5:30 p.m. MT, with the game streaming live on ESPN+, with live stats available here<\/a>.
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\nSCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS<\/p>\n
\nFor complete coverage of NM State Women’s Basketball, visit NMStateSports.com<\/a> – the official home of Aggie athletics – and follow us on Twitter (@NMStateWBB<\/a>), Instagram (@NMStateWBB<\/a>), and like us on Facebook (NM State Women’s Basketball<\/a>).<\/p>\n ++NM State++<\/p>\n
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\nThe Aggies hold a 1-3 all-time record against Jacksonville State, most recently notching a 66-47 victory in Las Cruces on Feb. 20, 2025.
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\nOPENING TIP
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\nWho: NM State (7-11, 3-3 CUSA) vs. Jacksonville State (9-8, 3-2 CUSA)
\nWhere: Pete Mathews Coliseum (3,500) | Jacksonville, Ala.
\nWhen: Thursday, Jan. 22, 5:30 p.m. MT
\nLive Stream: ESPN+<\/a>
\nLive Stats: nmstatesports.com\/stats<\/a>
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\nLAST TIME OUT<\/p>\n
\n\tNM State secured a wire-to-wire victory, 63-56 over CUSA newcomer Missouri State. This served as the first loss in conference play for the Lady Bears, and the 250th career win for Head Coach Jody Adams<\/a>.
\n\tImani Warren<\/a> tallied a team-high 17 points, her 12th game in double-figures this season.
\n\tKeira Hudson<\/a> posted 15 points, setting a new career-high in 3-pointers made (3) in just 17 minutes off the bench.
\n\tMorane Dossou<\/a> recorded her third double-double of the season, posting 10 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
\n\tA staunch Aggie defense saw Missouri State shoot just 35.7% from the field and 1-for-9 (11.1%) from 3-point range \u2013 both season lows for NM State opponents.
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\nLUCIA LA REINA<\/p>\n
\n\tSenior forward Luc\u00eda Yenes showed out in the Aggies’ season-opening contest against No. 18 USC (Nov. 4), tallying her first collegiate start en route to a career-high 27 points.
\n\tHer point production was the most by an Aggie against power conference competition since NM State Hall of Famer and three-time All-American Anita Maxwell tallied 27 against No. 20 Ole Miss in 1996.
\n\tTallying back-to-back 20-plus point scoring performances to open the season, Yenes became the first Aggie to do so since Aaliyah Prince in the 2019-20 campaign.
\n\tAgainst UC Irvine, the senior forward notched her third 20-point performance of the season, tallying 22 against the Anteaters.
\n\tIn an overtime victory against Delaware (Jan. 4), Yenes recorded a new career high with 10 rebounds, adding 10 points for her first collegiate double-double.
\n\tFinishing with 26 points against WKU (Jan. 8), Yenes notched her fourth game with 20 or more points, doing so on 12-for-15 shooting (80%).
\n\tOn Jan. 10, against MTSU, a trip to the free-throw line secured 500 career points for Yenes, the most of any Aggie on the 2025-26 roster.
\n\tThis season, she holds the eighth-highest single-game scoring output in CUSA, while ranking seventh in the league in scoring (14.2 points per game). The Spaniard leads the league in field goals made (101), ranks third in total points (256) and fifth in the conference in field-goal percentage (45.5).
\n\tWith a team-high 17 blocks on the season, Yenes is eighth in the conference in blocks per game (0.9), making her one of just 11 players in Conference USA to reach that mark.
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\nIMANI’S IMPACT<\/p>\n
\n\tImani Warren<\/a> has tallied a breakout season for the Crimson & White, setting a new career-high with 29 points against CUSA foe Liberty (Jan. 2) \u2013 the fifth-highest scoring output by a player in CUSA this season.
\n\tThis is the most by an Aggie since Molly Kaiser<\/a> tallied 35 against LA Tech in the 2024-25 campaign. \u00a0
\n\tHer 12 field goals made in the meeting with the Lady Flames are a career best. Three 3-pointers made also marked a personal best for the Milwaukee, Wis., native.
\n\tAgainst Utah Tech, Warren put in the go-ahead basket to secure the victory, finishing with 13 points and four rebounds to give the Aggies their first road win of the year.
\n\tHer three blocks against Fresno State (Nov. 28) were the most by an Aggie this season, later tying this mark against Western Kentucky (Jan. 8).
\n\tIn the matchup against the Bulldogs, she also tied a team high with six assists, matching a mark she previously set against New Mexico Highlands.
\n\tAgainst New Mexico Highlands (Nov. 11), the junior guard posted her first career double-double (15 points, 11 rebounds).
\n\tAgainst Eastern New Mexico (Dec. 29), Warren finished with eight made free throws \u2013 the most by an Aggie in a single game this season.
\n\tWarren currently leads the Aggies in steals (2.1 per game; 12th in CUSA) while tied for the team lead in assists per game (2.5; 14th in CUSA). She also ranks second on the team in made field goals (87; 5th in CUSA), scoring (12.5 points per game; 10th in CUSA), blocks (14; 15th in CUSA) and free throws made (44; 15th in CUSA). She is also third on the team in both total rebounds (69) and rebounds per game (3.8).
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\nWE WANT SOME MO<\/p>\n
\n\tJunior forward Morane Dossou<\/a> recorded a dominant performance against Saint Mary’s (Dec. 20), tallying 15 points (7-of-8 from the floor) while pulling down 17 rebounds, earning Conference USA Player of the Week honors.
\n\tThe Charleville-M\u00e9zi\u00e8res, France, native became the first Aggie to earn a conference player of the week award since Molly Kaiser<\/a> on Mar. 9, 2025.
\n\tAgainst Missouri State (Jan. 17), Dossou tallied her third double-double of the season, finishing with 10 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
\n\tDossou is one of just four players in the conference to tally 17 or more rebounds in a game this season, ranking ninth in Conference USA with 8.2 total rebounds per contest, and fifth in defensive rebounds per game (6.2).
\n\tAcross the nation, she ranks 95th in rebounds per contest.
\n\tEarning her first start with the Crimson & White against Southern Utah (Dec. 4), Dossou would finish with double-digit rebounds, pulling down 11 in just over 16 minutes of action.
\n\tFollowing a 13-rebound game against Missouri State (Jan. 17), the junior from France holds seven of the 10 double-digit rebound performances for NM State this season, with Lucia Lara<\/a> (Nov. 11), Imani Warren<\/a> (Nov. 11) and Luc\u00eda Yenes (Jan. 4) recording the others.
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\nWHAT’S YOURS IS OURS<\/p>\n
\n\tHeading into Thursday’s contest, NM State ranks 59th in Division I in steals per game (10.4).
\n\tAgainst Delaware (Jan. 4), the Aggies tallied 16 swipes, the most against Division I competition in a single game this season and tied for the second-most overall (ENMU, 17). Recording at least eight steals in each of the past 12 games, this includes nine contests with 10 or more swipes.
\n\tImani Warren<\/a> leads the team with 2.1 steals per contest, good for 12th in Conference USA. Luc\u00eda Yenes (1.6 steals per game, 17th) and Emma Christiano<\/a> (18th, 1.6) also rank among the conference’s best.
\n\tThe Aggies also rank 92nd in the nation in turnovers forced per game (18.9).
\n\tForcing 29 turnovers against ENMU (Dec. 29), this became the most in a single game for the Crimson & White since Jan. 16, 2025, against FIU (30).
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\nHEATING UP<\/p>\n
\n\tPosting six 3-pointers made against Liberty on Jan. 2, the team tied a season-high in makes from deep for the third time this season (Dec. 4, Dec. 20).
\n\tIn the Aggies’ first five contests of the season, the squad combined to make 11 triples while shooting 20.3% from beyond the arc. In conference action, NM State averages 3.8 makes a contest, including three games with four or more makes.
\n\tAnna Csenyi<\/a> paces the Aggies in the past nine contests, netting 14 3-pointers on 35.0% shooting.
\n\tIn conference play, freshman Keira Hudson<\/a> has notched eight makes from long range at a 53.3% shooting clip.
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\n\tHead Coach Rick Pietri leads Jacksonville State, now in his 13th season with the Gamecocks. Holding a 190-180 record with Jax State, Pietri was also head coach at his alma mater South Alabama for 13 seasons, leading to a 410-347 all-time record. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tLast week, Jax State visited Kennesaw State for its lone matchup of the week, toppling the Owls 74-47.
\n\tFifth-year forward Mya Barnes is the engine for the Gamecocks, leading the team in scoring (11.6 points per game), 3-point percentage (40.0), rebounds (6.7), blocks (1.1) and steals (1.1).
\n\tJax State possesses one of the stingiest defenses in the conference, ranking second in points allowed (57.6 per game), and the third-lowest field goal percentage against (39.3).
\n\tThe Gamecocks lead the conference in 3-pointers made (141), averaging 8.3 per contest, while also leading in 3-point attempts (447). Middle Tennessee ranks second in both attempts (369) and makes (123).
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