The No.1-seeded New Mexico State Aggies (23-9) take on the No.2-seeded Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners (23-8) in the third round of the WAC tournament at Orleans Arena. The game gets underway at 11:00 pm ET on Saturday, Mar. 12 and will air on ESU and ES3.
The Aggies were victorious over UMKC 78-64 in the 2. Pascal Siakam played a key role, recording 18 points and 11 rebounds to notch his 26th double-double this season. The Roadrunners, meanwhile, are coming off a 72-47 win over Seattle in the 2. Kevin Mays led the game in scoring with 18 points on 6-for-11 shooting.
Over the last five games, Mays has been on a tear for the Roadrunners. During that stretch, he has averaged 14.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.8 steals.
Points could be at a premium in this matchup between two of the nation’s best defenses. New Mexico State ranks third in the nation in defensive efficiency (93.7), while Cal State Bakersfield is second (92.9). Also, the Roadrunners commit the seventh-fewest errors in the nation (TO% of 17.9%), while the gambling defense of the Aggies causes the 11th-most (opponents’ TO% of 16.4%).
The Aggies have won both contests against the Roadrunners this season, but dropped their most recent game, a 78-64 blowout. Mays was a standout player in the game, producing 18 points, six rebounds, one assist, five steals, and two blocks.
Notes
Cal State Bakersfield won its last game by a 25-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, New Mexico State is 10-2. Cal State Bakersfield is 11-1 in blowouts this season.
The New Mexico State Aggies have a defensive rating of 93.7 (ranked third), while the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners have an offensive rating of 107.3 (ranked 145th).
New Mexico State has an average field goal percentage of 46.8%. Cal State Bakersfield is a losing 1-2 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The New Mexico State Aggies and the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. New Mexico State is 124th and 47th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Cal State Bakersfield ranks 199th and 118th in these categories.
Cal State Bakersfield ranks 38th in assists, recording 15.9 per game. New Mexico State performs worse at 104th with 14.4 assists per game.
New Mexico State ranks 34th in blocks per game with 4.9 and Cal State Bakersfield ranks 27th with 5.1 blocks per game.
New Mexico State ranks 76th in offensive rebounding. Cal State Bakersfield ranks 127th in defensive rebounding.
The Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners average 8.1 steals per game, ranked 17th in the nation. The New Mexico State Aggies have a 3-2 record when they give up at least 8 steals.
