Senior guard Khristian Lander (4) drives the ball past

WKU Mens Basketball will travel to New Mexico on Thursday to take on the New Mexico State Aggies at 8:00 pm CT.

WKU, who are currently sitting at second place in the conference, look to carry the momentum picked up against Jacksonville State as the Hilltoppers got their eighth straight home win with an 80-69 victory over the Gamecocks.

The Aggies come into the game 4-6 in their last ten, picking up losses to Louisville, New Mexico, both on the road and at home, Stephen F. Austin, Tulsa, and Florida International. New Mexico State also comes into the game with an even .500 record in conference play. 

However, much like the Hilltoppers, the Aggies are a significantly improved team when playing in front of their home crowd. New Mexico State comes into the game with only one loss in the Pan American Center.

The Hilltoppers come into the contest averaging 73.3 points per game, having recently moved up to number two in all of Division I college basketball for Possessions per 40 Minutes. In contrast, the Aggies play a far slower pace of basketball averaging almost 10 possessions less than the Hilltoppers. 

The man leading the charge for Western Kentucky is Junior Guard Don McHenry. The Milwaukee native is averaging 14.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on nearly 50-40-90 shooting splits.

Senior Guard Femi Odukale has taken the reins for the Aggies. In his 11 games with the team, Odukale is averaging 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists.

Aggie guard Jordan Rawls will be a familiar face to Hilltopper faithful as the guard spent three years on the hill. In his time as an Aggie, Rawls is averaging 8.1 points on almost 30 minutes of playing time per game.

This is only Western Kentucky’s second matchup versus New Mexico State, as this is the Aggies first year in Conference-USA. The Aggies migrated from the Western Athletic Conference after appearing in the conference title game 11 times in the last 13 years, claiming victory in nine of them.

The only time the two teams faced was on Jan. 29, 2005, when the Hilltoppers claimed a 77-75 win on the road. 

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