UTAH VALLEY TRAVELS TO PLAY WAC LEADER NEW MEXICO STATE ON THURSDAY NIGHT IN LAS CRUCES

• The Wolverines travel to the Land of Enchantment to begin a two-game road swing on Thursday against WAC frontrunner New Mexico State. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. (MST). UVU will then continue play in the southwest against UT Rio Grande Valley on Saturday night in Edinburg, Texas.
   
• Baylee Steele recorded his third double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds to lead Utah Valley to a 79-61 win over WAC newcomer California Baptist on Jan. 30 at the UCCU Center. Steele's double-double was his second consecutive game as he shot a near perfect 5-of-6 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free throw line. Jake Toolson connected on five threes in the opening half on his way to finishing with a team high 17 points. Isaiah White and TJ Washington joined them in double figures with 15 and11 points, respectively. Washington also had a team-high four assists.
   
• Jake Toolson tied the UVU record for consecutive free throws made as he successfully made his 41st straight shot from the charity stripe against New Mexico State on Jan. 19. He tied Holton Hunsaker's streak of 41 set during the 2011-12 season. Toolson then missed what would have been his 42nd straight free throw as he finished the NM State game with a 2-of-3 clip at the charity stripe. Toolson leads the WAC with an 88.9 percent mark (56-of-63) from the free throw line this season. He ranks 30th nationally at the line. He has knocked down 55 of his last 59 free throws.
   
• Jake Toolson leads Utah Valley in scoring at 16.5 points per game, followed closely behind by Conner Toolson at 13.0 points a contest. The Toolson duo has scored nearly 40 percent of UVU's points this season. Jake has been impressive from the floor, shooting 57.6 percent (133-of-231), including a team-best 47.3 percent (44-of-93) clip from three-point range. He also leads UVU with an 87.5 percent (70-of-80) clip from the free throw line. Baylee Steele leads UVU on the boards, pulling down 6.9 rebounds a game, while TJ Washington leads the team in assists at 4.0 a game.
   
• Utah Valley ranks in the top-50 in two statistical team categories and two individual categories. The Wolverines rank 18th in field-goal percentage (48.8) and 42nd in three-point field goal percentage (37.7). Jake Toolson individually ranks in the top-50 in two categories. He ranks 29th nationally in free throw percentage (87.5) and 39th in field goal percentage (57.8). According to KenPom.com, Toolson ranks third in the nation in true shooting percentage (71.6) and 16th nationally in effective field goal percentage (67.4). 

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Thursday's game at New Mexico State will be broadcast live on numerous platforms listed below. Adam Young and Rus Bradburd will be on the call for the television broadcast.  The game will also be broadcast over the radio waves as Jim McCulloch enters his ninth season as the Voice of the Wolverines. Jason Erickson will be handling the color commentary duties on the radio. The radio broadcast will be aired live on ESPN 960AM radio. A live stream of the radio broadcast will also be available at ESPN960Sports.com.
 

TV Station	Channel
Eleven Sports	DirecTV: 623
FOX Sports Arizona PLUS	DISH: 443 SD  |  9581 HD  |  DISH Hopper: 412-31  |  DirecTV: 686-2 SD & HD
FOX Sports Prime Ticket (LA area)	DISH: 411  |   DirecTV: 693
FOX Sports San Diego	DISH: 408  |  DirecTV: 694
FOX Sports Southwest PLUS	DISH: 442 SD  |  9580 HD  |  DISH Hopper: 412-30  |  DirecTV: 676-1 SD & HD
FOX College Sports Pacific

FOX Sports Arizona will replay the game Thursday, February 14 at 2 am (late Thursday night going into Friday).
Live-Streams: twitch.tv/elevensportsnext  |  WACsports.com/Watch  |  FOX Sports App

ABOUT NEW MEXICO STATE
New Mexico State enters Thursday's contest against the Wolverines with a 20-4 overall record and a 9-1 mark in WAC play. The team's only blemish on its WAC schedule was an 82-76 setback at California Baptist on Jan. 3. Since that loss, NM State has won nine straight games. The Aggies sit atop the WAC standings at 9-1, followed by Grand Canyon at 7-3 and Utah Valley at 5-3. The Aggies swept a two-game road trip last week, defeating CSU Bakersfield 71-70 in overtime before downing Grand Canyon 67-64. The Aggies have a deep bench as the squad utilizes 14 players in its rotation. The team leads the WAC and ranks seventh nationally in rebound margin at 8.5. NM State hits the offensive boards, averaging 13.46 a game, which ranks 15th nationally. The team also ranks 31st in the country in three-point field goal attempts at 650 this season. Junior guard Terrell Brown leads the Aggies in scoring at 12.0 points a game. Redshirt junior guard AJ Harris also averages double figures at 10.5 points a contest. Redshirt senior forward Eli Chuha leads the team on the boards at 7.0 per game. As a team, NM State averages 77.08 points a game while limiting opponents to a 65.67 points per game average.

SERIES HISTORY VS. NM STATE
Utah Valley and New Mexico State meet up on the basketball hardwood for the 12th time on Thursday night. NM State holds an all-time 8-3 advantage in the series dating back to 2014. The two teams have split the regular season series in each of the last two seasons. Utah Valley is the only current WAC member to defeat the Aggies in each of the last two seasons and is the only team in the WAC to defeat the Aggies in Las Cruces.  NM State holds an all-time 4-1 advantage in games played at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces. The Aggies won the first game of this season's two-game series, 83-78, in Orem on Jan. 19. Three of UVU's last five games against the Aggies have been decided by six or less points.

All-Time Results vs. NM State (NMSU leads 8-3)
Jan. 19, 2019    New Mexico State def. Utah Valley, 83-78        Orem, Utah
Feb. 15, 2018    Utah Valley def. New Mexico State, 86-79        Orem, Utah
Jan. 20, 2018    New Mexico State def. Utah Valley, 86-59        Las Cruces, N.M.
Feb. 23, 2017    Utah Valley def. New Mexico State, 84-72        Las Cruces, N.M.
Jan. 28, 2017    New Mexico State def. Utah Valley, 74-69        Orem, Utah
Feb. 06, 2016    New Mexico State def. Utah Valley, 98-74        Las Cruces, N.M.
Jan. 07, 2016    New Mexico State def. Utah Valley, 78-66        Orem, Utah
Feb. 19, 2015    New Mexico State def. Utah Valley, 51-38        Orem, Utah
Jan. 24, 2015    New Mexico State def. Utah Valley, 69-44        Las Cruces, N.M.
Feb. 27, 2014    Utah Valley def. New Mexico State, 66-61        Orem, Utah
Feb. 01, 2014    New Mexico State def. Utah Valley, 72-49        Las Cruces, N.M.