LIBERTY, NEW MEXICO STATE SEEK CONFERENCE USA MOMENTUM

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (Interstat) — The Liberty Lady Flames and New Mexico State Aggies open their Conference USA women’s basketball schedules Friday night at the Pan American Center, each looking to steady their seasons.

Liberty (6-5) enters with a winning record but has dropped three straight, including a 57-64 loss at Oregon State on Dec. 20. The Lady Flames’ offense has struggled during the skid, failing to reach 62 points in each defeat.

Guard Avery Mills will be central to Liberty’s efforts to reverse that trend. The standout scored 24 points in a narrow road win over George Mason on Dec. 7 and led the team with 14 points in the loss at Oregon State. Her scoring punch will be vital against an Aggies defense allowing an average of 62.2 points per game.

New Mexico State (4-8) snapped a two-game losing streak with a 52-48 overtime victory over Eastern New Mexico on Monday. The Aggies have found consistency hard to come by but have shown resilience at home, winning three of their last four in Las Cruces.

The Aggies will rely heavily on guard Imani Warren, who is coming off an 18-point, 4-assist performance in the overtime win. Warren has been a bright spot, averaging 14.7 points over her last six contests and providing steady backcourt leadership.

This matchup represents a fresh start in league play for both programs. Liberty holds the better overall record, but its recent offensive woes and a 1-3 mark in true road games this season offer an opening for the Aggies. New Mexico State will need to capitalize on its home court and find secondary scoring behind Warren to challenge a Liberty team seeking to end its December slide.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. MST Friday. The game is the conference opener for both teams. Liberty travels to face UTEP on Sunday, while New Mexico State hosts Delaware.