With both NM State and UTEP clinging to the bottom of the standings, Saturday’s Battle of I-10 in Las Cruces may decide whose season continues — and whose ends early.
By Levi Gwaltney
Photos: Courtesy
For decades, the Battle of I-10 has been framed as a rivalry first and a basketball game second.
Saturday night inside the Pan American Center, it may be something else entirely.
It may be a survival game.
Saturday, February 21 at 7:00 p.m.
- Las Cruces, NM Pan American Center
Radio: 99.5 FM KXPZ / 96.7 FM La Equis
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When New Mexico State and UTEP met earlier this month in El Paso, the Aggies controlled nearly 35 minutes of game action — only to watch it unravel in the closing moments of regulation and overtime in a 91–88 loss to the Miners. A late three-pointer forced extra time, and a decisive 10–2 run in overtime allowed UTEP to escape with its second straight win over NM State for the first time in 14 years.
The Aggies left the Don Haskins Center with more than a rivalry loss.
They left with a warning.
Now, with the regular season winding down, New Mexico State finds itself staring at what can only be described as a “five and dime” record — five wins and ten losses in Conference USA play — tied for last place with two other teams in the 12-team league.
Just above them sits UTEP at 6–9.
Only the top ten teams advance to the Conference USA Tournament.
Do the math.
Saturday’s matchup isn’t just about bragging rights or tradition. It’s about avoiding a season that ends before March even begins.
NM State enters the rematch off a bounce-back 79–70 road win over Jacksonville State and will look to defend its home floor after falling in overtime in the first meeting on Feb. 7. The Aggies have leaned heavily on senior guard Jemel Jones in recent weeks, with the team’s leading scorer averaging 22.8 points over his last four contests while shooting 53 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range during that stretch.
Graduate forward Julius Mims has anchored the Aggies on the glass, averaging 9.1 rebounds per game — the top mark in Conference USA — while recording six double-doubles in league play.
Still, the margin for error remains thin.
UTEP rallied from a 10-point deficit with just over six minutes remaining in the first meeting before forcing overtime on a clutch three-pointer with 4.4 seconds left. The Miners then seized control in the extra period, briefly building a nine-point lead before holding off a late Aggie push at the free-throw line.
NM State led for nearly 35 of the game’s 45 minutes.
UTEP led when it mattered most.
Now the scene shifts to Las Cruces for the 227th meeting between the longtime rivals — and perhaps the most consequential in recent memory for two teams trying to claw their way out of the Conference USA cellar.
Saturday’s contest marks the latest chapter in a coaching rivalry that stretches back more than a decade, as NM State’s Jason Hooten and UTEP’s Joe Golding face off for the 25th time since first meeting at Sam Houston and Abilene Christian, respectively. Hooten holds a 16–8 advantage in those matchups, though Golding claimed the most recent decision earlier this month.
Momentum may belong to NM State after its midweek win.
The standings do not.
With both programs hovering near the tournament cut line, the stakes are no longer abstract.
One team will take a step toward postseason survival.
The other may take a step toward an early offseason.
Game Program
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