Women's Basketball News

Written by: NMSU Athletic Dept.

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - New Mexico State University Athletics Director Dr. McKinley Boston announced Thursday, Apr. 24 that he and head women's basketball coach Darin Spence have come to terms on a new three-year contract that includes incentives to earn a fourth year.

Spence's new deal increases his salary from last season by 10 percent effective July 1 with competitive incentives built in to reward team and academic success. In order to earn a fourth season on the contract, Spence's Aggies must accomplish one of the following in the 2008-09 basketball season: finish first, second or third in the WAC regular season standings, win the WAC Tournament, reach the WNIT, or win at least 17 games.

Several bonuses are available for Spence that would reward him for winning the WAC regular season title, winning the WAC Tournament, having a good APR standing, a good team GPA and if the Aggies make the NCAA Tournament.

Written by: Jason Groves/Sun-News Reporter

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - The view is different from the top.

After falling short as a Cinderella team the last two conference tournaments, the New Mexico State University women's basketball team is taking a different approach to the Western Athletic Conference Tournament this year. Hopefully, this route will result in the Aggies' first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1987-88.

The Aggies have never won a tournament championship and are attempting a run at their first conference title since the 1994-95 Sun Belt championship.

"The seniors have been to two championship games already so they know how to get there and we just have to keep building off that and hopefully finish it," Aggies freshman guard Madison Spence said.

Written by: Teddy Feinberg/Sun-News Sports Editor

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - The New Mexico State women's basketball team will try to pick up its 18th win tonight, when they host the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters at 7 at the Pan American Center.

NMSU enters the contest at 17-6 overall, 7-3 in the Western Athletic Conference. Louisiana Tech comes in at 11-12, 5-5 in the WAC.

Roles have been slightly reversed from past years, as NMSU finds itself looking down at the Lady Techsters in the standings as opposed to the other way around. Louisiana Tech has traditionally been a national power, using the WAC as a personal punching bag on its way to the top of the standings.

The Aggies still have a great deal of respect for the Lady Techster program and hope to continue building on what has been, thus far, a productive season.

"I'm always fired up to go against Louisiana Tech," forward Sherell Neal said. "Besides UNM, they're probably my favorite school to play against.

Written by: Jason Groves/Sun-News Reporter

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - Basketball coaches talk about defending home court and stealing games on the road.

The New Mexico State University women's basketball team did its job at home and the Aggies are 6-2 and in third place in the Western Athletic Conference as a result. The Aggies finish the WAC schedule with five of their last seven on the road, starting with tonight's game at Idaho.

NMSU then hopes to complete a sweep of second-place Boise State (7-2) on Saturday.

"It's huge if you want to win the league," Aggies head coach Darin Spence said. "If you get four, or at least three road wins and you win your home games, you give yourself a chance."

The Aggies (16-5, 6-2 WAC) are hoping to win their seventh WAC game, which would be a season high since joining the league in 2005.

Written by: Jason Groves/Sun-News Reporter

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - This season has been no surprise for New Mexico State University women's basketball coach Darin Spence.

With a home victory tonight against Western Athletic Conference rival Hawaii, the Aggies will secure their first winning record since the 2002-03 season.

In order to do so, the Aggies (14-5, 4-2 WAC) will have to avoid a mini-slump after losing two of their last three on the road, most recently, an 83-76 overtime loss at Nevada. The Aggies led most of the way and by as many as 14 in the first half.

"We competed, but we didn't do enough to win," Spence said. "In the second half, we kept going inside, but we weren't getting to the free-throw line like we were in the first half. Once they knew were weren't getting fouled, they could start pressuring our guards more."

Not only are the wins evidence of an improved program, but Spence points to the losses.

"We are in every game," he said.

Written by: Jason Groves/Sun-News Reporter

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - Scoring the basketball has never been a problem for Hannah Spanich.

Spanich scored 23.9 points and 12.3 rebounds per game as a senior at Victory Christian High School in Tulsa, Okla., her senior year, before signing with New Mexico State University.

The 6-foot Spanich came off the bench as a freshman last year and after a successful summer, found her way into the starting lineup for the first five games this season. Aggies head coach Darin Spence moved Spanich into a reserve role after a 72-66 loss to Texas-El Paso on Nov. 28. She seems to have settled in for the 14-5 Aggies.

"I showed improvement this summer and we (herself and Spence) talked and I told him I didn't want to start unless I earned it and can really produce," Spanich said.

Spanich has been redefining career highs as a sophomore in just about the same amount of playing time per game as last year.

Written by: Teddy Feinberg/Sun-News Sports Editor

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - The New Mexico State women's basketball team finds itself in unfamiliar territory entering their game tonight against Utah State in Logan, Utah. That is, coming off a loss.

NMSU dropped its most recent game, a 57-50 defeat at the hands of Louisiana Tech. It was just the fourth loss of the season for the Aggies and the team's first within the Western Athletic Conference. NMSU stands at 13-4 overall, 3-1 in the WAC, good enough for second in the conference behind Fresno State (10-8, 5-0).

"I thought even leading up to Louisiana Tech, with the practices, that we took a big step backwards," NMSU coach Darin Spence said. "We didn't have that sense of urgency that we've had all year. It's human nature. Trying to win our sixth game in a row, that's tough to do. And I think the loss snapped us back to reality."

Written by: WAC Media Relations

DENVER, CO - New Mexico State senior Sherell Neal has been named the Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for her play during the week of Jan. 7-13.

Neal, from Phoenix, Ariz. (Alhambra HS), helped New Mexico State to a 3-0 conference start with victories over Boise State and Utah State last week.

The senior forward tied a career high with 18 rebounds in addition to 14 points and two steals in a win over Boise State. Neal’s 18 boards against the Broncos ties the WAC’s single-game rebound mark this season. The double-double against Boise State is Neal’s eighth of the season and 33rd of her career. She followed up her performance against the Broncos with an 18-point, six-rebound effort against Utah State. Neal also dished out a season-high four assists in the win over the Aggies.

On the week, Neal averaged 16.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. She also registered a 90 percent clip (9-10) from the free throw line and shot 50.0 percent (11-22) from the field.

Written by: NMSU Athletic Dept.

ATLANTA, GA - Senior forward Sherell Neal of the New Mexico State women’s basketball team was named to the 2007-08 Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List, presented by AT&T, as was announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.

Neal, who is the WAC’s active career leading scorer and rebounder with 1,107 points and 809 rebounds, has helped guide the Aggies to an 8-2 start to the season, which is tied for the third best start in program history. She currently ranks in the top 10 in the WAC in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, steals and blocked shots.

In the Aggies' first game of the season Neal scored a season high 19 points to push her over 1,000 career points, becoming the 16th Aggie ever to do so. Her 809 career rebounds has her in seventh place on the Aggies all-time list and she currently ranks second in career blocked shots with 111.

Written by: NMSU Athletic Dept.

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - New Mexico State women's basketball head coach Darin Spence announced Wednesday, Nov. 14 that he has signed three players to national letters of intent to attend school and play basketball for the Aggies beginning in the 2008-09 season.

Guard Taylor Altenburg, guard Kaitlyn Soto and forward Tabytha Wampler are all set to come to NMSU after stellar prep and club careers.

Spence is excited by the three additions to his team, as he loses his five seniors following this 2007-08 season.

"All three of the players will be a good fit for us," Spence said. "The three of them are quality, hard-nosed kids that are good athletes and come from good high school programs. They also got great experience from club basketball where the three of them played for some of the better club teams in the country."