Lobos host Eastern New Mexico in exhibition
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| NEW MEXICO LOBOS |
EASTERN NEW MEXICO GREYHOUNDS |
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Sunday, November 4 | 2 p.m. |
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Tipping Off
The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team is set to take part in their second and final exhibition game in preparation for their 2018-19 season-opener against Texas State on Friday, November 9. That game will be played at Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit in Albuquerque as part of the preseason WNIT Tournament. The final tuneup for the Lobos will be against NCAA Division II-member Eastern New Mexico. This will be the third-straight season that the Lobos and Greyhounds will play each other in an exhibition game and the seventh time since 2007-08. Under Bradbury, the Lobos are 5-0 in exhibition games with two of those wins coming against Eastern New Mexico.
In their first exhibition game this season, the Lobos took on DII power Lubbock Christian. In what was a very competitive game, the Lobos eventually built a double-digit lead heading into halftime and then were able to hold off a strong comeback effort by LCU in the fourth quarter. A pair of Lobos scored in double figures in that exhibition with senior Jaisa Nunn leading the way with 17 points. Nunn also added nine rebounds. Redshirt junior Aisia Robertson followed in points with 15 in her first game action after sitting last season as a transfer. Sophomore Jaedyn De La Cerda and freshman Shai McGruder were sparks off the bench with 17 combined points.
Lobos Picked 5th in Preseason MW Poll
The Mountain West recently released its annual preseason predicted order of finish ahead of the 2018-19 women’s basketball season and UNM was picked fifth behind preseason favorite Boise State, UNLV, Fresno State and Wyoming. The Lobos were just eight points back of Wyoming as UNM garnered 150 points in the rankings.
Nunn Named Preseason All-MW
Senior center Jaisa Nunn continues to solicit a lot of preseason attention and deservedly so based off of her stellar junior season. The most-recent accolade to come Nunn’s way is inclusion on the 2018-19 Preseason All-Mountain West Team.
UNM and UCONN
In their first exhibition game of the season against NCAA Division II perennial power Lubbock Christian, the University of New Mexico did something to LCU that only one of the Division I women’s basketball team has done; that’s beat the Lady Chaps in an exhibition. Prior to the Lobos’ 62-55 win over Lubbock Christian, LCU was 4-1 all-time in exhibition games versus DI opponents with the lone loss coming at the hands of UCONN in 2015.
Nunn Like Her
Jaisa Nunn set herself apart from many of her counterparts last season as the rising senior was the lone player in the Mountain West to average a double (points/rebounds). In her junior campaign, Nunn was the team’s leading scorer and ranked second in the MW with 17.0 ppg while also topping the team and league in rebounds at 10.2 Already a 1,000-point career scorer, Nunn is within striking distance of becoming a 1,000-rebounder as well. The most rebounds in a career is 982 held by Carol Moreland. Nunn is already in the Top-10 all time at UNM, ranking 10th with 654.
Nunn Named to Lisa Leslie Watch List
Prior to the 2018-19 season tip-off, UNM senior Jaisa Nunn been named to the preseason watch list for the 2019 Lisa Leslie Award. Entering its second year and named after the three-time All-American and 1994 National Player of the Year, the Lisa Leslie Award recognizes the top centers in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball and is a part of the larger Naismith Starting 5, honoring the best players at each position. Nunn is among 20 to be on the initial watch list, and is one of two from the Mountain West.
Looking To Build Off Last season
Last season was a breakout year for the University of New Mexico women’s basketball team under the direction of second-year head coach Mike Bradbury as the 2017-18 Lobos went 25-11. It was the only the second time in the last nine years that a UNM women’s basketball team won at least 20 games and the 25 wins tied for the second-most wins in a season in program history.
0 – 90+
Last season, the Lobos averaged 80.4 points per game to lead the Mountain West and rank 16th in DI. Prior to last year, the women’s basketball program at UNM had registered 37 games of scoring 90 or more points. In 2017-18 alone, the Lobos achieved that scoring feat 10 times and one three occasions went over the century mark.
Dialing Long Distance
The Lobos’ high-powered offense was spurred on last season by the 3-point shot. In that regard, UNM attempted the eighth-most 3-pointers in the country with 932 tries from long range. The Lobos also buried them rather often as they made 319 to rank 11th in DI.
Young Talent Abound
Only one starter from the 2017-18 team returns this season for the Lobos, leaving a significant amount of playing time. While the Lobos do return seven letterwinners from last year, they also hauled in a highly-touted recruiting class that was ranked as high as No. 19 by ESPNW. Among that class, the Lobos inked four prospects that were rated at least 3-Star by ESPNW. The highest ranked among that incoming freshman class was Jayla Everett. The St. Louis native was ranked the No. 27 guard and 94th overall in the 2018 class. Outside of Everett, the Lobos will benefit from the services of fellow incoming freshmen Quincy Noble, Bre’Asisajah Mathews, Ahlise Hurst and Shaiquel McGruder.
Impact Transfers
In looking to replace the starters from last year, the Lobos also turned to transfers and added three DI transfers over the summer. New to the program are Nike McClure (Washington State), Najala Howell (UTEP), and Bride Kennedy-Hopoate (Iowa State). That trio joins Kansas-transfer Aisia Robertson, who will be eligible to play this season after sitting out last season. Only McClure will eligible to play this season as a graduate transfer while Kennedy-Hopoate and Howell will sit this season as Robertson did last year.
There’s No Place Like Home
Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit is nationally recognized as one of the top basketball venues for college basketball. Need proof?! How about Sports Illustrated ranking it as one of the Top-20 sporting venues, of any sport, in the world for the 20th century!
Yes, The Pit is truly a special place, and it has created an unparalleled environment for the New Mexico women’s basketball program over the years. The Lobos have led the Mountain West in attendance every year of the conference’s existence since the 1999-00 season. Additionally, during that same span, the program has ranked in the Top-20 nationally in attendance in each of those years.
Wanna talk records?! The UNM women’s basketball team is an impressive 405-205 at home all-time, a winning percentage of .664 heading into the 2018-19 season.
Student-Athlete Spirit
Academic excellence has become the norm for the New Mexico women’s basketball. The Lobos are regularly taking home Mountain West Academic all-conference and Scholar-Athlete awards, but they shine in national academic rankings as well. For seven of the last 10 seasons, and nine of the last 13 seasons, UNM has finished in the WBCA’s Academic Top 25 rankings. This past season, outgoing senior Cherise Beynon earned the highest individual academic honor as she was the CoSIDA Academic All-America® of the Year for DI Women’s Basketball.
Lobos From Near and Far
The Lobo women’s basketball roster has a mixture of athletes from near and far on its 2018-19 roster. The Lobos have players from eight different states and two by way of the international route. The Lobos feature players from California, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas and Washington. Additionally, the Lobos have a pair of players from “Down Under” in Australia.