 |
 |
| NEW MEXICO LOBOS 18-2 (8-1 MW) |
SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS 7-12 (2-6 MW) |
|
Wednesday, February 6 | Noon (MT) |
|
Tipping Off
Off to their best 20-game start in program history at 18-2, the University of New Mexico women’s basketball team is preparing for one of their most unique challenges of the season, a mid-week matinee tip-off on the road at San Diego State. The Lobos and Aztecs are scheduled to play this unique conference game this Wednesday at 11 a.m. (PT) due to a “Field Trip Day” promotion by SDSU. This will also be the second meeting of the season between the two teams with UNM claiming the first contest 70-62 in Albuquerque back on January 16. Tied atop the Mountain West standings at 8-1, the Lobos will also be looking for their first win at SDSU under head coach Mike Bradbury.
The Aztecs are currently 7-12 overall and 2-6 in MW play, ninth in league standings. SDSU is coming off of a one-point win at home over San Jose State in their most-recent action. That win snapped a four-game skid for the Aztecs that began with the aforementioned initial meeting this season against the Lobos.
Statistically, the Aztecs have the fifth-highest scoring average in the league at 66.8 ppg and the ninth-ranked scoring defense at 69.2 ppg. Their -2.4 scoring margin is sixth in the MW. Individually, the Aztecs have four players averaging double figures with Sophia Ramos leading the way at 14.4 ppg. Naje Murray is just off that pace at 14.3 ppg.
Best 20-game Start in Program History
20 games into the season and the Lobos are an impressive 18-2 overall, marking the best 20-game start in program history. The previous best 20-game start was a 16-4 record. That mark was achieved in 2017-18 and 2008-09.
#PackingThePit
Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit is one of the legendary venues for Division I college basketball in the country, not just for men’s but also for women’s. In the 20th year of the Mountain West, the UNM women’s basketball team has led the league and ranked in the Top-20 nationally in attendance each year. The 2018-19 season has been no different. Currently, the Lobos are the top drawing team in the league and rank 17th nationally at average of 5,091 fans a game. In their most-recent home game against Fresno State, the Lobos brought in 8,068 fans. It was their highest attendance since 2015.
Nike – Just Doing it All
Senior transfer Nike McClure has brought so much to the Lobos this season and fans have taken notice. At 6-3 with athleticism and energy to burn, McClure has endeared herself to fans for her relentless effort on the court, particularly on defense. Known this year for her ability to block shots and rebound, McClure has willingly taken a back seat on the offensive end having scored two or fewer points nine times.
While that is likely still the case, McClure broke out for her best game offensively against Fresno State. In the game, McClure scored a season-high 14 points and was a perfect 7-of-7 from the field. On the season, McClure is averaging just 3.6 ppg, and prior to the Fresno game, her highest scoring game was eight points against Sacramento State.
Everett Clutch vs. Utah State
True freshman Jayla Everett played beyond her experience in the Lobos’ road game at Utah State and was absolutely clutch with the game on the line. Everett would go on to score a game-high 22 points, but the final five were the most important. With the score tied at 62-all with 51 seconds to go, Everett swished her sixth three-pointer of the game to give the Lobos the lead. She would help keep UNM out in front for the victory as she added two free throws in the final seconds as well.
Lobos Loading up on MW Player of Week
Earlier this season, the Lobos had a stranglehold on Mountain West Player of the Week as three out of the first four weeks were Lobos that earned the award. Additionally, the awards came in succession beginning with Jaisa Nunn (11/19). Aisia Robertson (11/26) followed the next week and Ahlise Hurst (12/3) capped the three-week run. It was the second time in as many seasons that the Lobos had three-consecutive.
MW Player of the Week honors.
UNM did not receive another weekly honor the next seven weeks, but freshman Jayla Everett became the fourth Lobo to earn MW Player of the Week for the final week of January. A week after that,
Nunn repeated as league player of the week, giving the Lobos five this season.
Balanced Scoring
The Lobos have played 20 games this season and have shown that their offensive production can come from a number of different places on any given game. Thus far, the Lobos have had six different leading scorers. Two of those have been efforts off the bench by Jaedyn De La Cerda and Madi Washington. An even more impressive note on the balanced scoring is the fact that the Lobos have had the same leading scorer in consecutive games just twice this year. Each time it has been Aisia Robertson (vs. NMSU (23 pts), 12-1-18; UTEP (20 pts), 12-5-18 & vs. San Diego St. (19 pts, 1/16/19; at Wyoming (24 pts), 1/19/19).
Assists by Aisia
In 20 games, redshirt junior Aisia Robertson has been an assist machine. With 143 total assists currently, Robertson has not had fewer than four dimes in a game, and against Oklahoma, Robertson
set a new single-game record with 16 assists. Her assists per game are currently fifth in NCAA DI while her total assists are also ranked fifth.
Block Party Hosted By McClure
Length and athleticism were projected to be a newfound strength of the 2018-19 Lobos and thus far, senior transfer Nike McClure has exemplified that on the court. In the season-opener against Texas State, McClure blocked six shots on her own as the Lobos would end the night with a new school-record 16. Against Oklahoma, McClure swatted nine shot attempts by the Sooners to set a new single-game high for herself as a Lobo. McClure’s 50 total blocked shots is currently 13th in DI, while her 2.7 blocks per game is 11th in the country. As a team, the Lobos are second in the country in blocked shots per game.
Nunn’s Climb Up the All-Time Scoring List
Senior center Jaisa Nunn became the 22nd player in school history to score 1,000-career points at the end of her junior season. She ended that year 19th on the all-time scoring list. In her senior season, Nunn has the chance to climb the ranks even higher. She is currently 9th with 1,342 points.
Cleaning the Glass
Already a 1,000-point career scorer and climbing up the all-time ranks at UNM, Jaisa Nunn is also climbing the all-time list for rebounding at UNM. The program record for the most rebounds in a career is 982 held by Carol Moreland. Nunn currently ranks 3rd with 830. Now that she has eclipsed 800 rebounds, Nunn is one of three players all-time with over 1,000-career points and 800-career rebounds.
Hurst Sets Freshman Scoring Record
In just her fifth collegiate game and making her second start as a Lobo, true freshman Ahlise Hurst etched her name in the UNM and Mountain West women’s basketball record books against Oklahoma has she set a new freshman record for points in a game with 39. The previous record was 35 points by Yvonne McKinnon against Adams State in 1982.
Hurst, who had been averaging 5.8 ppg heading into the contest, heated up quickly as she surpassed her previous single-game high in scoring in just the first quarter as she had 12 points. For the game Hurst’s 39 points came on 14-of-24 shooting overall and 9-of-17 from three-point range.
Her nine three’s are the second-most makes from long distance in a game in school history.
3-x-1
In UNM’s road game at Houston, redshirt junior point guard Aisia Robertson did something only three other Lobo women’s basketball players have done, and that’s post a triple-double in a game. It was the seventh overall in program history and the first in the career of Robertson. Former players Cherise Beynon (3 times), Carol Moreland (twice) and Jean Rostermundt account for the other six
instances.