Lobos host league-leading Bulldogs in The Pit on Saturday
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| NEW MEXICO LOBOS 12-11 (3-7 MW) |
FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS 17-4 (10-0 MW) |
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Saturday, February 1 | 2 p.m. (MT) |
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Tipping Off
Another stiff conference challenge awaits the University of New Mexico women’s basketball team this weekend as the Lobos are set to host league-leading Fresno State on Saturday afternoon inside Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit. This will be the second meeting of the season between the Lobos and Bulldogs and the Lobos will be looking to exact some revenge as they had a double-digit fourth quarter lead slip away as the Bulldogs eventually bested the Lobos in overtime back in early January.
The Lobos will enter the game 12-11 overall and 3-7 in Mountain West play. In their most-recent game, the Lobos nearly pulled off an epic comeback after trailing by eight points with 25 seconds left to go against San Diego State, but ultimately fell by a point.
Entering the game, the Lobos possess one of the top scoring offenses in the conference as they average 76.9 ppg to rank second in the MW. Defensively, the Lobos are allowing 70.9 ppg and rank 10th in the MW. Individually, the Lobos have two players averaging double figures in scoring and are led by Ahlise Hurst at 13.7 ppg. Fresno State enters play with a 17-4 overall record and an unblemished 10-0 mark in conference play. The Bulldogs have won nine-straight games with their last loss coming on the road at Santa Clara back on December 21.
Statistically, the Bulldogs average 76.6 points per game offensively and allow an average of 65.0 ppg on defense. Their scoring offense ranks third in the MW and their scoring defense is fourth. Individually, the Bulldogs have three of the top-four scorers in the MW and are led by Maddi Utti at 16.6 ppg. Twin sisters Haley and Hanna Cavinder are next in scoring at 15.8 and 15.4 ppg, respectively.
Wild Finish at SDSU
A near epic comeback took place for the Lobos in the waining seconds of their game at San Diego State this past Wednesday. Down eight points with 25 seconds left on the fourth quarter clock, the Lobos roared back and ripped off a 9-0 run over the next 16 seconds of game
time to take a one-point lead with nine seconds left. With five seconds left, SDSU regained the lead with a pair of makes from the free throw line. Able to inbound the ball and get into the front court quickly, the Lobos had a chance a game-winning shot, but the attempt did not fall.
Hosey Honing It In
Senior transfer Jordan Hosey has been coming into her own in her lone season as a Lobo and over the recent action has become one of the top scoring threats on the team while also remaining the top rebounder. Over her last 10 games, Hosey has averaged 14.5 ppg and
has hauled in an average of 10.5 rpg as well. That production has resulted in double-doubles stacking up for the Houston native as she has registered six in her last 10 games. Hosey is also now the team’s second-leading scorer on the season at 12.3 ppg and is the team-leader
in rebounds at 8.3 rpg.
Downtown from Down Under
In her freshman year, Ahlise Hurst showed flashes of being a weapon behind the arc, but lacked consistency as she shot 27% (49-of-183) from deep. This year, however, Hurst has got off to an incredibly efficient start as she has made 72 three-pointers and is knocking them down at a 36% clip (72-of-198). In five games this season, Hurst has made five or more three-pointers and has scored at least 20 points in four of those games as well. She is currently leading the team in scoring at 13.7 ppg and is fourth in the NCAA in three-pointers made.
Double-Double Tracker
1. Antonia Anderson……….. 14 pts/11rebs……………. vs. NAU (11-8-19)
2. Jordan Hosey……………… 19 pts/13 reb………….. at UTEP (11-19-19)
3. Jordan Hosey……………… 17 pts/13 rebs………….vs. LMU (12-19-19)
4. Jordan Hosey……………… 16 pts/11 rebs……vs. San José St. (1-1-20)
5. Jordan Hosey……………… 25 pts/13 rebs……….at Fresno St. (1-8-20)
6. Jayla Everett……………….. 10 pts/10 assts…….. at Air Force (1-11-20)
7. Jordan Hosey……………… 13 pts/15 rebs…vs. Colorado St. (1-15-20)
8. Jordan Hosey……………… 16 pts/13 rebs….. at San José St. (1-22-20)
9. Aisia Robertson………….. 14 pts/12 assts…. at San José St. (1-22-20)
10. Jordan Hosey……………… 16 pts/12 rebs………. vs. Nevada (1-25-20)
11. Antonia Anderson……….. 12 pts/10 rebs………. vs. Nevada (1-25-20)
Navigating Nevada
The Lobos picked up a big bounce-back win against Nevada this past Saturday and there was little doubt in it as well as the Lobos cruised to a 20-point victory. Fueling the rout was an extremely efficient offensive effort as the Lobos shot an even 50% overall from the floor (35-of-70). Four Lobos ended the game in double figures and there were also a pair of double-doubled turned in by Jordan Hosey and Antonia Anderson.
Shootout in San José
In the second meeting of the season between UNM and San José State, both teams once more lit up the scoreboard as they each reached the 80-point mark and combined for 174 points. The high-scoring affair ended with a four-point win at home for San José, 89-85. The previous meeting saw the two teams combine for 161 points and resulted in a one-point victory for the Spartans in Albuquerque, 81-80.
Resilient Finish vs. Spartans
Down by 12 points at halftime thanks to a three-point barrage by San José State that saw the Spartans hit 12 three-pointers in the first half, the Lobos displayed a ton of resolve in the second half and nearly overcame the early deficit. The Lobos would out-score the Spartans 43-35 in the second half and pulled as close as two points with 2:39 left in the game.
Third Quarter Three’s Lift Lobos Past CSU
Trailing by a point at halftime against Colorado State, the Lobos came out of the locker room hot from beyond the arc as their first six made field goals in the third quarter were three-pointers. That unbelievable run of long-range shooting turned that one-point deficit into a 10-point lead and gave the Lobos all the momentum in the game. The Lobos would go on to secure an 11-point win, 73-62.
Lobos Take Off at Air Force
After starting 0-4 in Mountain West play for the first time since 2011-12, the Lobos notched their first MW victory this past Saturday at Air Force with a 75-53 win. The winless start prior to the Air Force game is truly misleading and could easily be flipped as the combined margin of defeat across the four games was just 12 points and two of the losses were by a single point. Additionally, during that stretch, the Lobos faced teams that were a combined 15-5 through that point.
Lobos Clipped Late by Upstart Spartans
In their first game following the holiday break, the Lobos entered back into MW action against upstart San José State. The Lobos held a double-digit halftime lead, but a furious second half comeback by the Spartans brought the game down to the wire. Over the final two minutes of action, the lead changed hands four times with three of those coming over the final 32 seconds. San José ended up being on the positive side of the final lead change and edged the Lobos by a point, 81-80.
Hoop-Filled Week Closes out 2019
The final week of action in 2019 was jam-packed full of basketball for the Lobos as they played four games in five days. The first two games of that stretch saw the Lobos play some of their best basketball of the year offensively as they combined to score 193 points and knocked down 29 three-pointers in blowout wins over New Mexico State and Providence. Unfortunately, the final two games did not see the same kind of success as the Lobos lost a one-point game to Loyola Marymount and then suffered a double-digit loss to Ball State to conclude the week.
Rio Grande Rivalry Rout
The final edition of the 2019-20 Rio Grande Rivalry turned out to be the most lopsided outcome in series history. In a rivalry series that dates back to 1975 and now spans 80 games, the Lobos posted the largest margin of victory against New Mexico State as they routed the Aggies 107-53 for a 54-point margin of victory and in the process securing a season-sweep. The margin put up by the Lobos in the game was 20 points better than the previous mark of 34 points done back in 2006 when UNM beat NMSU 81-47. It was also tied for the fifth-largest margin of victory for the Lobos all-time.
Lobos Hit Reset Button vs. NNMC
After hitting a rough patch over their three games prior, the UNM women’s basketball team got a reset opportunity in their game against Northern New Mexico on December 10. The Lobos were clearly the better team from the outset and the outcome was never in doubt. That allowed for the Lobos to create balance and opportunities for their roster. Eleven players logged minutes in the game with the most being 26 and the lowest being 12. Additionally, all 11 players scored in the game.
Battle in Boise
Earlier than most years, Mountain West play began in December and the first conference game of the season featured a marquee matchup between the University of New Mexico and Boise State women’s basketball teams. Picked to finish first and second respectively in the MW Preseason Predicted Order of Finish, the early season clash lived up to its billing in Boise as the game went to overtime and saw Boise edge UNM by a point, 83-82.
Lobos Answer the Call in Cancun Challenge
Under the leadership of head coach Mike Bradbury, the UNM women’s basketball team have been returning to national prominence and with their performance against a pair of Power 5 teams in Cancun, the Lobos are proving that they are poised to compete with some of the top flight programs in the country. Overall, the Lobos went 1-1 in the Cancun Challenge as they grinded out a 71-68 win over Missouri and showed resiliency and competitiveness against then-ranked No. 23 West Virginia in a 71-60 defeat.
Not Shai in Cancun
Early into her sophomore season with the Lobos, Shaiquel McGruder is quickly developing into a reliable and versatile post player on both ends of the court. That emergence was on full display in Cancun as the McGruder earned All-Tournament Team honors for her play in the Lobos’ two games. Against Missouri, McGruder hauled in 10 rebounds and came away with three steals. Against then nationally-ranked West Virginia, McGruder notched a remarkable eight steals and scored a career-best 16 points.
Cleared for Takeoff
After having her redshirt junior season come to a premature end with an ACL injury in the Lobos’ regular season finale a year ago, reining Mountain West Newcomer of the Year Aisia Robertson has been fully medically cleared to play. Robertson made her return as the first sub off the bench mid-way through the first quarter in the Lobos’ game against Missouri in Cancun. In 16 minutes of action in her season debut, Robertson scored five points and had four assists.
De La Cerda is New Mexico True
There is something about when the Lobos play in-state rival New Mexico State in Las Cruces that brings the best out of Jaedyn De La Cerda. The Roswell, N.M. had another sensational scoring game against the Aggies in the Lobos’ 86-67 win on November 17. In the game, De La Cerda led all scorers with 26 points. In last year’s meeting at NMSU, De La Cerda scored what was a career-high 21 points. In her last two games on the road against the Aggies, De La Cerda is averaging 23.5 ppg.
20-20 Vision for Winning
After posting a 24-7 record last season, the Lobos have won over 20 games in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 2007-08 – 2008-09 campaigns. The 24 wins this past season were tied for the fifth-most in season in program history. Additionally, the 49 wins the past two seasons are the most since the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons.
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 421-207 at home all-time, a winning percentage of .670
heading into the 2019-20 season.