LaTascya Duff Named MW Sixth Person of Year; Five Lobos Named to All-MW Team
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Days after winning the Mountain West regular season championship, The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team had five players earn a spot on the 2020-21 All-Mountain West Women’s Basketball Team.
As voted on by the conference coaches, LaTascya Duff earned the superlative of Sixth Person of the Year as well as a spot on the all-conference team. Joining the junior guard on the all-conference team were seniors Jaedyn De La Cerda and Antonia Anderson, while junior forward Shaiquel McGruder made the all-defensive team.
Junior Ahlise Hurst was named to the honorable mention list.
Going 11-3 in conference, the Lobos were led in scoring by Duff, who averaged 13.9 points with a team-high 194 points scored. The Samson, Ala., native made a team-high 38 three-pointers and led the Mountain West in three-point field goal percentage at 41.3 percent in conference games. Duff averaged 2.71 threes per game and had four conference games in which she finished with six made threes.
In addition, Duff shot 42.5 percent from the floor and scored in double figures in nine conference games, including four 20-plus games with a season-high 31 points coming at Air Force on Feb. 23.
Further, Duff averaged 2.0 assists per game, 3.3 rebounds per game and had a 2.2 assist/turnover ratio and was twice named the Mountain West Player of the Week this season.
Duff is just the second Lobo to win the sixth person award.
Anderson earns her first all-conference honor after a senior season in which she averaged 12.6 points per game and a team-high 6.6 rebounds per game in conference play. The Cibolo, Texas native led the MW in field-goal percentage at 49.0 percent and was eighth in blocks per game with 1.07. Anderson was ranked in the top 15 in scoring, rebounding, field-goal percentage, blocked shots and defensive rebounds.
The senior finished with double figures in scoring in nine conference games including a career-high 29 points in the win over UNLV and posted two double-doubles with a 10 point, 11 rebound performance against Colorado State and a 14 point, 10 rebound effort at Air Force. Further, Anderson was credited with four assists in four different conference games.
De La Cerda also earns her first all-conference honor following a 13.2 point per game and 5.0 rebounds per game conference season. The New Mexico native finished with double figures in points in 11 games including three 20-plus point games with a season-high 28 points at UNLV.
McGruder averaged 5.6 rebounds per game, 1.5 steals per game and 1.1 blocks per game to earn her first all-defensive team distinction and her first conference postseason honor. The junior posted at least one block in 12 conference games including four blocks at UNLV and recorded at least one steal in 12 conference games with four versus Fresno State. Further, McGruder has finished with a block in the last eight conference games.
In the last game of the regular season against Colorado State, McGruder grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds and twice has finished with nine rebounds.
Earning honorable mention, Hurst had an all-around junior season, averaging 13.6 points per game, 2.6 rebounds per game, 2.8 assists per game and 1.4 steals per game against conference opponents.
Hurst was a threat from distance, making an average of 2.5 threes per game, which ranked second among all conference players, and shot 31.9 percent from range to rank second in the conference, finishing behind Duff in both categories.
The junior made at least one three in all but one game, highlighted by five three-pointers in the season finale against Colorado State. Hurst finished with double figures in scoring in 10 of the 12 conference games she played in.
Hurst also ranked in the top 15 in steals per game, points per game and assists per game.
The Lobos enter the MW Tournament as the No. 1 seed for the first time since 2005 and will take the court on Monday at 12 p.m. PT/ 1 p.m. MT against the winner of Sunday’s Air Force- SDSU matchup.
2020-21 All-Mountain West Women’s Basketball Team
All-Conference Team
Jade Loville, Jr., G, Boise State
Lore Devos, Sr., G, Colorado State
McKenna Hofschild, So., G, Colorado State
Haley Cavinder, So., G, Fresno State
Hanna Cavinder, So., G, Fresno State
Da’Ja Hamilton, Jr., G, Nevada
Jaedyn De La Cerda, Sr., G, New Mexico
LaTascya Duff, Jr., G, New Mexico
Antonia Anderson, Sr., G/F, New Mexico
Nia Johnson, Jr., G, UNLV
All-Defensive Team
Kassady Huffman, Sr., F, Air Force
Alexis Mark, Fr., F, Boise State
Shaiquel McGruder, Jr., F, New Mexico
Bailey Thomas, Sr., G, UNLV
Quinn Weidemann, Jr., G, Wyoming
All-Freshman Team
Alexis Mark, F, Boise State
Abby Muse, F, Boise State
Kim Villalobos, G/F, San Diego State
Jade Thomas, G, UNLV
Desi-Rae Young, C, UNLV
Honorable Mention
Riley Snyder, Jr., F, Air Force
Maddi Utti, Sr., F, Fresno State
Ahlise Hurst, Jr., G/F, New Mexico
Desi-Rae Young, Fr., C, UNLV
Player of the Year: Haley Cavinder, So., G, Fresno State
Defensive Player of the Year: Bailey Thomas, Sr., G, UNLV
Freshman of the Year: Desi-Rae Young, C, UNLV
Newcomer of the Year: McKenna Hofschild, So., G, Colorado State
Sixth Person of the Year: LaTascya Duff, Jr., G, New Mexico
Coach of the Year: Lindy La Rocque, UNLV