McGruder Tallies Double-Double, Lobos Roll to Win over Grambling State

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— It was an eventful Tuesday evening for the Lobo women’s basketball team, as all 13 Lobos entered the scoring column in the commanding 86-50 victory over Grambling State.

The win was also monumental in that it provided head coach Mike Bradbury his 100th win at UNM, only the second head coach in program history to reach the century mark in victories.

Leading the charge was Shaiquel McGruder, who finished with a game-high 22 points on 11-for-17 shooting and three steals, as well as tallied her second double-double of the season with a game-high 10 rebounds. In addition, it was McGruder’s fourth game this season with 20-plus points. McGruder was one of three Lobos to finish in double figures, joined by Antonia Anderson’s 12 points on an efficient 5-for-6 shooting and LaTora Duff’s 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting. Duff was also credited with a game-high six assists and Duff and Anderson each registered two steals.

UNM led from start to finish in the game, with McGruder opening the scoring off of an offensive rebound and putback and Jaedyn De La Cerda adding a three-pointer for a quick 5-0 lead. An 8-0 run expanded the lead to 13-2 with another McGruder layup, a Duff three and a LaTascya Duff three, with the Lobos eventually leading 21-11 at the end of the first quarter.

LaTora led with five points in the first quarter with three assists and a steal, going 2-for-2 from the field with a three-pointer and fast-break layup.

A 9-0 run in the second quarter pushed the Lobo lead to 20 points at 37-17, which included an Anderson and-one, an Anderson block that led to a De La Cerda fast-break layup, a McGruder fast-break layup and another McGuder layup that put the Lobo in double figures.

McGruder’s scoring run continued with consecutive layups and an Aniyah Augmon extended the lead to 24 with a layup with 1:27 remaining in the quarter for the final Lobo points. UNM led by 23 at the break, 45-22.

The Lobos held the Lady Tigers to 11 points in both the first and second quarters, holding Grambling State to 29.6 percent shooting and one three-pointer, while shooting 55.9 percent from the floor with five three-pointers. McGruder had 14 points at the break with seven rebounds in the first 20 minutes.

UNM’s lead fluctuated between 27 and 29 points in the third quarter before a LaTascya layup propelled the Lobos past the 30-point margin at 59-28 with a little more than five minutes in the frame. Two baskets by UNM on an Anderson layup off of an Anderson steal, a De La Cerda layup in which the New Mexico native grabbed the defensive rebound and took it coast-to-coast for the fast-break layup, and an Augmon free-throw created a lead of 35, with the Lobos ultimately leading 70-36 through the third quarter.

McGruder added eight points in the third, with the Lobos shooting 55 percent with 11 made baskets, whereas Grambling State had just five made baskets with four points coming from the free-throw line.

Two Nevaeh Parkinson free throws, a Kath van Bennekom layup and a Zeyno Seren free-throw to open the fourth quarter pushed the lead to the largest point of the game at 39, with Viané Cumber recoding the final Lobo points on a three-pointer.

UNM outscored GSU in each quarter, holding the Lady Tigers below 15 points in each quarter while scoring 20-plus points in three of the four quarters.

Up next for the Lobos: UNM hosts New Mexico State on Friday evening at 7 p.m., the first of two meetings between the rivals this week. The Lobos will travel to Las Cruces on Sunday.

POSTGAME NOTES:

• This win was head coach Mike Bradbury’s 100th win at New Mexico
• This is UNM’s third 5-0 home start to a season under Bradbury in his six seasons
• The Lobos scored the first five points of the game and held the Lady Tigers scoreless for the first 2:09.
  • They also scored the first six points of the second half and held Grambling State scoreless for the first 2:26.
• New Mexico never trailed en route to a wire-to-wire victory.
• The Lobos outscored the Lady Tigers in all four periods.
• Two Lobos shot perfect from the field through the first half: Anderson (3-3, eight points) and Augmon (1-1, two points)
• The Lobos made four three pointers in the first quarter by four different players (LaTora Duff, LaTascya Duff, De La Cerda, Anderson)
• McGruder was the first Lobo to double figures in scoring with 4:07 to go in the second quarter.
• New Mexico had three players in double-digit points: McGruder (22 points), Anderson (12 points), LaTora Duff (10 points).
• The Lobos out-rebounded the Lady Tigers 48-24 in the game.
• The Lobos shot 55.6% from the field in the first half (19-34).
  • And 53% from the field for the game (35-66).
• The Lobos forced 10 first-half turnovers by the Lady Tigers.
• McGruder recorded her second double-double of the season with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
• Anderson is now 80 points away from 1000 in her career.
• New Mexico made eight three-pointers in the game, compared to Grambling State’s one.
• All 13 Lobos played and scored.