Lobos Head to NMSU to Close Season Series Sunday
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M- After the Lobo women’s basketball team defeated New Mexico State on Friday evening, UNM and NMSU are set to conclude the season’s in-state series on Sunday at 2 p.m. in Las Cruces.
The game will be streamed on ESPN+, with Lobo fans able to listen to the Lobo radio broadcast.
UNM was led by the trio of LaTascya Duff, LaTora Duff and Jaedyn De La Cerda, with the Duffs pacing the Lobos in the first 20 minutes and De La Cerda taking over in the final 20 minutes.
LaTascya led all scorers with 22 points and added six rebounds, two assists and a steal, while LaTora was an efficient 5-for-7 from three-point range and 8-for-17 on the evening for 17 points to go along with three assists and two offensive rebounds. After being held scoreless in the first two quarters, De La Cerda shot 6-for-10, including 3-for-5 from three-point range, to finish with 15 points. The New Mexico native finished with a team-high eight rebounds.
The Lobos had their best three-point shooting of the season, making a season-best 13 on the night, shooting 54.2 percent from behind the arc, with the aforementioned trio accounting for 11.
Also working in UNM’s favor in the win were fast-break opportunities, with the Cherry and Silver capitalizing with 25 points compared to zero for NMSU. The Lobos forced 19 Aggie turnovers and registered 10 steals, with Shaiquel McGruder and Aniyah Augmon each credited with three steals and six different Lobos creating at least one in the game.
UNM asserted control from the start with a 14-0 run that allowed the Lobos to take the 21-8 lead through the first quarter, and while the Aggies had their runs, the game never got closer than 14 points late in the game en route to UNM’s 77-58 win.
NMSU’s best scoring threat in the game was starting forward Bigue Sarr, who led with 21 points and added 11 rebounds, and was the only Aggie to reach double figures in the game. The majority of NMSU’s points came from the paint with 40 of its 58 points. When the Lobos kept the Aggies out of the paint, the Aggies were much less effective, making just one three-pointer and shooting 39.1 percent from the floor.
With the win, the Lobos have won the last seven games in the series and head coach Mike Bradbury improved to 8-1 all-time against the Aggies. UNM is 25-14 in Las Cruces and holds a 55-26 lead in the series after Friday.
Following Sunday’s game, the Lobos remain on the road for their next contest, travelling to take on Arizona on Sunday, Dec. 12 before returning home to play UTEP on Sunday, Dec. 19.