Lobos Close Out 2021 Friday at Boise State

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.– Conference opener, take two. After UNM’s original opener against San José State was postponed due to COVID-related issues within the Spartan program, the Lobos’ new conference opener is against the Broncos, set for 2 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 31.

The game will be streamed on the Mountain West Network, can be heard on the Lobo Radio Network and will have live stats available to follow.

UNM (9-4, 0-0 MW) enters the game after what will be now 12 days off, having won its last game against UTEP on Dec. 19.

Entering Friday’s game, the Lobos are among the top of the NCAA in several statistical categories. In addition to three-pointers made (121) and attempted (323), UNM is 15th in three-point field-goals per game (9.3), 16th in assists (213) and three-point field-goal percentage (37.5), 26th in field-goal percentage (46.4), 33rd in steals (127), 45th in rebounds (495), 41st in assists per game (16.4) and 44th in blocked shots (47).

On an individual level, LaTora Duff is 11th in the NCAA in assists (71) and 27th in assists per game (5.5); Shaiquel McGruder is seventh in field-goal percentage (63.4) and 24th in field-goals made (83) and Antonia Anderson is 49th in blocked shots (20). LaTora is 33rd in three-point field-goals made (30) with LaTascya Duff 27th at 31 and 48th in three-point field-goal percentage (43.1).

LaTascya has made at least one three-pointer in the last 15 games and LaTora Duff has made a three in the last 11 games.

Compared to other MW teams, UNM has three players in the top-seven of three-pointers made per game, led by LaTascya (first) with LaTora (third) and De La Cerda (seventh).

As a team, UNM leads the Mountain West in made three-pointers per game at 9.3, with Colorado State second at 7.6 per game, as well as in three-point field-goal percentage at 37.5 percent, with Fresno State second at 36.1 percent. UNM has also taken a conference-high 323 three-pointers, with the second-highest 275 by Nevada (shooting 29.1 percent and making 6.2 per game).

In addition, New Mexico leads the conference in assists per game (16.4), field-goal percentage (46.4) and blocks per game with Antonia Anderson leading the conference in blocks (20) and blocks per game (1.5). UNM is second in scoring offense (74.8 ppg) and in scoring margin (+11.2) and third in steals per game (9.8). Defensively, UNM is fourth in field-goal defense (38.0) and rebounding margin (+1.2) and fifth in three-point field-goal defense (31.9).

LaTora leads the MW in assists per game (5.5), and McGruder leads in field-goal percentage (63.4). McGruder is also fifth in blocks per game (1.2), eighth in points per game (13.8) and steals per game (1.9) and 10th in rebounds per game (6.5).

Boise State, on the other hand, enters the game 4-8 (0-1 MW) after losing its conference opener at Colorado State, 81-77. Abby Muse led the Broncos with a 22-point, 12-rebound performance, with Dominique Leonidas scoring 18 points and Mary Kay Naro scoring 16 points. Trista Hull added 10 points and six rebounds off the bench for the fourth double-digit scorer.

On the season, the Broncos have wins over Oregon Tech (83-48), Florida Atlantic (76-64), Eastern Washington (72-63) and Warner Pacific (90-39) and losses to Long Beach State (61-38), BYU (84-40), Louisiana Tech (60-57), Wisconsin (60-45), Seattle U (63-61), Washington State (62-55) and Pepperdine (56-54). Three of their wins have come at home and are 3-2 in Boise.

Muse leads the team in points (126), rebounds (88) and is averaging 10.5 points per game and 7.3 rebounds per game, and also has a team-high 16 steals and 15 blocks. Of note, Elodie Lalotte has recorded a conference-best five double-doubles on the season with Muse having four. Naro and Leonidas are the main facilitators with 50 and 43 assists, respectively.

With consideration to how the Broncos stack up in the MW, Boise State ranks second in rebounding margin (+4.8) and in blocks per game (3.8), third in defensive field-goal percentage (37.9), and assists (15.3), fourth in field-goal percentage (40.4) and fifth in scoring defense (61.8) and assist/turnover ratio (0.96). However, the Broncos are at the bottom of the rankings in three-point field-goal percentage (7th), scoring offense (7th), scoring margin (8th), three-point field-goals made (11th), free-throw percentage (11th) and turnover margin (11th).

Historically, UNM is 2-8 on the road against the Broncos with the last win in Boise in 2016. However, the Lobos haven’t played the Broncos since February 2020 and are 4-1 in conference openers under Coach Mike Bradbury.

The Broncos were picked to finish sixth in the MW preseason poll.

Following Friday’s game, the Lobos return to The Pit to host UNLV on Monday, Jan. 3 at 7 p.m.