Lobos Face Utah State Thursday in Logan

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.– Following Monday night’s hard-fought win against UNLV, the Lobo women’s basketball team heads back on the road for a weekday game with Utah State, set for 6 p.m. MT on Thursday, Jan. 6.

The game will be available to watch on the Mountain West Network, can be heard on the radio and can be followed through live stats.

New Mexico enters the contest 11-4, 2-0 in the MW with victories against Boise State and UNLV and has won its last three games.

Through the first two conference games, the Lobos have held both of their opponents to 68 points while scoring 72 (Boise State) and 71 (UNLV) points and are shooting 41.7 percent from the floor and 31.8 percent from three-point range. UNM is also averaging 14.0 assists per game, 7.5 steals per game, 8.5 turnovers per game and 4.5 blocks per game.

The Lobos haven’t skipped a beat facing MW competition, with four players averaging double-digit points per game in conference play. Shaiquel McGruder is averaging 18.0 points per game (ppg) and 9.5 rebounds per game, followed by LaTascya Duff at 15.0 ppg and a 63.6 percentage from behind the arc. Jaedyn De La Cerda is averaging 14.0 ppg and LaTora Duff is averaging 11.0 ppg and 5.5 assists and rebounds per game. Paula Reus has elevated her game in conference play with 8.0 ppg, 4.5 rebounds per game and 1.5 blocks per game.

As a team, UNM leads the conference in blocks per game in MW games with 4.5, with McGruder accounting for four blocks, Reus for three and LaTora for two.

On the season, LaTora and De La Cerda have reached double figures in 11 games, McGruder has reached double figures in 10 games, Antonia Anderson in six, LaTascya in eight and Paula Reus in one.

UNM continues to lead the conference in three-point field-goals made per game (9.0) with a conference-best 135 on the season, assists per game (16.1) with a conference-best 241, blocked shots per game (4.2) with a conference-best 63, three-point field-goal percentage (.368), and field-goal percentage (.457). New Mexico is second in scoring (74.3), just .10 behind UNLV, and scoring margin (+10.13), as well as third in steals per game (9.5). UNM is also third in field-goal percentage defense at .384. Nationally, the Lobos are fifth in the NCAA in made threes, 10th in attempts, 19th in percentage and 18th in three-pointers per game.

On an individual level, the Lobos lead the MW in four statistical categories. LaTascya leads in three-point field-goal percentage (.458) and three-pointers made per game (2.7) with a conference-high 38. McGruder leads in field-goal percentage at .627 and Antonia Anderson leads with 1.33 blocks per game and 20 blocks. Further, McGruder still is the only MW player who is in the top-10 in scoring, rebounding, steals and blocks. Nationally, McGruder is 10th in field-goal percentage and ninth in field-goals made (99). For LaTascya, she is 12th in three-pointers made (38), 17th in three-point field-goal percentage and 35th in three-pointers per game in the NCAA.

UNM enters Thursday’s game with a 10-game winning streak against Utah State, with the Lobos winning 93-55 and 97-65 last season in Logan. LaTascya went 6-for-9 from three and 9-for-12 from the floor, for 28 points in the first game and made six three-pointers in the second game, leading the Lobos with 25 points last season. UNM is 10-2 all-time in Logan and leads the all-time series 22-6.

Utah State enters the game 5-7 overall, 0-2 in the MW with conference losses to Air Force (65-52) and Nevada (65-54). USU’s wins on the year are against Arkansas State (66-65), Dixie State (81-64), Southeastern Louisiana (73-71), Cal State Fullerton (85-75) and Westminster College (83-78). The Aggies have lost their last four games and are 4-2 at home.

The Aggies are led by newcomers Kaylin Randhawa, who leads in points (174, 15.8 ppg) and steals (20, 1.8 per game), Adryana Quezada, who leads with 83 rebounds (7.5 per game), and E’Lease Stafford, who leads with eight blocks (0.7 per game). Faith Brantley has 23 assists (2.9 per game) to lead the team and has 23 assists to 18 turnovers (1.28 ratio). Randhawa leads at the free-throw line, making 47 of 54 attempts (.870). Randhawa is third in the MW in overall points per game and free-throw percentage with Quezada fifth in rebounds per game.

On the season, USU is 11th in scoring defense (76.5) with opponents shooting 43.6% from the floor (10th) and 33.1% from three-point range (8th). In just MW games, Utah State is averaging 53 points and allowing 65 points, but is third in defensive field-goal percentage (37.8) and second in defensive three-point field-goal percentage (24.4) with opponents making 10 threes on 41 attempts. The Aggies are averaging 39 rebounds per game.

Following Thursday night’s game, the Lobos close out the week with San Diego State on Sunday, Jan. 9 at 2 p.m.