Lobos Close Week at Colorado State Saturday

FORT COLLINS, COLO.– The road trip continues for the Lobo women’s basketball team, with New Mexico set to face Colorado State on Saturday, Jan. 15 at 1 p.m. MT.

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.

Saturday’s game features the top overall scoring offense in the MW (UNM, 76.3 ppg) against the top overall scoring defense in the MW (CSU, 58.1 ppg).

The Lobos enter the game having won their last six games on the season and their last six games against the Rams, with the last two determining the MW regular season champion in 2020-21. The two games were also the only two games the Lobos played in The Pit last season. Colorado State enters the game having lost its last game against Air Force, but are 8-2 at home on the season. UNM is 4-2 on the road, and 3-0 in MW games on the road.

Looking back at Thursday’s game, the win against the Cowgirls was historic as the Lobos improved to 14-4 on the season, 5-0 in the Mountain West. UNM had never started 5-0 in the MW in program history, with the last time a team started 5-0 in conference play was back in the 1998-99 season, when New Mexico was part of the WAC. Additionally, Antonia Anderson finished with 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds, and additionally, scored her 1000th-career point on a three-pointer midway through the second quarter. In doing so, she became the 24th Lobo to score 1000 points and the 17th Lobo to score 1000 points, 500 rebounds in a career.

Shaiquel McGruder went 11-for-14 to finish with 26 points, with Jaedyn De La Cerda 7-for-12 on the night for 19 points, as the Lobos shot a season-best 57.6 percent from the floor and 52 percent from distance with 13 made three-pointers.

Saturday will be another memorable moment for Anderson, as when she takes the floor on Saturday against Colorado State, the Lobo forward will tie the program record for most games played with 134.

Momentum continues to be with the Lobos, as New Mexico leads the Mountain West in six statistical categories and are second in one category. UNM leads in three-point field-goals made per game (9.9) with a conference-best 178 on the season, assists per game (16.4) with a conference-best 296, blocked shots per game (4.5) with a conference-best 81, three-point field-goal percentage (.388), field-goal percentage (.461) and in scoring (76.3 ppg). New Mexico is second in scoring margin (+9.9), as well as third in steals per game (9.0).

On an individual level, the Lobos lead in five statistical categories. LaTascya Duff leads in three-point field-goal percentage (.490) and three-pointers made per game (2.9) with a conference-high 50. LaTora Duff leads in assists with a conference-high 106 assists and 5.89 per game. McGruder leads in field-goal percentage at .620 and Antonia Anderson leads with 1.6 blocks per game and 28 blocks. De La Cerda is second in three-pointers per game at 2.4 and with 43 threes.

Nationally, the Lobos are second in the NCAA in made threes, fourth in attempts, seventh in three-pointers per game and seventh in three-point percentage.

In just conference games, New Mexico leads in scoring offense (80.2), field-goal percentage (.453), three-pointers made per game (11.4), assists per game (16.6), assist/turnover ratio (1.4) and blocked shots per game (5.4). LaTora also leads the conference in assists (35) and assists per game (7.0) in just MW games, and LaTascya leads with a .633 shooting percentage from three. LaTascya and De La Cerda are 1-2 in made three-pointers per game in MW games at 3.8 (LaTascya) and 3.6 (De La Cerda) per game and De La Cerda is third in three-point field-goal percentage with .514. McGruder leads in field-goal percentage at .590 and leads in blocks (10) and blocks per game (2.0).

UNM has four players in double figures in conference games, with De La Cerda leading with 18.2 points per game, McGruder at 17.0, LaTascya at 14.8 ppg, and LaTora at 11.2.

The Rams are 2-2 in conference and have four scorers in double figures in conference play. Colorado State enters the game after losing to Air Force on Thursday, 77-52, and was led in scoring by Karly Murphy, who finished with 13 points and was the only CSU player to reach double figures. The Rams made just four three-pointers in the game.

On the season, the Rams are first in scoring defense at 58.1 and in limiting opponent field-goal percentage at .359. Offensively, the Rams are scoring 67.6 points per game and are third in scoring margin at +9.6. The Rams and Lobos are also the top-two teams in three-pointers made on the season, with Colorado State at 109 (7.8 per game) and UNM at 178 (9.9 per game). In conference games, CSU is fourth in scoring offense at 71.5 and in field-goal percentage (.429).

The Rams have three players averaging double-digit points per game, led by McKenna Hofschild’s 14.3. Upe Atosu is second on the team at 12.9 and Murphy is third at 11.7. Murphy leads the Rams on the board with 8.8 rebounds per game and 115 on the season. Hofschild leads with 82 assists with Syndey Mech leading in blocks (15) and Atosu leading in steals (14).

CSU has lost just three times this season, to then-No. 10 Lousiville (71-56) and at San Diego State (73-63). In conference games, CSU has wins over Boise State (81-77) and San Jose State (90-64).

LOOKING AHEAD: The game time for New Mexico’s Jan. 24th game against San José State has been set for 5:30 p.m. MT. All tickets from the originally scheduled game will be valid for the 24th.