Lobos Remain Perfect at Home Following Team Win over Spartans

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobo women’s basketball team had a total team effort on Monday evening at The Pit with 11 players entering the scoring column as UNM continued its win streak with an 87-57 win over San José State.

Monday’s win improved New Mexico’s record to 17-4 overall, 8-0 in the Mountain West and 11-0 at home this season, and was the fourth consecutive game in which the Lobos scored 80 or more points. Further, the Lobo win streak extended to nine-straight games

Shaiquel McGruder scored a game-high 18 points on 9-for-14 shooting, but was just as impactful on the defensive end with a game-high four blocks and a game-high three steals. McGruder was joined in double figures by Viané Cumber, who made four, three-pointers en route to 14 points.

Jaedyn De La Cerda and Nevaeh Parkinson nearly missed double figures with nine points, with Parkinson a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor with three offensive rebounds and putbacks for points. LaTascya Duff finished with eight points, and extended her three-point streak to 23 games, tying Amy Beggin for the second-longest three-point streak in program history.

On the boards, Aniyah Augmon registered a game-and season-high 10 rebounds, with Parkinson, Antonia Anderson and McGruder each finishing with five rebounds. The Lobos outrebounded the Spartans 43-32 with nine Lobos recording multiple rebounds.

As a team, UNM made 33 baskets on 21 assists, with De La Cerda contributing a game-high five assists and LaTora Duff and LaTascya each adding four assists.

San José State opened the game with a layup, but the Lobos scored the next 11 points to take control of the quarter, and the game, with McGruder scoring six points in the run. After the Spartans cut the gap to four points, UNM again used a run (8-1) to create an 11-point advantage at 19-8 on a Paula Reus layup. The Lobos held a double-digit lead at the end of the first 10 minutes, closing the quarter with three free throws by LaTora for a 25-13 lead.

McGruder led all scorers with eight points in the first quarter, followed by Anderson with six points, and McGruder also led with three steals.

UNM’s lead extended to 18 points following three free throws from LaTascya and a LaTora layup less than three minutes into the second quarter, with the lead eventually reaching 24 points following a 9-0 run. A free throw by Kath van Bennekom closed the half with the Lobos leading 50-26.

The Lobos equaled their first quarter production with 25 points in the second quarter, while the Spartans matched their first quarter production with 13 points.

McGruder was also identical in her production in the second quarter with eight more points and two blocks, while the Lobos shot 60.0 percent from the floor and from three-point range in the second.

New Mexico opened the third quarter on a McGruder layup before SJSU closed to within 16 points on a run of its own. Cumber had her own scoring run with a three-pointer, a layup and another three-pointer to build the Lobo lead back up to 24 points at 64-40 with 2:38 left in the quarter. A van Bennekom jumper stretched the lead to 27 and Augmon got in the scoring column with a layup for the final points in the third and a 70-41 Lobo lead.

UNM’s scoring run continued in the fourth in what was ultimately a 9-0 scoring run to push the lead to its largest margin of 34 at 75-41, capped by a van Bennekom three-pointer off of a Zeyno Seren assist. The Lobo lead never reached below 30 points for the remainder of the game as the Lobos won by 30 points.

Parkinson led the Lobos with nine points in the fourth, with Augmon recording six rebounds and Seren leading with two assists.

UNM heads out on the road for its next two games, traveling to play UNLV on Thursday, Jan. 27 and San Diego State on Saturday, Jan. 29.