UNM Travels to Oregon State for WNIT Third Round Thursday

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.–The postseason continues for the Lobo women’s basketball team after defeating San Diego and Grand Canyon at home in the first two rounds. However, this will be the first round on the road for the Lobos as UNM heads to Oregon State to face the Beavers on Thursday, March 24 at 8 p.m. MT/ 7 p.m. PT.

New Mexico has reached the third round of the WNIT for the fifth time in program history, and by doing so, won 26 games for the third time in program history, the first since 2004-05. UNM has played Oregon State five times, with the last time being in the third round of the WNIT on March 27, 2009, with the game in Rio Rancho. Thursday’s game will be the third meeting in Corvallis, with the last time back in 2000.

Through the first two rounds of the WNIT, the Lobos are averaging 82.5 points per game and shooting 47.0 percent from the floor and 37.9 percent from three-point range with 11.0 threes per game. LaTascya Duff is leading the Lobos with 21.5 points per game through the two games, with Jaedyn De La Cerda and Shaiquel McGruder averaging 18.0 points per game. Antonia Anderson is averaging 12.0 points per game to round out the Lobos in double figures.

McGruder is also averaging 10.5 rebounds per game through the first two games as well as 10 steals and is 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. LaTora Duff is averaging 8.5 assists per game with De La Cerda at 5.0 assists per game.

As a team, the Lobos have recorded 20 steals, 43 assists and 22 three-pointers in the WNIT.

Oregon State enters the game 16-13 on the season and went 6-9 in the Pac-12, finishing eighth in the conference. The Beavers lost to Stanford 57-44 in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament after beating Arizona State 59-54 in the first round. OSU beat Long Beach State 70-59 in the first round of the WNIT and Portland 74-56 in the second round.

They have had three players averaging double figures through their two rounds, led by Kennedy Brown at 15.5 points per game, Jelena Mitrovic with 12.5 ppg and Ellie Mack at 11.0 ppg. Brown and Mitrovic are averaging 8.0 rebounds per game with Taya Corosdale at 7.5 rebounds per game. The Beavers have started the same five in their two WNIT games in Mitrovic, Mack, Corosdale, Talia von Oelhoffen and Emily Codding.

OSU is averaging 72.0 points in the WNIT, allowing 57.5 points, while shooting 55.8 percent from the floor and 36.0 percent from three.

The Beavers share one common opponent with the Lobos in Arizona, with OSU losing 73-61 to the Wildcats in Tucson and 55-53 in Corvallis.

On the season, OSU has two players averaging double figures in von Oelhoffen (13.2 ppg) and Taylor Jones (12.4 ppg). Corosdale leads the team on the boards with 7.3 rebounds per game, but Jones is also averaging 6.9 rebounds per game and Brown at 6.3 rebounds per game. von Oelhoffen also leads in assists (91), while Brown leads with 33 blocks and 29 steals. Corosdale is second on the team in blocks with 32 and von Oelhoffen is second in steals with 28. On the season, the Beavers are averaging 63.9 points per game while allowing 61.8 points per game, shooting 41.8 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three-point range, making 6.3 per game. von Oelhoffen and Corosdale are the only two players who have started all 29 games, with Greta Kampschroeder starting 25 games and Brown starting 21.

The Beavers rank 20th in the NCAA in defensive field-goal percentage and 41st in rebound margin, 42nd in rebounds per game. They also rank fourth in defensive rebounds per game.

Oregon State is 10-3 at home this season, while the Lobos are 7-5 on the road.