UNM Continues Home Schedule with Western New Mexico Tuesday

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobos host Western New Mexico for their lone home game on the week on Tuesday at 7 p.m. before heading out for a two-game road trip.

This will be the first meeting between UNM and WNMU, with the Mustangs entering the game 1-2 on the season after winning their first game on Monday.

Tuesday’s game will be the Thanks for Giving game, with a $6 ticket promotion for fans who bring two non-perishable items to the game. All donations will benefit the Lobo Food Pantry. For those unable to attend, the game will be streamed on the Mountain West Network with live stats and radio available.

The Lobos enter the game after coming off their second overtime game of the week against Arizona State. The Lobos hung tough with the Pac-12 opponent on Sunday, taking a lead into the fourth quarter. Shaiquel McGruder led the Lobos with 24 points, 20 of which came in the third and fourth quarters, and recorded a double-double with 10 rebounds while also having two steals, three blocks and two assists.

McGruder was one of three UNM players to finish in double figures as LaTora Duff found her shot in the second half as well, finishing with 13 points and three, three-pointers to go with 10 assists for a double-double and three steals.  LaTascya Duff carried the Lobos to the break, tallying 11 points in the first two quarters with three, three-pointers and ultimately finishing with 16 points. Viané Cumber produced some big minutes for New Mexico, playing 34:47 and finished with eight points, and career highs of seven rebounds and three steals.

The defense held the Sun Devils to without a point in the final 2:49 of the first quarter and without a point in the final 2:05 of the second quarter and used an 11-0 run over the span of 4:44 in the third quarter to take a 48-44 lead.

It was the second overtime game of the week for UNM, and in the 43 seasons and 1,294 games of the Lobo women’s basketball program, it was the first time that the Lobos have played consecutive overtime games. In the 2010-11 season, UNM had two, two overtime games in the span of three games.

McGruder leads the Lobos in points (59, 14.8 ppg), field-goal percentage (.634), rebounds (31, 7.8 rpg), steals (12, 3.0 spg) and blocks (8, 2.0 bpg).

WNMU is led in scoring by Sydney Wright with 18.3 points per game, with the Mustangs having three players in double figures. Milan Tuttle leads the team on the boards with 7.3 rebounds per game.

IDENTITY THEFT
The Lobos have recorded 10 or more steals in each game this season, recording a total of 51 for an average of 12.8 per game. UNM is 27th in the NCAA in steals per game.

UNM opened the season with 16 at Southern Utah, and followed that up with 10 against Houston, 14 at New Mexico State and 11 in the game against Arizona State.

Shaiquel McGruder leads with 12 steals (3.0 per game) with LaTascya Duff closely behind at 11 (2.8 per game).

Four Lobos have had multiple steals in multiple games. McGruder has had multiple steals in every game this season, starting with five at SUU, three against Houston, and two each against NMSU and ASU. LaTora Duff has had at least one steal in each game, with two in two games and three against ASU, and LaTascya had five in the season opener, three at NMSU, two against Houston and one in the game against ASU. Amaya Brown has had multiple steals in the first three games, with two games of two and three at NMSU.

B(LOCK) DOWN
UNM’s defense has also recorded multiple blocks in each game and has finished with six blocks in the last two games. Shaiquel McGruder leads with eight blocks to date, with three each in the last two games and Amaya Brown with two in the game against ASU.

The Lobos have 20 blocks and are 48th in the NCAA in blocks per game (5.0), leading the MW in the category.

BALANCED ATTACK
The Lobos had three players finish in double figures in the game against Houston and Arizona State and four players finish in double figures in the game at Southern Utah and New Mexico State.

LaTora Duff and Shaiquel McGruder have reached double digits in each of the games this season, with McGruder scoring 13, 11, 11 and 24 and LaTora scoring 13, 14, 13 and 13. LaTascya Duff has scored in double figures in three of the four games (20, 10, 16).

McGruder (14.8), LaTora (13.3) and LaTascya (13.0) are all averaging double-digit points per game with Amaya Brown close at 8.5 ppg.

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT
Western New Mexico has played three games this season and is 1-2 after defeating Southwestern Assemblies of God University American Indian College 116-47 on Monday. In their previous games, the Mustangs lost to N.M. Highlands (64-55) and Fort Lewis (66-57). WNMU also played Grand Canyon (L, 96-51) and UTEP (L, 72-59) in exhibitions.

Sydney Wright led with 26 points, with six players reaching double figures.

The Mustangs have three players averaging double figures in Wright (18.3), Diamond Moore (14.0) and Milan Tuttle (12.3). Wright, Tuttle, Brooke Rodgers have started each of the three games, with Moore and Eliza Joynes getting two starts and Alina Simon and Bria Reed each getting one start.

Wright has led WNMU in scoring in two games with Tuttle leading in the other game.

WNMU plays in the Lone Star Conference with West Texas A&M.