ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobos host New Mexico State for the second meeting of the season on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the final game of the three-game homestand and the second to last home game of the non-conference schedule.
Tickets are still available to purchase for the Cherry out, but for those unable to attend, the game will be streamed on the Mountain West Network with a radio feed and live stats also available.
Since the two teams met back on Nov. 15 in Las Cruces, UNM has gone 4-2 while NMSU has gone 1-4 with the Lobos entering Sunday’s game 5-4 and the Aggies 3-5. UNM is 56-27 all-time against the Aggies and 29-12 at home. The Lobos have won the last five home games in the series, and are 19-1 in the last 20 games played in Albuquerque.
Shaiquel McGruder leads the Lobos in scoring (14.1 pgg), rebounds (9.0 rpg), steals (21) and blocks (28), while LaTora Duff leads with 5.1 assists per game. McGruder, LaTora (11.0) and LaTascya Duff (13.4) are all averaging over 10 points per game.
Nationally, McGruder is third in the NCAA in blocks, fifth in blocks per game (3.1) and ninth in field-goal percentage (65.5), with the Lobos seventh in the NCAA in blocks per game with 6.1.
NMSU has two players averaging double figures in Molly Kaiser (10.4) and Sylena Peterson (10.3), but Fama Thiam leads in made field goals with 32 (4.0 per game). Thiam leads with 4.5 rebounds per game and Peterson leads with 16 assists and 14 steals.
IDENTITY THEFT
The Lobos have recorded 10 or more steals in seven games this season, recording a total of 108 for an average of 12.0 per game. UNM is 22nd in the NCAA in steals per game.
Six Lobos have had multiple steals in multiple games. LaTascya has recorded at least one steal in every game she has played in with multiple steals in six. LaTora has recorded at least one steal in seven games with multiple steals in five. McGruder has had at least one steal in seven games with multiple steals in six games that includes two games with four and a game with five. Vianè Cumber has recorded multiple steals in the three games, Brown has recorded multiple steals in five games with at least one steal in eight, and Nia Johnson has had two games with multiple steals.
The Lobos have three players in the top 10 in the MW in steals per game, led by LaTascya (tied for fourth), McGruder sixth and LaTora tied for seventh. Brown is 11th.
B(LOCK) DOWN
UNM’s defense has also recorded multiple blocks in each game and has finished with at least five blocks in the last seven games. In the last five games, the Lobos have had two games with eight blocks, two games with five and a game with nine. Shaiquel McGruder leads with 28 blocks to date, with multiple blocks in the last seven games that includes two games with five blocks.
The Lobos have 55 blocks and are seventh in the NCAA in blocks per game (6.1), leading the MW in the category. McGruder is third in the NCAA in blocks and fifth in blocks per game (3.1), leading the MW in both categories.
Balanced Attack
UNM has had six different leading scorers this season in LaTascya Duff, Amaya Brown, LaTora Duff, Vianè Cumber, Shaiquel McGruder and Paula Reus. The game at Nicholls was the first time that there was a repeat leading scorer, with LaTascya scoring a game-high 20 points at Southern Utah and at Nicholls. Reus led the team in scoring twice, with 18 at Texas A&M-Commerce and against Arizona. McGruder led the Lobos in scoring twice, scoring 24 against Arizona State and 23 against Abilene Christian.
McGruder has reached double digits in eight games this season and twice with 20 points, scoring 13, 11, 11, 24, 14, 10, 15 and 23 and LaTora scoring double figures in five with 13, 14, 13, 13 and 15. LaTascya Duff has scored in double figures in six games including the last three and twice reached 20 points (20, 10, 16, 20, 10, 19) and Brown has reached double figures in five games (16, 11, 10, 15, 10).
McGruder (14.1), LaTascya (13.4) and LaTora (11.0) are all averaging double-digit points per game.
5 FOR 5 FOR NO. 5
LaTora Duff has finished with five rebounds seven times this season, including in the last five games. Duff has recorded five boards in all but the New Mexico State game. Duff also had a career-high five steals in the game at Nicholls and is averaging 5.1 assists per game.
IN EXCLUSIVE COMPANY
At the 9:18 mark of the 3rd quarter in Saturday’s game against Houston, Shaiquel McGruder grabbed an offensive rebound, took a dribble to create space and banked in a shot. In doing so, she scored her 1001th-career point and became the 18th Lobo in program history to achieve 1000 points and 500 rebounds and the 25th Lobo to score 1000-career points.
She currently has 1109 points and 703 rebounds, ranking her 17th all-time in points and 11 away from 16th. When it comes to rebounds, McGruder is 10th in program history and is 26 away from ninth. If McGruder matches her production from last season, the Lobo could climb into the top 10 in scoring.
During her career, McGruder is shooting .607 from the floor and scored 73 points as a freshman, 215 points as a sophomore, 182 as a junior and 512 points last season. She’s scored 127 points through the nine games this season.
Among MW players, McGruder is in the top 10 in scoring (fourth), rebounds (tied for third) and steals (sixth) and leads the conference in field-goal percentage (.655) and blocks (28, 3.1 per game).
TRIPLE THREAT TAY
There is no one better in the MW and very few better in the country when it comes to three-pointers than LaTascya Duff. The Abilene Christian game was the 46th career game at UNM for LaTascya Duff with multiple three-pointers and the Nicholls game was the 16th time that Duff has scored 20 or more points as a Lobo.
She currently has a career three-point percentage of .406, third all-time in program history, and 172 career three-pointers, sixth all-time in program history, 14 away from fifth and 49 away from tying the program record. The super senior is second in the MW in three-point field-goal percentage at .343 and made three-pointers (23) but leads in three-pointers per game at 2.9.
KNOW YOUR OPPONENT
Since the Aggies last played the Lobos, NMSU has gone 1-4 with losses to Yale (73-65), Denver (60-51), UTEP (65-61) and Idaho (68-62) and won against San Diego (57-52). NMSU is 3-5 and 1-3 on the road this season.
Molly Kaiser, Fama Thiam and Ashlee Strawbridge have started all eight games with Sylena Peterson starting in the last five games and Taylor Donaldson starting five including the last two.
Kaiser and Peterson lead in scoring with 83 and 82 points, respectively, averaging 10.4 (Kaiser) and 10.3 (Peterson) points per game.
The Aggies have outscored their opponents in the first (126-90) and second (115-112) quarters, but are being outscored 139-118 in the third and 158-129 in the fourth quarters. They are averaging 63.0 points per game while allowing 63.3 points per game.
UP NEXT
Following Wednesday’s game, the Lobos remain at home to host New Mexico State on Dec. 11 with tip at 2 p.m. The game is a planned Cherry Out with a pom-pom giveaway.