ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— For the second time in four weeks, Shaiquel McGruder has earned Mountain West Player of the Week, and in the process became the second Mountain West player to win the award multiple times this season.
It is the third career weekly conference award for McGruder and the second this season after being named player of the week on Dec. 12.
The Lobo tallied 22.0 points per game, 10.5 rebounds per game, 3.5 blocks per game and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 76.9 percent from the floor on 20-26 shooting in the last week’s wins over South Carolina State and Air Force.
McGruder recorded her fourth double-double of the season in Sunday’s conference opener against Air Force, reaching the feat in the first 20 minutes with 12 points and 11 rebounds in 17:35 on the court. In addition, the Ohio native had two blocks and one steal by the break, finishing with a game-high 21 points, game-high 13 rebounds, game-high four blocks and two steals. Sunday was also the fourth time that the Lobo forward finished with 20-plus points, 12th game in double figures, 10th game registering multiple blocks and 11th game registering multiple steals this season. She’s had at least one steal and one block in 12 games this season and has had a block in all 14 games this season.
The week started with 23 points to go with eight rebounds, three blocks and two steals in Thursday’s win against South Carolina State, setting the game highs in points, rebounds and blocks in 23:16 of play. On the week, McGruder scored in double figures in two of the quarters, with 11 points in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s win after going 4-4, and 10 points in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against Air Force, going 5-6.
Among the MW, McGruder leads the conference in field-goal percentage at 66.4 percent, as well as steals (35), steals per game (2.5), blocks (40) and blocks per game (2.9), and is third in scoring with 15.1 points per game and fourth in rebounding with 8.2 per game.
Nationally, the Lobo is third in the NCAA in blocks, sixth in blocks per game and sixth in field-goal percentage.