Lobos Close Week at Colorado State Saturday
FORT COLLINS, Colo.— The road trip doesn’t get any easier for the Lobos, as they head to Fort Collins to face Colorado State Saturday with a noon start time on the Mountain West Network. Shaiquel McGruder has been sensational of late, leading the Lobos in six of the last seven games, with four games with 20-plus points in that timespan, including in each of the last three games.
CSU enters the game 9-5, 2-1 in the MW, with three players averaging double figures, led by McKenna Hofschild at 21.3 ppg, while the Lobos are 9-6 overall and 1-1 in the MW and have two in double figures, led by McGruder at 15.6 ppg. The Rams enter the game as the conference’s leading offensive team, averaging 80.4 points per game and coming off of a 99-62 win at Utah State.
Historically, the Lobos have won eight of the last nine games against the Rams, with CSU beating UNM in the MW semifinals last season to end the streak. The Lobos won 85-74 in the last meeting in Fort Collins, in which the Lobos made 19 three-pointers, the second most in program history.
Three-pointers may again be a factor, with the Rams making 9.7 threes per game and the Lobos making 8.8, ranking first and second in the MW, respectively. Meghan Boyd leads the Rams with 30 three-pointers (2.1 per game), and LaTascya Duff leads the Lobos (and the MW) with 46 three-pointers (3.3 per game). The Rams have three players in the top 10 in the MW in made three-pointers per game in Destiny Thurman (23, 1.9 per game) and Hofschild (25, 1.8 per game), with UNM having two in Duff and Vianè Cumber (27, 1.9 per game).
FINDING OTHER WAYS TO SCORE
While UNM has had six games with 10-plus three-pointers, the Lobos are actually 2-4 in those games. The Lobos are 4-0 when making exactly nine (Western New Mexico, Nicholls, New Mexico State and Old Dominion) and won against Houston when only making two three-pointers.
The Lobos are shooting 43.2 percent from the floor this season and 52.0% (273-525) when excluding three-point attempts. The Lobos are 7-3 when shooting .400 or better and have shot .400 or better in 10 of the last 12 games, including a season-high 54.8% in the game against South Carolina State. The Lobos have shot better than 50.0% in two of the last three games and in three games this season (also shot 52.3% against NMSU).
IN EXCLUSIVE COMPANY
Shaiquel McGruder currently has 1216 points and 739 rebounds, ranking her 14th all-time in points and 15 away from a tie for 12th. When it comes to rebounds, McGruder is seventh in program history and is 13 from sixth. If McGruder matches her production from last season, the Lobo could climb into the top 10 in scoring and as high as third in rebounds.
McGruder also has 157 career blocks, fourth all-time and one from third. Her 196 career steals ranks her fourth all-time and 12 from third.
During her career, McGruder is shooting a program-best .609 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 234 points this season and is shooting 64.5%.
Among MW players, McGruder is in the top 10 in scoring (third) and rebounds (fourth) and leads the conference in steals (38), field-goal percentage and blocks (45). Nationally, she is eighth in field-goal percentage, third in blocks and fifth in blocks per game.
McGruder is the only MW player in the top 10 in points, rebounds, blocks and steals and has 10 more blocks than the next MW player.
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 Wyoming game was the 52nd career game at UNM for 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 195 career three-pointers, tied for third all-time in program history, 23 away from second and 26 away from tying the program record.
The super senior leads the MW in three-point field-goal percentage at .374, in three-pointers per game at 3.3 and made three-pointers (46), 15 more than any other player in the MW. Nationally, she is fourth in the NCAA in three-pointers per game and eighth in three-pointers.
Duff has had multiple three-pointers in the last nine games and on the season, has had five games with four made threes, two with two, two with five, two with three and one with six.
KNOW YOUR OPPONENT
Colorado State enters Saturday 9-5 on the season and 2-1 in the MW with conference wins over Fresno State (64-58) and Utah State (99-62) and an overtime loss at UNLV (91-88). The Rams are 7-1 at home this season and two of their games have gone to overtime, including a three overtime loss at Northern Colorado.
As a team, CSU is scoring 80.4 points per game and allowing 66.6 points per game, outscoring opponents 1125-932. Three players are averaging double figures, led by McKenna Hofschild at 21.3 points per game and has had the team high in nine games. She has scored in double figures in all 14 games, while also averaging 7.8 assists per game and recording 1.14 steals per game (16), leading the team in both categories. Hofschild leads the MW in scoring, assists and assists per game and assist/turnover ratio (4.5). Destiny Thurman is averaging 15.3 points and Cailyn Crocker is averaging 11.0 points.
Hofschild is the only player to start all 14 games, with Crocker starting in 12 of 13 games, Thurman in 11 of 12 games, Sydney Mech starting in 11, Cali Clark in 12 of 14 and Meghan Boyd starting in six. Thurman, Hofschild, Joseana Vaz, Mech and Crocker started in the last game against Utah State with Thurman scoring 29 points to lead the team.
Colorado State leads the conference in scoring, free-throw percentage (.807), field-goal percentage (.473), three-point field-goal percentage (.418), assists (231, 16.5 per game) and assist/turnover ratio (1.8). The Rams are second in scoring margin (+13.79) and third in field-goal percentage defense (.375).
CSU was picked to finish third in the MW preseason poll with 232 points.