ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobos return home for one game before heading back on the road for the next two, set to face Nevada on Wednesday. Tip is set for 7 p.m. MT on the Mountain West Network.
UNM is 14-6 all-time against Nevada, 7-1 at home, and have won the last six games played in The Pit. Wednesday’s game will be the first UNM home game in the series since Jan. 25, 2020, an 87-67 Lobo win. Coach Bradbury is 8-3 all-time against Nevada, 4-0 at home.
The Lobos have four players averaging double figures in conference play, led by Shaiquel McGruder with 18.0 points per game. Following an 18-point performance by Amaya Brown against CSU, she is averaging 11.3 ppg, followed by LaTascya Duff at 10.7 and LaTora Duff at 10.3. Defensively, McGruder is averaging 8.0 rebounds per game with Paula Reus 6.3 rebounds per game, and McGruder leads with nine blocks and five steals.
As a team, UNM is shooting 43.8% in conference games and making 8.3 three-pointers per game
On the other side of the court, Nevada has three players averaging double figures, led by Alyssa Jimenez at 12.3 points per game, and joined by Victoria Davis at 11.5 ppg and Megan Ormiston at 11.3 ppg. Jimenez also leads with 8.3 rebounds per game, eight steals and seven assists.
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 53rd 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 197 career three-pointers, third all-time in program history, 21 away from second and 24 away from tying the program record.
The super senior leads the MW in three-point field-goal percentage at .375, in three-pointers per game at 3.2 and made three-pointers (48), 14 more than the second-highest player in the MW. Nationally, she is sixth in the NCAA in three-pointers per game and ninth in three-pointers.
Duff has had multiple three-pointers in the last 10 games and on the season, has had five games with four made threes, three with two, two with five, two with three and one with six.
ALL-AROUND AMAYA BROWN
Redshirt-senior Amaya Brown has been a bright spot for the Lobos, showing her her all-around ability to impact the game.
She has scored 10 or more points in seven games this season and recorded multiple steals in six games, including a career-high five at Nicholls. She’s had a steal in 12 games, has led the team in rebounds three times and in scoring twice.
In the last game at Colorado State, Brown made a career-high four three-pointers on six attempts and went 2-2 at the line to finish with a career-high 18 points.
Brown is currently second on the team in rebounds (82, 5.1 per game) and is also averaging 1.4 steals per game and 8.5 points per game.
She has also been reliable at the free-throw line, going 8-8 against Houston and in the fourth quarter against the Aggies, Brown went 4-4, including two free throws that tied the game at 57. She’s been perfect at the line in six games and is shooting 87.8% (36-41) from the line.
CONSISTENT TORA DUFF
Returning for another season, LaTora Duff has been the floor general for the Lobos for the past three seasons, starting in every game she’s played in. Prior to missing the WNMU game for a family matter, Duff had started in 60-straight games for the Lobos.
Duff has scored in double figures in eight games, has finished with five rebounds in eight games and recorded multiple steals in eight of the games but has had at least one steal in 10 with a career-high five at Nicholls. She has played 30-plus minutes in 12 games with three games of 40 or more minutes, including all 40 minutes of regulation at Colorado State.
Duff is averaging 33.2 minutes, 9.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals.
SOPHOMORES STEPPING UP
Vianè Cumber has stepped into being a reliable three-point shooter and has finished with double figures in five games with a game with 22 points, 17 against Mississippi State, 16 against South Carolina State and two games with 15. The Lobo sophomore is averaging 15.1 minutes per game and 7.3 points per game, shooting 48.1% overall and 42.9% from three-point range. Cumber is second on the team in made three-pointers with 27 and tied for sixth in the MW in three-pointers per game (1.8).
Aniyah Augmon has stepped into a larger role this season as well, and has finished with three assists in three games with a career-high five assists against Old Dominion, which she matched at Wyoming. She went 4-5 in the game against Arizona and added a steal, and in the last game against NMSU, hit three free throws in the fourth quarter in UNM’s 65-64 win. She finished with a career-high nine points at Colorado State. The guard is averaging 17.9 minutes per game, 4.0 points per game, 2.8 rebounds per game and 1.7 assists per game.
Paula Reus has stepped into a starting role this season, starting all 16 games this season, and is averaging 8.1 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game, 2.1 assists per game and 0.9 steal per game in an average of 27.5 minutes per game. Reus has scored in double figures in six games this season. Reus led the team in rebounds in five games, including the last two. She recorded her first career double-double against NMSU with 11 points and 10 rebounds (a career high) and matched her career high of 10 rebounds at Colorado State.
UP NEXT
The Lobos return to the road for a nationally televised matchup against UNLV, set for Saturday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. MT/ 6 p.m. PT on FS1.