Balanced Scoring Leads Lobos Past Wolf Pack

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— A Paula Reus three-pointer gave New Mexico a 5-4 lead 2:33 into Wednesday’s game against Nevada and from there the Lobos never looked back, using a 19-5 run from that point for the 24-9 end of first quarter score in the eventual 88-58 victory.

Five Lobos finished in double figures, with LaTascya Duff and Viané Cumber tying for the game high with 15 points, combining for seven threes with Cumber accounting for five. LaTora Duff finished with 12 points and had a game-high six assists, Aniyah Augmon posted a career-high 11 points and added four rebounds, two assists and a steal, and Reus finished with 11 points and again nearly posted a double-double with eight rebounds. The Lobos were close to having seven players finish in double figures, with Amaya Brown tallying nine points and Shaiquel McGruder finishing with eight points to go along with a game-high nine rebounds, game-high three blocks and two assists.

McGruder moved up in the career rankings in several categories against the Wolf Pack, with her three blocks placing her third all-time with 160 blocks, her nine rebounds giving her 757 career boards and moving her into sixth all-time and her eight points giving her 1235, moving her into 12th all-time.

As a team, UNM shot 54.5% from the floor, the second-highest percentage on the season and the fourth time shooting over 50 percent this season, and made 11 three-pointers, shooting 40.7% from distance with six different players making at least one.

After Nevada made it 8-6 UNM at the 6:10 mark of the first quarter, the Lobos went on an 11-0 run over the next 3:54 to take control of the game. LaTascya set the tone early with 10 points in the first quarter on 4-6 shooting that included a three-pointer and a free throw on an and-one opportunity. UNM shot 58.8% in the first, while holding Nevada to 25.0% (4-16) and 0-3 from three, and also outscored Nevada 14-2 in the paint.

UNM’s lead grew to 17 (31-14) on an Augmon free throw, and later used a 6-0 run behind a Reus jumper, a LaTora layup and Reus hook shot to stretch the lead to 21 with 3:21 remaining in the second. An 8-0 run that included consecutive Cumber three-pointers pushed the lead to 27, and following two Nevada free throws, Reus closed the half with a jumper as time expired for the 49-22 Lobo lead at the break. New Mexico went on a 14-2 run over 4:25 of the second quarter to build its 27-point lead.

Cumber went 3-3 from three and Reus shot 4-5 to lead the Lobos in scoring in the second, with the Lobos outshooting Nevada 66.7-26.7% from the floor and 50.0-16.7% from three to extend their lead. Cumber led all scorers at the break with 12 points on four made three-pointers, with Reus also in double figures at 11 for the third Lobo to cross into double-digit territory.

LaTascya opened the third with a layup to put the Lobos up 29, and although Nevada closed the margin to 23, the Lobos answered right back with a Brown layup, a LaTora three-pointer and three-point play pushed the gap to 31 at 62-31 midway through the quarter. UNM’s lead grew to 37 on a LaTascya jumper with 3:00 remaining in the quarter, with the margin reaching its greatest point at 38 on a Hulda Joaquim layup as the quarter came to a close that made it 76-38.

Nevada cut into the lead to bring the game within 28 points with 3:22 left to play, but a Jaelyn Bates three-pointer pushed it past the 30-point threshold, with the game ending in a 30-point differential.

With the win, the Lobos improve to 10-7 on the season, 2-2 in the Mountain West. UNM heads back on the road to face UNLV on Saturday night at 7 p.m. MT/ 6 p.m. PT, with the game on FS1.

POSTGAME NOTES

New Mexico re-took the lead (5-4) on a three-point jumper by Paula Reus with 7:27 remaining in the first quarter and led for the rest of the game.

New Mexico went on an 11-0 run over 4:08 of the first quarter to build a 13-point lead.

• The Lobos closed the first quarter on a 22-5 run to build a 15-point lead.

LaTascya Duff became the Lobos’ first player in double-figures with 0:55 remaining in the first quarter.

New Mexico outscored Nevada 26-6 in points-in-the-paint in the first half.

Shaiquel McGruder recorded three blocks in the game to bring her career total to 160, moving her into third place in New Mexico program history.

McGruder also recorded nine rebounds in the game to bring her career total to 757, moving her into sixth place in New Mexico program history.

McGruder also recorded eight points in the game to bring her career total to 1,235, moving her into 12th place in New Mexico program history.

New Mexico went on a 14-2 run over 4:25 of the second quarter to build a 27-point lead.

New Mexico scored 49 first-half points, their second-most in a first half this season (scored 55 vs South Carolina St. on Dec. 29, 2022).

New Mexico went on an 18-4 run over 5:56 of the third quarter to build a 37-point lead.

New Mexico led Nevada in assists (20-9), rebounds (41-39), three-pointers (11-3), shooting percentage (54.5%-32.4%), three-point percentage (40.7%-16.7%), blocks (5-3), point in the paint (48-32) and bench points (33-17).