Lobos Host Broncos Saturday
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— After playing the last two games on the road, the Lobos return home to face Boise State on Saturday, the first of two-straight home games for UNM. Tip is set for 1 p.m. MT with the game streaming on the MW Network.
UNM enters the game 10-9 (2-4 MW) after losing a late lead against SDSU, while Boise State enters 8-11 (3-3 MW) after beating Fresno State on Thursday night.
Both teams are among the top 3 in the MW in blocks per game with Boise State leading with 98 blocks (5.2 per game) and UNM third at 4.6 blocks per game but second in total blocks at 87. Saturday’s game will also feature the top teams in defense, as the Broncos are third in defensive field-goal percentage, holding teams to 37.2%, and the Lobos are second in defensive three-point field-goal percentage, holding opponents to 28.3% from distance.
On the offensive side, UNM is currently third in scoring offense at 72.2 points per game with Boise State fourth at 66.8 points per game.
In conference games, BSU is scoring 59.8 ppg, led by Mya Hansen at 10.0 ppg, and UNM is scoring 69.3 ppg, led by Shaiquel McGruder at 12.8 ppg and LaTascya Duff at 11.3 ppg.
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 San Diego State game was the 55th 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 .407, third all-time in program history, and 205 career three-pointers, third all-time in program history, 13 away from second and 16 away from tying the program record. She is just the third player all-time to make 200 career three-pointers.
The super senior leads the MW in three-point field-goal percentage at .381 (with a 2.5 3FG/G average), in three-pointers per game at 3.1 and made three-pointers (56), 17 more than the second-highest player in the MW. Nationally, she is fourth in the NCAA in three-pointers per game and ninth in three-pointers.
Duff has had at least one three-pointer in the last 13 games with multiple three-pointers in 12 of the last 13 games. On the season, has had 15 games with multiple three-pointers, including five games with four made threes, four with two, three with five, two with three and one with six.
THREE FALLING
UNM built an identity last season as a three-point shooting team, and this year’s team is trying to reclaim that identity.
The Lobos have finished with 10-plus three-pointers in eight games this season with a season-high 18 against South Carolina State, while shooting a season-high 46.2%. The 18 tied for the third most in a game in program history, only behind 19 and 21 the Lobos made last season against Colorado State and Utah State, respectively.
UNM is averaging 9.1 made three-pointers per game, ranked 12th in the NCAA, with 43.8 percent of UNM’s shot attempts three-pointers. The Lobos are shooting 33.4% from three with 172 makes. LaTascya Duff leads the Lobos with 56 made three-pointers, and is making 3.1 per game and 15 games of multiple three-pointers. Vianè Cumber is second with 34 made three-pointers, averaging 1.9 per game with 10 games with multiple three-pointers. Cumber is shooting 43.0% from three and Duff 38.1% from three.
In MW games, the Lobos are making 9.3 three-pointers per game to lead the conference, and shooting 36.6% from distance. Duff is shooting 45.9% from three with 17 makes and Cumber is shooting 47.6% with 10 made three-pointers.
SOPHOMORES STEPPING UP
Vianè Cumber has stepped into being a reliable three-point shooter and has finished with double figures in seven games with a game with 22 points, 17 against Mississippi State, 16 against South Carolina State, three games with 15 and 12 at UNLV. The Lobo sophomore is averaging 15.9 minutes per game and 7.6 points per game, shooting 47.1% overall and 43.0% from three-point range. Cumber is second on the team in made three-pointers with 34, is third in field-goal percentage, and leads the Lobos in three-point field-goal percentage. She is fifth in the MW in three-pointers per game (1.9).
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 then-career-high nine points at Colorado State, which she surpassed in the next game against Nevada, scoring 11 on 4-5 shooting. She tallied a new career high at UNLV with 18 points and tied her career high in rebounds with a season-high 10 for her first career double-double. The guard is averaging 18.6 minutes per game, 5.5 points per game, 3.3 rebounds per game and 1.6 assists per game. She was a perfect 3-3 from three against UNLV and 1-1 at SDSU and is shooting 50.8% from the floor and 42.1% from three-point range.
Paula Reus has stepped into a starting role this season, starting all 19 games this season, and is averaging 8.5 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game, 2.2 assists per game and 0.8 steals per game in an average of 27.4 minutes per game. Reus has scored in double figures in nine games this season, including the last three, and finished with double-digit rebounds in two games. Reus led the team in rebounds in five games. 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. Reus is third on the team in rebounds (93) and assists (41) and fourth in three-pointers (22) and in points (161).
UP NEXT
Following Saturday’s game, the Lobos remain at home to host Colorado State on Jan. 26 at 7 p.m.