UNM at Washington for WNIT Second Round Sunday

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The postseason continues for New Mexico as the Lobos face Washington in the WNIT second round on Sunday in Seattle. Tip is set for 5 p.m. PT/ 6 p.m. MT and will be streamed on Washington’s Pac-12 channel.

The Lobos enter the second round of the WNIT having won seven of their last eight games and eight of the last 10 following Thursday’s 72-64 first round win over Northern Arizona.

While the history between the two teams is short, history repeats itself as the last time the two teams met was also in the second round of the WNIT on March 14, 1999. UNM won that game 68-63 in Albuquerque.

Washington enters the game 16-14 after defeating San Francisco 61-46 on Thursday with three players finishing in double figures. As a team, UW is averaging 61.6 ppg and allowing 59.3 ppg. The Huskies are led in scoring, rebounding and blocks by Dalayah Daniels, who posted a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds against USF and also had two blocks and two steals.

Four Huskies (Daniels, Haley Van Dyke, Lauren Schwartz and Trinity Oliver) have started all 30 games with Jayda Noble starting all 28 games she’s played in. UW shares two common opponents in Arizona (lost 61-54) and Arizona State (won 55-53). UW is 13-5 at home this season, including a signature win over then-No. 2 Stanford (72-67).

THE CUMBER EFFECT
Since Vianè Cumber entered the starting lineup, the Lobos have gone 10-3 with the sophomore finishing in double figures in eight of the games including three of the last four. Cumber has also led the team in scoring in one of those games (16 against SJSU) and in rebounds in one game (nine against Wyoming).

SOPHOMORES STEPPING UP     
Vianè Cumber has stepped into being a reliable three-point shooter and has finished with double figures in 15 games, nine times in conference games. The Lobo sophomore is averaging 22.4 minutes per game and 8.9 points per game, shooting 42.7% overall and 39.9% from three-point range. In conference games, she averaged 9.2 points per game, 25.2 minutes per game and shot 40.1% from the floor and 38.2% from three-point range. Cumber has made 67 three-pointers and has had 20 games with multiple three-pointers. She is 34th in the NCAA in three-point percentage.

Aniyah Augmon has stepped into a larger role this season as well, and is averaging 20.7 minutes per game, 7.2 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game and 1.8 assists per game. She is shooting 45.3% from the floor and 32.4% from three-point range. In MW games, she averaged 9.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 1.9 apg while shooting 48.7% and 37.5% from three-point range. Augmon has been clutch in several games this season as well. In the game against CSU, Augmon made the go-ahead basket with 30 seconds remaining and tallied a team-high 10 rebounds in the win. She tallied a career high at UNLV with 18 points and tied her career high in rebounds with a then-season-high 10 for her first career double-double. The guard Augmon finished with a career-high 13 rebounds at Utah State and had her second double-double of the season against the Aggies with 12 points. The Lobo guard added her third double-double against the Falcons with a game-high 17 points and game-high 11 rebounds, going on a personal 7-0 run in the fourth quarter to put UNM up 13 points.

Paula Reus is averaging 7.9 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game, 1.8 assists per game and 0.7 steals per game in an average of 24.6 minutes per game. In conference games, she averaged 8.0 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game and shot 48.1%. Reus has scored in double figures in 13 games this season and has 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.

All three were in the starting lineup in Thursday’s first round game.

GET AHEAD, STAY AHEAD
The Lobos are 18-4 on the season when leading after the first quarter and 18-3 overall when leading at the half. When leading at the end of the third quarter, the Lobos are 19-3 overall.

LOBOS FINDING THEIR STRIDE
In the last eight games, UNM has outscored opponents 78.6 ppg to 64.4 ppg and is shooting 47.2% overall, 38.6% from three and 81.0% from the free-throw line. The Lobos are also outrebounding opponents 39.0 to 32.4 (+6.6). Shaiquel McGruder has averaged 13.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game and Amaya Brown has averaged 11.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in that stretch.

During UNM’s six-game winning streak, the Lobos averaged over 81.5 points per game, outscoring opponents by 17.8 ppg.

UNM scored a season-high 111 points in the win over Utah State and followed that with 88 points in the win at Fresno State, making 16 three-pointers in both games.

McGruder averaged 12.7 ppg and 7.2 rebounds per game, and Amaya Brown 10.8 ppg and 6.8 rebounds per game.

UNM outrebounded opponents 39.8 rpg to 31.7 rpg, averaged 16.0 assists per game, 7.3 steals per game and shot 41.0% from three and 47.5% overall with two games shooting over 50.0%.

The Lobos finished second in offense at 75.7 ppg and second in scoring margin (+7.78) in conference games, third in field-goal percentage (45.2%) and lead the conference in three-point field-goal percentage (36.3%) with a MW-best 8.6 made three-pointers per game.

Historically, UNM has finished either first or second in the conference in scoring offense in the last six years (four times first).