ALBUQUERQUE, N.M— The Lobos return to The Pit for their third game of the week, set to host Tarleton State on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Sunday will be a Salute to Service game with all military receiving free admission with a valid ID and 300 small American flags being given out. It will also be a SAAC canned food drive game with donations accepted at the northeast and southwest entrances. Those who donate will receive a voucher for discounted tickets.
UNM enters with a 2-0 record after wins against Texas Southern on Monday and a road win at Pepperdine on Thursday. It is the fourth time in five years and the sixth time in Coach Mike Bradbury’s eight years that UNM has started 2-0. Tarleton is 1-1 following a season-opening win over Howard Payne (106-38) and a loss at Texas Tech (70-63) on Friday.
This will be the first meeting between the two teams.
STARTING FAST
UNM is starting the season playing four games in 10 days, starting with Texas Southern on Nov. 6 and ending with Texas A&M-Commerce on Nov. 15. After that, the Lobos have a week break until their next game against Montana State in Cancun.
DEFENSE DELIVERS
In Thursday’s win at Pepperdine, the Lobos held the Waves to four points in the first quarter and without a point up until the 1:09 mark. Further, UNM held them to 18 points in the first 20 minutes, with the last time that the Lobos held a team below 20 points in the first half was against Louisiana-Monroe on Nov. 27, 2021 (17 points).
Pepperdine missed its first eight shots of the game and UNM forced two shot clock violations in that timespan.
The Lobos were able to further expand their lead to 16 in the second quarter in part to a 6-0 Lobo run and holding Pepperdine to a 3:06 scoring drought. In the fourth quarter, Pepperdine scored its first points of the quarter with 6:54 left in the game.
STEAL THE SHOW
Aniyah Augmon was credited with eight steals against Pepperdine and achieved a feat that hadn’t been done by a Lobo since 1998. Her eight steals tied for the second most in a game by a Lobo in program history, with the last time it was done was Feb. 8, 1998 by Tamika Stukes.
Augmon had four steals in the first 20 minutes with three in the second quarter, which the four alone would have been a career high for the junior. She added two in the fourth quarter, including a steal and layup with 2:04 remaining in the game to make it 50-42 after Pepperdine closed within three at 45-42 with 2:37 to play.
In her three years at UNM, she’s had 13 games with multiple steals.
ALL ABOUT AUGMON
Beyond her career-high eight steals, Aniyah Augmon showcased her all-around ability to take over a game at Pepperdine, leading the Lobos with 16 points, nine rebounds and three assists.
Augmon had a career-high four steals through the first 20 minutes and scored eight points in the second quarter alone, and was the first player to reach double figures on a drive to the basket early in the third quarter. The Lobo junior had eight points, six rebounds and four steals in the final 20 minutes.
GET AHEAD, STAY AHEAD
So far this season, the Lobos have led for 37:53 and led after each quarter in the season opener and led for 36:30 and never trailed in the game at Pepperdine.
UNM is outscoring opponents 30-16 in the first quarter and 65-42 through the first two quarters.
In 2022-23, the Lobos were 18-4 on the season when leading after the first quarter and 18-4 overall when leading at the half. When leading at the end of the third quarter, the Lobos were 19-4 overall last season.
CLOSE STRONG
The Lobos have also shown the ability to close out games, outscoring opponents 41-30 in the fourth quarter. UNM scored the final seven points in the game against Texas Southern, holding the Tigers the final 2:54 without a point, and after Pepperdine closed to within three with 2:37 remaining, outscored the Waves 12-6.
ABOUT TARLETON STATE
Tarleton State enters the game following a 70-63 loss to Texas Tech on Friday night. The Texans had two players finish in double figures, led by Jakoriah Long (13) and Teresa Da Silva (11), and defensively had nine steals and four blocks with Tyler Jackson and Da Silva with three apiece.
The Texans are 1-1 on the season with a 106-38 win over Howard Payne to start the season. Led by a first-year head coach in Bill Brock, Tarleton State has started the same five in both games with Da Silva, Elise Turrubiates, Jackson, Andjela Bigovic and Nykesha Sanders.
Four Texans are averaging double figures in Da Silva (17.0 ppg), Turrubiates (12.0 ppg), Long (11.5 ppg) and Jackson (10.0 ppg). Turrubiates has led on the boards in both games and is averaging 7.0 rebounds per game, Da Silva leads with nine steals on the season and Bigovic leads with five blocks.