ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobos head to the Pacific Northwest to close out the nonconference portion of the schedule against No. 20 Gonzaga on Friday. Tip is set for 2 p.m. MT on ESPN+.
GU will be UNM’s first ranked opponent of the season, with the Bulldogs currently 11-2 ahead of a game against Arizona on Wednesday and have won their last five games. In addition, Gonzaga is 5-0 at home this season and has a 25-game winning streak at home with the last loss at home Feb. 5, 2022, a 62-50 loss to BYU. GU’s two losses have been against then-No. 24 Washington State (77-72 in overtime) and then-No. 21 Louisville (81-70), but the Bulldogs also have a win against then-No. 3 Stanford (96-78).
The Lobos are 9-3 on the season and went 5-1 in their six-game homestand leading up to Friday’s game. During that stretch, UNM averaged 65.8 points per game while allowing 55.8 points per game, led in scoring by Paula Reus (15.7 ppg) and Charlotte Kohl (12.3 ppg). Kohl is also averaging 9.5 rebounds per game with Reus at 6.8 rebounds per game over the last six games. The duo has either led the team in scoring or tied with the other in the previous six games with Reus leading in two games, Kohl in one and sharing the lead in three games.
Friday’s game will be the second meeting all-time between the two teams, with UNM winning the first game 76-54 at home on Nov. 27, 2004.
PAULA FINDING HER STRIDE
Paula Reus has found her stride of late, scoring in double figures in five of the last six games. She set her career high in points with 25 against Eastern Illinois, making a season-high four three-pointers.
Reus has scored in double digits seven times this season and 28 times in her three years. UNM is 7-0 this season and 22-6 all-time when Reus reaches double figures.
She has been close to a double-double several times with four games of eight rebounds and 15 points and nine rebounds in the last game and has been a facilitator with five assists in two games.
Reus leads the team in made field goals (59), is tied for the team lead in points (147, 12.3 ppg), and second in three-pointers (16), assists (27, 2.3 apg), steals (12, 1.0 spg) and rebounds (78, 6.5 rpg).
PAINT POINTS
UNM has outscored opponents in the paint in 10 games this season and by a 388-278 (+110) margin.
To date, the Lobos finished with a +24 margin against Texas Southern (38-14), +8 margin at Pepperdine (34-26), a +10 margin against Tarleton State (34-24), a +22 margin against Texas A&M-Commerce (50-28), a +2 margin (32-30) against Georgia Tech, a +16 margin against Eastern Illinois (36-20), a +26 margin against New Mexico State (42-16), a +10 margin against Mississippi Valley State (32-22), a +8 margin against Hampton (18-10) and a +4 margin against Western New Mexico (30-26).
UNM has scored 388 of its 779 points (49.8%) in the paint this season.
GET THE REBOUND
The Lobos have shown their ability to control the boards, outrebounding their opponents 518-469 (+49) and outrebounding opponents in seven games.
Charlotte Kohl leads the team with 107 rebounds (8.9 per game), with two 20-rebound performances, an 18-rebound outing in the final exhibition against Adams State, and grabbed nine against Texas Southern to start the season. Of her rebounds, 49 are on the offensive end and her 4.1 offensive boards per game are the second most in the conference, however, her 49 are the most in the conference. Kohl is 21st in the NCAA in rebounds, 18th in offensive rebounds per game and 61st in rebounds per game.
UNM is 7-0 in games that the Lobos outrebound their opponent. UNM outrebounded Texas Southern 49-36 (+13), Tarleton State 45-35 (+10), Texas A&M-Commerce 47-33 (+14), Eastern Illinois 47-46 (+1), New Mexico State 47-33 (+14), Mississippi Valley State 56-39 (+17) and Western New Mexico 42-36 (+6).
The Lobos are ranked 35th in the NCAA in rebounds per game (43.2), an improvement from last season in which the Lobos finished 177th in the NCAA in rebounds per game with 36.5. In addition, the Lobos have made an improvement in rebounding margin, finishing last season 246th at -2.0, compared to this season where the Lobos are currently ranked 111th with an +4.1 rebounding margin. UNM is ranked 30th in defensive rebounds per game at 30.0. Among MW teams, UNM is second in defensive rebounds per game and third in offensive rebounds per game (13.2).
SHARE THE BALL
The Lobos have finished with their two highest assist totals of the season in the last two games, with a season-high 20 in the game against Hampton and 19 in the game against Western New Mexico.
UNM assisted on 20 of the 23 made baskets (87.0%) and 19 of the 25 made baskets (76.0%), respectively, and also assisted on 19 of its 27 made baskets (70.4%) against Mississippi Valley State.
On the season, the Lobos have assisted on 54.0% of made baskets and averaging 13.0 assists per game.
ABOUT GONZAGA
In their previous 13 games, the Bulldogs are averaging 82.2 points per game (22nd in the NCAA), and are shooting 47.9% (20th in the NCAA), as well as 38.9% from three-point range (13th in the NCAA) with 9.3 three-pointers per game (16th in the NCAA). Gonzaga also averages 19.5 assists per game (ranked 15th) and has a 1.52 assist/turnover ratio, the 14th-best total in the NCAA.
GU has five players averaging double figures, led by Yvonne Ejim at 19.6 ppg, followed by Brynna Maxwell (13.5 ppg), Kayleigh Truong (13.2 ppg), Kaylynne Truong (11.5 ppg) and Eliza Hollingsworth (11.2 ppg). Ejim is fifth in the NCAA in points (255) and second in the NCAA in field goals (111), shooting 63.8% from the floor. Maxwell is GU’s best three-point threat with 33 made three-pointers on the season, but both Truongs are closely behind with 30 made three-pointers. Hollingsworth has led the team in scoring in the last two games.
Kaylynne is sixth in the NCAA in assists with 81 on the season and has had five games with eight or more assists.
GU went 28-5 last season, 17-1 in the WCC, losing 71-48 to Ole Miss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs have reached the NCAA Tournament in the last three years and six of the last seven years. Gonzaga has finished with 20-plus wins the last seven years.