Lobos Open MW Tournament with San Diego State Monday
LAS VEGAS, Nev.— The No. 2- seed Lobos begin postseason play at the Mountain West Tournament Monday at 5 p.m. PT/ 6 p.m. MT against No. 7-seed San Diego State after the Aztecs defeated San José State 72-51 in the first round on Sunday.
UNM enters the tournament 21-10 and finished 12-6 in conference play, while SDSU finished 10-8 in the conference and is 20-12 on the season following Sunday’s win. When facing the Aztecs in the MW Tournament, the Lobos are 8-4.
This will be the third consecutive year that the Lobos face the Aztecs in their first game, with the previous two determined by a one-possession score.
2 SEED HISTORY
The Lobos have been the two seed at the MW Tournament six times, three times under Coach Mike Bradbury, with the last time in 2022. UNM has been a top-two seed in three of the last four years (one seed in 2021, two seed in 2022 and 2024, four seed in 2023).
Each time that the Lobos have been a No. 2 seed (2002, 2003, 2015, 2019, 2022, 2024), they have faced No. 7 San Diego State in their first game and are historically 4-1.
UNM has finished in the top three in the MW in each of the last four years (first in 2021, second in 2022, tied for third in 2023 and second in 2024).
20/10 AGAIN
With the win at Wyoming, the Lobos recorded their 10th conference win. It’s the fourth consecutive year with at least 10 conference wins and the seventh time in Coach Mike Bradbury’s eight years at UNM. With the win against San Diego State, the Lobos reached 20 wins, the third consecutive year with 20 wins and the fifth time under Bradbury.
Only UNM and UNLV have reached the 20-win mark in each of the last three years, with Colorado State needing one win to join the list. In addition, only UNM and UNLV have won 10 or more MW games in each of the last four years.
WHAT’S TRENDING
The Lobos are:
•6-2 in games decided by 1-4 points
•12-2 when shooting 40% or better
•19-1 when scoring 60 or more points
•17-3 when UNM has a higher FG% and 13-2 with a higher 3-point FG% than its opponent
– 12x UNM has had a higher FG% and higher 3-point % FG than its opponent in the same game
•13-4 when outrebounding opponent
•14-3 when leading after the 1st quarter, 15-1 when leading at the half and 16-2 when leading after the 3rd
FROM 0-60
60 is the magic number for the Lobos as UNM is 19-1 when scoring 60 or more points and 14-2 when allowing fewer than 60 points. In conference games, UNM is 11-1 when scoring 60 or more and 7-1 when allowing fewer than 60 points.
ON ANY GIVEN NIGHT
The Lobos have been led in scoring by five different players (with seven games of players sharing the team high) and in rebounds by six different players with six games of multiple players sharing the team lead this season.
Nyah Wilson has led in scoring in 10 games, Vianè Cumber in six games, Aniyah Augmon in four games and Paula Reus in three games, and Charlotte Kohl once. Wilson has led or tied for the team lead 14 times and Reus has led or tied for the team lead eight times. On the boards, Kohl has led in seven games, Cumber seven times, Augmon, Wilson and Joaquim three times, and Reus in two. Cumber has led or tied for the team lead in rebounds 11 times.
In conference, Wilson has led in nine of the games (Nevada, at Colorado State, Wyoming, Fresno State, Air Force, San José State, UNLV, San Diego State, at Fresno State) and tied twice (Boise State and at Wyoming), Cumber three times (Utah State, UNLV and San José State) and Augmon three times (Boise State, Colorado State and San Diego State), with Cumber leading in rebounds six times (against Nevada, Utah State, Colorado State, Wyoming, San José State and San Diego State), and Kohl against Boise State. Augmon and Cumber tied for the team high in rebounds at UNLV, Reus led against Fresno State, Kohl led at Air Force and Hulda Joaquim led against UNLV and San José State. Wilson led in rebounds at Boise State and Joaquim and Cumber tied for the team high at Wyoming. Reus and Wilson tied for rebounds against San Diego State and Wilson and Kohl tied at Fresno State.
CONSISTENT CONTRIBUTORS
Aniyah Augmon has scored in double figures in 25 games, Nyah Wilson in 24 games, scoring 20 or more points in 10 games, and Paula Reus and Vianè Cumber in 17 games. Cumber has four games with 20-plus points and three double-doubles and Augmon has three games of 20-plus points with three double-doubles. Charlotte Kohl has scored in double figures six times and has four double-doubles on the season. UNM has four players averaging double figures led by Wilson (15.3 ppg), Augmon (13.1), Cumber (11.6 ppg) and Reus (11.4).
UNM is 14-3 when Reus scores in double figures, 17-7 when Wilson scores in double figures, 18-7 when Augmon scores in double figures and 9-8 when Cumber scores in double figures.
Wilson has scored in double figures in 17 conference games and Augmon in all 17 that she’s played in, with Cumber in 12 and Reus in nine. Four Lobos are averaging double figures in conference games led by Wilson at (17.7 ppg), Augmon (14.8 ppg), Cumber (11.4 ppg) and Reus (10.8 ppg).
GET AHEAD, STAY AHEAD
UNM has never trailed in a game six times and has led for over 36 minutes in a game 10 times this season.
So far this season, the Lobos have led for:
•37:53 and led after each quarter against Texas Southern
•36:30 and never trailed at Pepperdine
•39:21 and never trailed against Tarleton State
•32:47 and led after each quarter against New Mexico State
•39:34 and led after each quarter against Mississippi Valley State
•38:06 and never trailed against Hampton
•38:39 and never trailed against Western New Mexico
•37:54 and never trailed at Nevada
•36:11 and led after each quarter against Fresno State
•37:57 and never trailed at Air Force
•38:31 and led after each quarter at San José State
•35:41 and led after each quarter in the second game against San José State
UNM is outscoring opponents 470-411 (+59) in the first quarter and 957-883 (+74) through the first two quarters. UNM is outscoring opponents 510-491 in the third and 533-492 in the fourth quarter for 2015-1878 (+137) overall.
In MW games, the Lobos are outscoring opponents in the first (263-237), third (324-292), fourth (318-283) and overall (1180-1099).
This season, UNM is 14-3 when leading after the first quarter, 15-1 when leading at the half and 16-2 when leading after the third quarter.
SECOND HALF ADJUSTMENTS
The Lobos have flipped a switch in the final 20 minutes in conference, outscoring opponents 324-292 (+32) in the third and 318-283 (+35) in the fourth for a 642-575 (+67) margin in the final two quarters. Five times in conference the Lobos have trailed at the half and won the game (Utah State, Wyoming, UNLV, San Diego State, Fresno State) with the Lobos trailing at the end of the third in both games against Wyoming and at UNLV.
UNM outscored UNLV 39-30, Wyoming 37-23, Utah State 46-40 and San Diego State 35-30 in the final two quarters to turn halftime deficits into victories. The Lobos had their largest margin in the win at Fresno State, trailing by 11 and outscoring the Bulldogs 44-19 in the final two quarters. UNM outscored CSU 38-28 in the final two quarters, including holding the Rams to four points in the fourth, and in the game against SJSU, outscored the Spartans 39-28 in the final two quarters, including holding SJSU to nine points in the third.
UNM is 7-1 when leading at the half and 9-2 when leading at the end of the third against MW opponents.