Lobos Begin Six-Game Homestand Friday Night Against WNMU
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobos begin a six-game homestand on Friday night against Western New Mexico at 7 p.m. There will be a canned food drive Friday night and again at Wednesday’s game, with boxes located in the northwest entrance and the main entrance for fans to drop off cans. Fans who donate will receive a voucher for a discounted ticket to a future game.
UNM is 1-2 on the season after a road loss to Texas Tech on Tuesday, while WNMU is 0-3 on the season.
SERIES HISTORY
UNM is 2-0 all-time against the Mustangs, with both meetings occurring in the last two years. The Lobos have outscored the Mustangs 164-104 (82.0 ppg-52.0 ppg).
In the last meeting in 2023, UNM never trailed and led for 38:39 and by as many as 29 points in the 71-47 win. Paris Lauro went 4-5 from three-point range and finished with 14 points. As a team, the Lobos had 16 steals and created 26 turnovers that led to 25 points off turnovers.
In the first meeting in 2022, UNM led for 37:23 with the lead as large as 38 in the 93-57 win. Vianè Cumber had 22 points on six three-pointers and was credited with four steals. As a team, the Lobos scored 54 of their 93 points in the paint, and had 19 steals and nine blocks.
3 x 3
New Mexico has had three players reach double figures in all three games this season. Viané Cumber and Alyssa Hargrove has scored double digits in all three with Destinee Hooks in two games (Northern Arizona and Morehead State) and Hulda Joaquim in one (Morehead State).
20-POINT CLUB
UNM has had a player score 20-plus points in each of the games this season. Destinee Hooks has scored 20-plus points twice (21 vs. Northern Arizona and 28 at Texas Tech) and Viané Cumber scored 23 against Morehead State.
MOUNTAIN OF STATS
Among the Mountain West teams, the Lobos rank in the top-two in seven categories, including first or tied for first in four.
UNM leads the conference in three-point field goal percentage (.375), rebounds per game (42.7) and defensive rebounds per game (31.7), and is tied for first in assists per game (14.0). The Lobos are tied for second in rebounding margin (+6.3), three-pointers per game (8.0) and blocks per game (6.0).
UNM’s 21 assists and 10 blocks in the game against Morehead State are tied for the most by a MW team in a game this season in both categories. Additionally, the 11 three-pointers against Morehead State and its 42.1% three-point percentage against Northern Arizona are tied for the second most and the second best amongst MW teams this season, respectively.
On an individual level, Viané Cumber leads the conference in three-point percentage (.500) and is second in three-pointers per game (3.7), but leads in overall three-pointers (11). Cumber’s seven three-pointers against Morehead State was the most made by a MW player this season and her 12 attempts in the game also the most. Destinee Hooks’ 28 points at Texas Tech is tied for the most points scored by a MW player this season, with her 11 made field goals in the game the most by a MW player. Joana Magalhães’ six assists against Morehead State is tied for the most in a game by a MW player.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Alyssa Hargrove reached double digits in all three official games as a Lobo, averaging 11.0 on the season. Additionally, she is averaging 3.3 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.7 spg and 1.3 bpg in 29.8 mpg, while shooting 44.4% from the floor and 55.6% from three with two three-pointers in two games. Hargrove led the Lobos with four assists and a game-high two steals in the season opener, and had two steals, two blocks, two assists and three rebounds at Texas Tech. Hargrove currently leads the team in assists (nine), steals (five) and blocks (four).
Destinee Hooks scored a game-high 21 points in the season opener, including 12 points at the half on 5-7 shooting. Hooks scored five consecutive points for UNM in the fourth quarter, including a game-tying three-pointer with 49 seconds left to tie the game at 75. She later made a free throw with 2.4 seconds left that tied the game at 78. Hooks followed that up with her second 20-point performance at Texas Tech, scoring a game-high 28 points for the second time leading the Lobos in scoring.
Hooks currently leads the Lobos in scoring at 18.3 ppg, as well as in made free throws (eight) and attempts (14), and is third in field-goal percentage (.524). Additionally, she is currently 38th in the NCAA in field goals (22) and 63rd in points (55) and sixth in the MW in scoring and eighth in field goal percentage.
Off the bench, freshman Reza Po also had a strong first game as a Lobo with five points, two assists, a steal and a block and went 4-4 from the free-throw line with three assists and a block in the game against Morehead State. In the last game at Texas Tech, Po had a season-best four rebounds to go with a steal and four points in 23 minutes.
THE CUMBER EFFECT
Vianè Cumber picked up right where she left off in the season opener, scoring 14 points with two three-pointers and nearly tallied a double-double with a team-high eight rebounds. She also played a team-high 32:13 without recording a turnover.
She took over in the game against Morehead State, scoring a game-high 23 points and a game-high 12 rebounds for her first double-double of the season, hitting seven three-pointers. It was one point and one three-pointer shy of matching her career highs in both categories. Cumber went 4-4 from three-point range in the fourth quarter and went 5-5 in the final two quarters while bringing down five rebounds.
The Lobo senior recorded her third double-digit game of the season at Texas Tech with 10 points behind two three-pointers.
In the first week of the season, Cumber led the Lobos with an average of 18.5 ppg and 10.0 rpg, shooting 48.0% from the floor and 56.3% from behind the arc with nine three-pointers.
She is currently averaging 15.7 points per game, 7.7 rebounds per game, 1.7 assists per game and shooting 44.1% from the floor and 50.0% from three-point range. Cumber leads the team in rebounds per game, is second in points per game and third in steals per game (1.0) and assists per game.
Last season, the New Mexico native scored in double figures in 17 games with four games of 20-plus points, leading the Lobos in scoring six times. The Lobo also registered three double-doubles, with 14 points and a career-high 14 rebounds against Eastern Illinois, 21 points and 11 rebounds against Utah State and 11 rebounds and 10 points at San Diego State.
Further, Cumber has scored in double figures 39 times and 20 or more points seven times in her career.
THREES IN VIANÉ’S DNA
The easiest way to know how to pronounce Vianè’s name is VNA, like DNA but VNA. And three-pointers are in Vianè’s DNA.
In her career, she has made a three in 61 games with 47 games with multiple threes and three or more three-pointers in 25 career games. She has made at least one three-pointer in 35 of the last 38 games she’s played in.
Among one of the best three-point shooters in the conference, she made three or more three-pointers 10 times last season: two against Eastern Illinois and SJSU, three at Pepperdine, against Tarleton State and Fresno State, four in the season opener, five against No. 20 Gonzaga, Utah State and Nevada, six against No. 25 UNLV and a career-best eight against Montana State.
This season, she’s made 11 with seven against Morehead State and two against both Northern Arizona and Texas Tech. She currently leads the Mountain West in made three-pointers and in three-point field-goal percentage (.500). Nationally, she is 10th in the NCAA in three-pointers and 19th in three-pointers per game (3.67).
Cumber is on the verge of a couple of reachable milestones with 749 points (251 away from 1,000) and 169 three-pointers, seventh all-time in program history. She is 70 from tying the program record of 239 set by LaTascya Duff and would have to average roughly two to three three-pointers per game.
ABOUT WESTERN NEW MEXICO
Friday’s game will be an exhibition game for the Mustangs, who play in the Division II Lone Star Conference. WNMU is 0-3 on the season with losses to Fort Lewis (53-47), New Mexico Highlands (80-60) and Northern New Mexico (63-55).
Four players are averaging over 12 points per game, led by Jade Goynes (17.7). Alina Martin is averaging 15 points per game, Steph Da Silva is averaging 12.5 points and Nxerro Maluw is averaging 12.0 points per game. Goynes is also averaging a team-best 7.3 rebounds per game, 2.5 steals per game and 2.3 assists per game.
As a team, the Mustangs are averaging 54.0 points per game with a season-high 60 points against New Mexico Highlands. Defensively, they are averaging 7.3 steals per game with seven steals in each of the last two games, and 34.7 rebounds per game.
WNMU was picked to finish 15th in the LSC preseason poll with Da Silva selected as a player to watch.