UNM Heads on Road for Second Time This Season at NMSU Sunday
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobos have a quick turnaround but a familiar opponent, set to face New Mexico State for the second time this week in Las Cruces on Sunday at 2 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
Sunday will be just the second road game of the season for the Lobos, with UNM coming off of a six-game homestand in which they went 4-2. Sunday’s game will also mark the final non-conference road game.
UNM enters the game 5-4 on the season while NMSU is 5-3 following Friday’s game in The Pit in which NMSU won 81-71. The Lobos were led by Viané Cumber’s 18 points, one of three in double figures, with Destinee Hooks finishing with 15 points and Alyssa Hargrove tying her season-high 12 points. Hooks made a season-best three, three-pointers in the game and Hargrove tied her season high in steals with five, the second-straight game finishing with five.
The trio have been consistent scorers for UNM, with Cumber reaching double figures in all nine games, Hooks in eight, including the last seven, and Hargrove in six. They have all scored in double figures in the same game in four games.
SERIES HISTORY
New Mexico holds a 58-28 lead in the series with the Aggies and a 26-15 record in Las Cruces. UNM is 8-2 in the last 10 games and 19-6 in the last 25 games in the series.
In the series history, there was a span of 22 consecutive wins from Nov. 28, 1996 to Dec. 19, 2006, in which a loss on Dec. 2, 2007 in Las Cruces broke the streak, however the Lobos began a 12-game win streak the next game that spanned from Dec. 21, 2007 to Dec. 7, 2013.
Coach Mike Bradbury is 11-3 all-time against the Aggies, 4-2 on the road.
QUITE THE STEAL
The Lobos have created six or more steals in eight games this season, including a season-high 15 against North Texas, 13 in two games, 10 against New Mexico State and nine against Gonzaga, averaging 9.4 steals per game. UNM has had 10 or more steals in each of the last two games.
Alyssa Hargrove leads the team in steals with 26 (2.9 per game), following three or more steals in five of the last six games with five in each of the last two games, four against Western New Mexico and three against South Carolina State and Gonzaga. She’s recorded a steal in each game and multiple steals in seven. Hargrove led the team in steals against NAU, TTU, WNMU, North Texas and New Mexico State, and tied for the team lead against South Carolina State.
Amhyia Moreland has had a steal in each of the last seven games, including three in the last game, and Viané Cumber had game-high four against Gonzaga, which tied her career high. Against New Mexico State, Hulda Joaquim tied her career high with three steals, which she last did in 2022.
Five Lobos are averaging over a steal per game with Hargrove (2.9), Cumber (1.1) and Hooks, Moreland and Joana Magalhães all with 1.0. Hargrove is second in the conference in steals per game, 20th in steals in the NCAA and 31st in steals per game.
STARTING STRONG, NEED TO FINISH STRONG
UNM has entered the fourth quarter with the lead in six games (NAU, Morehead State, Western New Mexico, South Carolina State, UC Irvine and North Texas). In those six games, UNM outscored opponents 124-86 in the first quarter and 96-70 in the second quarter (220-156 in the first 20 minutes), 106-80 in the third quarter and 123-114 in the fourth (229-194 in the last 20 minutes). UNM is 5-1 this season when taking a lead into the final quarter.
The Lobos led for the majority of the game in five of the games, leading 34:12 and by as many as 13 against NAU but lost the lead and the game late. Against Morehead State, the Lobos led 39:33 and by as many as 24 in the fourth, but the lead was cut down to 10 in the 66-56 final. They only trailed for 3:47 (3:30 vs. NAU, 0:17 vs. MSU) in the first two games of the season. Against Western New Mexico, UNM led by as many as 29 and for 36:38 and UNM never trailed against South Carolina State and led by as many as 43. Against UNT, the Lobos led for 39:27 and never trailed, leading by as many as 19 in the second quarter.
On the season, UNM is outscoring its opponents 189-144 in the first quarter (+45). The Lobos are outscoring opponents by 134-123 in the second (+11) and 158-141 (+17) in the third, but trailing 179-175 in the fourth. UNM holds a 656-587 (+69) edge in overall points.
In addition, the Lobos have led for a total of 214:28 this season, leading after the first quarter in eight games (exception was Gonzaga), and trailed for a total of 109:39, with the largest time coming against Gonzaga of 39:13. UNM never trailed in the game against South Carolina State and again against North Texas, but also never led against Gonzaga although tying the game three times.
MOUNTAIN OF STATS
Among the Mountain West teams, the Lobos rank in the top three in eight categories, leading the conference in two.
UNM leads the conference in assists per game (16.6) and field goal percentage (.444). The Lobos are second in blocks per game (5.1), rebounding margin (+4.3), and rebounding defense (34.2) and third in defensive rebounds per game (27.4), rebounds per game (38.6) and three-point field goal percentage (33.8).
UNM is tied for the second-most assists in a game this season with 24 against South Carolina State. The 10 blocks against Morehead State are tied for the second most in a game this season.
On an individual level, Viané Cumber leads the conference in three-pointers per game (2.7) with 24 made three-pointers (tied for the most) and her three-point percentage (.358) also leads the MW. Cumber’s seven three-pointers against Morehead State are the most made by a MW player this season with her 12 attempts in the game also the most.
Destinee Hooks’ 28 points at Texas Tech is tied for the second-most points scored by a MW player this season, with her 11 made field goals in the game the most by a MW player. Hooks is fourth in the conference in points per game at 17.6 with Cumber seventh at 15.7. Hooks is also second in field goal percentage (.508) with Cumber third (.449). Alyssa Hargrove is third in the conference in assists per game (3.7) and second in steals per game (2.9). Amhyia Moreland is fourth in blocks per game (1.4) with Hulda Joaquim sixth (1.2) and Joaquim is fourth in offensive rebounds per game (3.3) with Cumber fourth in defensive rebounds per game (5.2).
FAST-BREAK POINTS
On the season, UNM has scored 112 fast-break points, while limiting opponents to 67. The Lobos held NAU to five fast-break points, Western New Mexico and UC Irvine to four and South Carolina State and Gonzaga to two.
The Lobos have had the edge in fast-break points in seven games.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Alyssa Hargrove has reached double digits in six games as a Lobo, averaging 8.8 ppg on the season. Additionally, she is averaging 3.7 apg, 2.9 spg, 2.2 rpg, and 0.8 bpg in 28.1 mpg, while shooting 42.9% from the floor and 48.0% from three with two three-pointers in four games.
Hargrove currently leads the team in steals (26) and assists (33), is second in made three-pointers (12) and is third in blocks (seven) and scoring with a steal in all nine games and a block in four. The Ohio native has 16 more steals than the next Lobo and eight more assists than the next Lobo. Hargrove is second in the conference in steals per game, 20th in steals in the NCAA and 31st in steals per game.
Destinee Hooks has been a consistent scorer for the Lobos, reaching double figures in the last seven games, eight games overall, and has scored 20-plus points in three games.
Hooks currently leads the Lobos in scoring at 17.6 ppg, is tied for most made free throws (21), and is third in three-pointers (11). Additionally, she is fourth in the MW in scoring and second in field goal percentage (.508) and currently 31st in the NCAA in field goals (63), 52nd in points (158) and 76th in points per game.