Lobos Host Cowgirls Wednesday
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobos take their undefeated conference record up against another undefeated conference opponent in Wyoming on Wednesday night at 7 p.m, the first home game on the week for New Mexico.
UNM enters the game 10-6 on the season, 3-0 in conference with the Cowgirls 8-6 on the season, 2-0 in conference. The Cowgirls defeated Utah State (73-53) and at Fresno State (68-59), while the Lobos won at Air Force (69-63), at home against Nevada (70-62) and at San Diego State (68-59). UNM has won five of its last six games and Wyoming has won four of its last five.
The two teams enter with similar stats in several categories as the Lobos are allowing 64.5 ppg with the Cowgirls scoring 64.6 ppg with the two teams holding teams to similar field goal percentage (UNM at 39.1% and Wyoming at 39.2%). Additionally, the Lobos lead the MW in field goal percentage at 44.3% with Wyoming second at 43.7% and the two teams are also similar in assists per game with Wyoming at 14.9 and UNM at 14.7 and in rebounding defense with UNM at 34.0 and Wyoming at 34.07.
SERIES HISTORY
The Lobos are 46-39 all-time against the Cowgirls, 28-12 in games in The Pit. UNM has won the last two meetings in Albuquerque, the last three games in the series, and is 7-3 in the last 10 games against Wyoming.
UNM won the last time the two teams met 59-58 in Laramie with the last loss to the Cowgirls at home by the score of 60-59 in 2022. In the last game against Wyoming, UNM led for 19:25 and trailed for 18:00 with seven lead changes and one tie. UNM made 11 three-pointers behind three from Lara Langermann and two from Viané Cumber. Cumber tied Hulda Joaquim for the game high in rebounds with seven as UNM outrebounded UW 35-26.
Coach Mike Bradbury is 7-8 all-time against Wyoming, 3-4 at home.
GOOD THINGS COME IN THREES
The Lobos have had three different players lead the team in scoring in a game this season, with Destinee Hooks leading the team in eight (NAU, Texas Tech, Western New Mexico, Gonzaga, UC Irvine, at New Mexico State, Nevada and San Diego State), Viané Cumber in five (Morehead State, New Mexico State, Sacramento State, Abilene Christian and Air Force) and Hulda Joaquim in one (South Carolina State). Cumber and Hooks shared the team lead against North Texas and Joaquim and Hooks shared the team high in scoring against Pepperdine.
UNM has also had three different players lead the team in rebounds this season with Joaquim leading in seven games (Western New Mexico, South Carolina State, Gonzaga, North Texas, at New Mexico State, Air Force and Nevada), Cumber five times (NAU, Morehead State, Pepperdine, Sacramento State and San Diego State) and Amhyia Moreland leading in rebounds twice (at Texas Tech and Abilene Christian). In the game against UC Irvine, UNM had two players share the lead for the first time this season, Destinee Hooks and Cumber with 10 each. Cumber and Joaquim tied for the team high in rebounds against New Mexico State.
Further, the trio of Hooks, Cumber and Alyssa Hargrove have all scored in double figures in the same game in five games (NAU, Texas Tech, UC Irvine, New Mexico State and San Diego State).
UNM has had three players finish in double figures in eight games.
IT’S FREE, ISN’T IT?
Viané Cumber is about as automatic as they come from the line. The New Mexico native is 46-47 on the season, missing her first free throw before making 46 consecutive free throws. Her 46 (and counting) consecutive made free throws set the program record, surpassing Julie Briody’s record of 35 she set Feb. 8-March 4, 2006. The 35th and 36th free throws came in the fourth quarter against Nevada on New Year’s Day, with Cumber adding four more in the quarter.
Cumber currently leads the NCAA in free throw percentage at 97.9%, ahead of Freja Werth from San Francisco (43-44, 97.7%) and Abaigeal Babore from Fairleigh Dickinson (42-43, 97.7%). Additionally, she is one of four players in the NCAA to have missed only one free throw attempt this season that have made 2.5 per game and played in 75% of their team’s games.
QUITE THE STEAL
The Lobos have created six or more steals in 14 games and 10 or more steals in eight this season, including a season-high 15 against North Texas, 13 in two games, 12 against Pepperdine and Abilene Christian, 11 at Air Force and at San Diego and 10 against New Mexico State. UNM is averaging 9.6 steals per game and has had 10 or more steals in three of the last four, four of the last six with nine in the other two in that span.
Alyssa Hargrove leads the team in steals with 39 (2.4 per game), following three or more steals in eight games with five against North Texas and New Mexico State, four against Western New Mexico and Air Force and three against South Carolina State, Nevada, Gonzaga and San Diego State. She’s recorded a steal in 15 games and multiple steals in 10. Hargrove led the team in steals against NAU, TTU, WNMU, North Texas, New Mexico State, Air Force and Nevada, and tied for the team lead against South Carolina State and San Diego State. Hargrove has had three or more steals in all three MW games to date.
Two Lobos have recorded a steal in 10 games: Hulda Joaquim, who has recorded a steal in seven of the last eight games, including two in four of the last five and four games with multiple steals in that span. Viané Cumber has had a steal in 10 games with multiple steals in four games, with a game-high four against Gonzaga which tied her career high. Amhyia Moreland has had a steal in nine games, credited with a career-high four against ACU. Against New Mexico State, Joaquim tied her career high with three steals, which she last did in 2022. Destinee Hooks has recorded a steal in 11 games, including at least one in the last five games and two each in three of the last four, and had four against North Texas.
Five Lobos are averaging over a steal per game with Hargrove (2.4), Joana Magalhães (1.3) and Hooks, Cumber and Joaquim (1.1). Hargrove is second in the conference in steals per game with the second-most steals and 35th in steals in the NCAA.
MOUNTAIN OF STATS
Among the Mountain West teams, the Lobos rank in the top three in nine categories, leading the conference in four.
UNM leads the conference in field goal percentage (.443), rebounding margin (+5.0), defensive rebound percentage (.730) and rebounding defense (34.0). The Lobos are second in blocks per game (4.6), scoring offense (71.4), rebounds per game (39.0) and defensive rebounds per game (27.8). UNM is third in steals per game (9.6).
UNM’s 10 blocks against Morehead State are tied for the second most in a game by a MW team this season.
On an individual level, Viané Cumber leads the conference in free throw percentage (.979) and is second in three-pointers per game (2.5), three-point field goal percentage (.354) and 40 made three-pointers. She’s also third in minutes played (33.0), fourth in field goal percentage (.434) and fifth in scoring (16.0). 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 is fourth in the conference in points per game at 16.9 and second in field goal percentage (.500). 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 tied for the most by a MW player.
Alyssa Hargrove is fourth in the conference in assists per game (3.5), second in steals per game (2.4) and sixth in assist/turnover ratio (1.1). Amhyia Moreland is fifth in blocks per game (1.4) and Hulda Joaquim is fourth in offensive rebounds per game (3.3) with Cumber third in defensive rebounds per game (5.9).
Against MW opponents, the Lobos are ranked first in field goal defense (.366), second in steals (10.3) and defensive rebounds per game (28.7) and third in rebounds per game (39.7) and three-point field goal defense (.276).
KEEP IT BELOW 10
The Lobos have held an opponent below 10 points in a quarter eight times this season, doing it twice in a game twice, with both occurring in the second and third quarters. Five of the times happened in the second quarter.
UNM held Morehead State to eight points in the second quarter and seven points in the third quarter and held South Carolina State to nine points in the second quarter and five points in the third. Against North Texas, UNM held the Mean Green to eight points in the second quarter and against Pepperdine, UNM held the Waves to seven points in the second quarter. In the game against Sacramento State, UNM held the Hornets to nine points in the second quarter. The Lobos held San Diego State to nine points in the first quarter.
STARTING STRONG, NEED TO FINISH STRONG
UNM has entered the fourth quarter with the lead in 12 games (NAU, Morehead State, Western New Mexico, South Carolina State, UC Irvine, North Texas, at New Mexico State, Pepperdine, Sacramento State, at Air Force, Nevada and San Diego State). In those 12 games, UNM outscored opponents 226-169 in the first quarter and 190-145 in the second quarter (416-314 in the first 20 minutes), 220-182 in the third quarter and 231-222 in the fourth (451-404 in the last 20 minutes). UNM is 10-2 this season when taking a lead into the final quarter.
The Lobos led for the majority of the game in 10 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. In the game against Pepperdine, UNM led for 34:10 and by as many as 30. Against Sacramento State, the Lobos never trailed, leading for 38:30 and by as many as 18 in the third quarter. In the MW opener against Air Force, UNM used a 10-0 run to close the first quarter and led for the entire second quarter and second half, in what amounted to 34:21 of the game. Much like the Air Force game, the Lobos used a 10-0 run in the first quarter to pull away and started the second quarter on a 10-2 run, leading for all but 46 seconds in the game against the Wolf Pack. UNM led for 37:36 against Nevada and by as many as 12 in the second quarter and against SDSU, UNM led for 36:07 and by as many as 13.
In the three MW games, UNM has led for 108:04 and trailed for only 8:08 and hasn’t trailed by more than four (occurring in the first quarter in all three games).
On the season, UNM is outscoring its opponents 312-248 in the first quarter (+64). The Lobos are outscoring opponents by 241-211 in the second (+30) and 292-273 (+19) in the third, but trailing 300-298 in the fourth. UNM holds a 1143-1032 (+111) edge in overall points.
In addition, the Lobos have led for a total of 409:45 this season, leading after the first quarter in 12 games (exception was Gonzaga and at NMSU; tied against Pepperdine and Abilene Christian), and trailed for a total of 178:19, with the largest time coming against Gonzaga of 39:13. UNM never trailed in the game against South Carolina State, North Texas and Sacramento State, but also never led against Gonzaga although tying the game three times.
MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME
The Lobos have a total of 22 home games on the schedule with two exhibitions, 11 non-conference and nine MW games.
In 12 home games, UNM is outscoring opponents 878-767 (+111) in home games and averaging 73.2 ppg while allowing 63.9 ppg. The Lobos are shooting 44.3% and 34.1% from three-point range, making an average of 7.9 three-pointers per game. UNM is also outrebounding opponents 39.3-33.3 (+6.1) and averaging 10.1 steals per game and 5.2 blocks per game in The Pit.
Destinee Hooks (15.3 ppg) and Viané Cumber (16.9 ppg) are averaging double figures in home games, while Hulda Joaquim is averaging 7.7 ppg and 7.0 rpg and Alyssa Hargrove is averaging 8.4 ppg, 2.4 spg and 3.8 apg.
ABOUT WYOMING
The Cowgirls enter Wednesday’s game averaging 64.6 points per game on the season, 70.5 against MW opponents and have four players averaging double figures. Allyson Fertig leads Wyoming with 18.1 ppg, followed by Malene Pedersen (11.7), Tess Barnes (11.7) and Emily Mellema (10.4). Fertig leads on the boards with 10.0 rebounds a game, 61 coming on the offensive end, and with 21 blocks. Mellema leads with 48 assists and 25 steals.
Fertig leads the conference in rebounds per game and field goal percentage (59.6%), is second in scoring and tied for third in blocks per game (1.5). Of her 140 rebounds, 61 is on the offensive end (4.4), the most in the conference. Nationally, the Cowgirl is 18th in the NCAA in field goal percentage, 42nd in field goals (102), 48th in points per game (18.1) and 30th in rebounds.
Wyoming has held its opponents below 60 points in seven of its wins and has twice held opponents under 50 points.