Lobos Host Aztecs Saturday
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—The Lobos begin a two-game homestand on Saturday against San Diego State with tip set for 2 p.m. Saturday’s game will be UNM’s Pink Game, as well as the National Girls and Women in Sports Day game and free admission at the door for kids 12 and under.
UNM is coming off of a 89-80 loss at Boise State on Tuesday night and enter the game 13-9, 6-3 in conference, with San Diego State coming off of a bye with its last game a 59-58 win over UNLV to move to 15-7 on the season, 4-5 in the conference.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday will be the second game against the Aztecs this season, with the Lobos winning 68-59 in San Diego at the start of January. UNM is 42-36 all-time against SDSU, 18-12 at home. The Lobos have won the last three games in The Pit in the series dating back to 2022, with two of the games decided by three points and one by five points.
The last time the two teams met, three Lobos scored in double figures led by 18 from Destinee Hooks and 12 each from Alyssa Hargrove and Viané Cumber. UNM had the edge in steals (11-3), points in the paint (42-24), second-chance points (13-5), points off turnovers (16-9) and fast-break points (6-0). The Lobos also led for 36:07 and by as many as 13 in the third quarter.
MOUNTAIN OF STATS
Among the Mountain West teams, the Lobos rank in the top three in seven categories: second in five and third in two.
The Lobos are second in the conference in scoring (73.3), field goal percentage (.448), rebounds per game (37.9), blocks per game (4.0) and defensive rebounds per game (27.3). The Lobos are third in rebounding margin (+3.4), and steals per game (8.7).
UNM’s 10 blocks against Morehead State are tied for the second most in a game by a MW team this season. UNM’s 26 assists at Utah State are tied for the most by a MW team this season and the 101 points at Utah State are the second most scored by a MW team this season.
On an individual level, Viané Cumber leads the conference in free throw percentage (.941), three-point field goal percentage (.379), three-pointers per game (2.8), and in made three-pointers with 61, 11 more than the next MW player. She’s also third in minutes played (33.4), fifth in defensive rebounds per game (5.3) as well as fifth in field goal percentage (.437), and fifth in scoring (16.8). Cumber’s seven three-pointers against Morehead State are the most made by a MW player this season with her 14 three-point attempts at Utah State also the most. Her six at Boise State is tied for the second most three-pointers. Destinee Hooks is fourth in the conference in points per game at 17.0 and third in field goal percentage (.482). Hooks’ 11 made field goals in the game at Texas Tech are tied for the second most by a MW player.
Alyssa Hargrove is third in the conference in assists per game (3.9) and in steals per game (2.2) and seventh in assist/turnover ratio (1.3). Amhyia Moreland is fourth in blocks per game (1.4) and Hulda Joaquim is sixth in rebounds per game (7.1) and fourth in offensive rebounds per game (3.1).
Against MW opponents, the Lobos lead in scoring (75.1), and second in steals per game (7.8), assists per game (14.3) and in defensive rebounds per game (26.9). UNM is third in rebounds per game (36.4). Hooks is seventh in points per game (17.0) with Cumber fifth (18.0) and Hooks tied for seventh in field goal percentage (.462). Cumber leads the conference in three-pointers made per game (2.9) and three-point percentage (.394) with 26 made three-pointers. Joaquim is second in offensive rebounds (3.2) and sixth in rebounds per game (7.2). Hargrove is tied for second in assists per game (4.4) and fifth in steals per game (2.1).
The 36 made baskets against Utah State are tied for the most by a MW team in a conference game this season with the 26 assists in the game the most.
20 POINT CLUB
UNM has had a player score 20-plus points 14 times this season and had two players finish with 20 or more in the same game for the first time at Colorado State and followed it up in the next game at Utah State. Destinee Hooks has scored 20-plus points six times (21 vs. Northern Arizona, 28 at Texas Tech, 24 vs. Gonzaga, 27 at New Mexico State, 20 against Wyoming and 27 against UNLV) and Viané Cumber six times with three times coming in the last four games (scored 23 against Morehead State, 25 against Sacramento State, 20 at Air Force, 25 at Colorado State, 25 at Utah State and 23 at Boise State).
Cumber and Joana Magalhães (20 points) both reached 20 points at CSU, the first time with 20 points for Magalhães as a Lobo, and the first time with two in a game since Jan. 24, 2024 against Fresno State. UNM had two in consecutive games with Cumber (25) and Alyssa Hargrove (a season-high 20 points) at Utah State.
CONSISTENT V
Viané Cumber has scored in double figures in 21 games this season, the most by a Lobo this season, with six games with 20 or more points.
She is currently averaging 16.8 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game, 1.8 assists per game and shooting 43.7% from the floor, 37.9% from three-point range and 94.1% from the free-throw line. Cumber is second on the team in points per game, behind 122 made field goals, and in rebounds per game. She is fourth in steals (21) and in assists per game. The Albuquerque native also leads the team in made three-pointers with 61, 29 more than the next Lobo. Cumber has led the Lobos in scoring in nine games, including the last four, tied for the team lead in one, and has three double-doubles. In conference games, she’s averaging 18.0 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game, shooting 41.8% and 39.4% from three-point range.
Amongst the conference, Cumber leads in free throw percentage, is fifth in scoring, fifth in field goal percentage and 13th in rebounds per game, while fifth in defensive rebounds per game (5.3). In conference games, she is fifth in scoring, second in free-throw percentage (91.9) and leads in three-point field goal percentage and made three-pointers (26). Nationally, she is 51st in points with 369.
Last season, Cumber 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 57 times and 20 or more points 12 times in her career.
Cumber recently reached a couple of milestones, becoming the 27th Lobo to reach 1000-career points at Colorado State (currently at 1071) and has 219 three-pointers, third all-time in program history. She is the fourth Lobo in program history to reach 200 career three-pointers, which she did against Wyoming on Jan. 8. She is 20 three-pointers from tying the program record of 239 set by LaTascya Duff and would have to average roughly two three-pointers per game.
3-4 INSTANT IMPACT
Alyssa Hargrove has reached double digits in 10 games as a Lobo, averaging 8.6 ppg on the season. Additionally, she is averaging 3.9 apg, 2.2 spg, 3.1 rpg, and 0.8 bpg in 30.2 mpg, while shooting 39.7% from the floor and 43.6% from three with two three-pointers in eight games. In the game at Colorado State, Hargrove set a career high in rebounds (nine) to go with a game-high six assists, a team-high three steals and scored six points. This season she has also set a career high in blocks (three versus Abilene Christian) and assists (nine against Utah State). She also had a season-high 20 points at Utah State on a season-high eight made baskets and had four steals and eight rebounds.
Hargrove currently leads the team in steals (48) and assists (86), is third in made three-pointers (24), second in blocks (18) and third in scoring with a steal in 19 games and a block in 12. The Ohio native has 18 more steals than the next Lobo and 28 more assists than the next Lobo. Hargrove is third in the conference in steals per game and 62nd in steals in the NCAA. She is also third in the MW in assists per game, but is tied for second in assists per game in MW games (4.4).
In MW games, Hargrove is averaging 9.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.4 apg, 2.1 spg in 33.0 mpg. Her minutes are the ninth most in the MW.
Destinee Hooks has been a consistent scorer for the Lobos, reaching double figures in the last nine games and 20 games overall, and has scored 20-plus points in six games. She has also led the Lobos in scoring in 10 games.
In MW games, Hooks is averaging 17.0 ppg (seventh in the MW), shooting 46.2%. Additionally, Hooks recorded at least 15 points and a steal in the first five conference games this season. The only MW players to start a campaign with a longer streak in conference play are Utah’s Morgan Warburton in 2008 (first seven games) and Fresno State’s KiKi Moore in 2013 (first seven games). She has had 15 points with at least a steal in seven of the MW games to date.
Hooks currently leads the Lobos in scoring at 17.0 ppg and second in made free throws (51) and three-pointers (32). Additionally, she is fourth in the MW in scoring and is third in field goal percentage (.482) and currently 31st in the NCAA in field goals (145), 45th in points (373) and 85th in points per game.
ABOUT SAN DIEGO STATE
Since the last time the Lobos played the Aztecs on Jan. 4, the Aztecs went 3-3 with wins over Nevada, Utah State and UNLV and losses to Wyoming, Colorado State and San José State.
On the season, SDSU is scoring 70.2 points per game while holding opponents to 61.0 points per game, and are led by three players averaging double figures. Adryana Quezada leads the team with 11.0 ppg, followed by Veronica Sheffey at 10.9 ppg and Naomi Panganiban at 10.2 ppg. In the last four games, Sheffey has led the Aztecs in scoring three times. Sheffey is the main facilitator with 66 assists (3.0 per game) with Cali Clark leading the team in steals (35, 1.7 per game), rebounds (173, 8.2 per game) and blocks (32, 1.5 per game).
Against conference opponents, SDSU is averaging 66.7 ppg and allowing 65.3 ppg with Sheffey (13.9 ppg) and Quezada (11.3) averaging double figures.
Among the conference, SDSU is second in scoring margin (9.2), free-throw percentage (.752) and turnover margin (4.7). The Aztecs are third in field goal percentage defense (.397) and scoring defense.
Nationally, the Aztecs are eighth in the NCAA in bench points per game at 30.9, 23rd in turnovers per game at 12.7 and 41st in turnover margin.