Lobos Face Utah State for Senior Day Saturday
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The home schedule for the Lobos is winding down with two home games left starting with Utah State on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Saturday will serve as Senior Day for UNM with three seniors set to be recognized pregame: Viané Cumber, Hulda Joaquim and Amhyia Moreland.
The Lobos enter the game on a two-game winning streak following an overtime win against Boise State and a road win over San José State on Wednesday, and are 15-12 on the season, 8-6 in conference play. For the Aggies, they are 2-24 on the season, 1-13 in conference games with a win over San José State.
SERIES HISTORY
The Lobos hold a 28-6 advantage in the series with Utah State, as well as 13-2 in home games and have won the last 16 games in the series, dating back to Feb. 10, 2016, and the last eight games played in The Pit.
UNM won the first meeting against the Aggies this season with a season-high 101 points behind four players scoring in double figures with two scoring 20 or more points. It was the seventh time in the last eight games in the series in which UNM reached 90 points and the second time scoring over 100 in that span. Viané Cumber, who tied her then-career high of 25 points behind five three-pointers and recorded a career-high six assists. Of her 25 points, 13 came in the third quarter and 22 came in the final 20 minutes. Alyssa Hargove added a season-high 20 points on 8-9 shooting to go with a then-career-high nine assists and brought down eight rebounds and recorded four steals. The Lobos led for 36:41, never trailing by more than three in the opening quarter.
As a team, the Lobos shot a season-high 58.1%, making a season-high 36 baskets with a season-high 26 assists. UNM outrebounded USU 43-25, had the edge in points in the paint (48-20), fast-break points (14-5) and points off turnovers (22-19), as well as steals (12-10) and assists (26-15).
MOUNTAIN OF STATS
Among the Mountain West teams, the Lobos rank in the top three in six categories: second in three and third in three.
The Lobos are second in the conference in scoring (72.1), blocks per game (4.1) and defensive rebounds per game (27.6). The Lobos are third in rebounds per game (38.3), field goal percentage (.434) and steals per game (8.4).
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 second 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. The 15 made three-pointers at UNLV is tied for the most by a MW team this season.
On an individual level, Viané Cumber leads the conference in free throw percentage (.921), three-point field goal percentage (.376), three-pointers per game (2.7), and in made three-pointers with 73, 13 more than the next MW player. She’s also second in minutes played (33.6), sixth in defensive rebounds per game (5.1) as well as fifth in field goal percentage (.425), 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 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 16.4 and third in field goal percentage (.466).
Alyssa Hargrove is tied for third in the conference in assists per game (4.1), second in steals per game (2.3) and fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.4). Amhyia Moreland is third in blocks per game (1.4) and Hulda Joaquim is fifth in rebounds per game (7.2) and third in offensive rebounds per game (3.3).
Against MW opponents, the Lobos are second in four categories: steals per game (7.4), in three-pointers per game (7.9), scoring (72.1), and defensive rebounds per game (27.5). The Lobos are tied for the conference high in rebounds per game (37.8). Hooks is seventh in points per game (15.9) with Cumber sixth (16.0) and Hooks sixth in field goal percentage (.439). Cumber leads the conference in three-pointers made per game (2.7) and in made three-pointers (38), as well as in three-point percentage (.384) and in free-throw percentage (.889). Joaquim leads the MW in offensive rebounds (3.5) and sixth in rebounds per game (7.4). Hargrove is third in assists per game (4.6) and tied for third in steals per game (2.3).
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 second most. The 101 points are the most scored by a MW team against a MW opponent.
QUITE THE STEAL
The Lobos have created six or more steals in 20 games and 10 or more steals in 10 this season, including a season-high 15 against North Texas, 13 in two games, 12 against Pepperdine, Abilene Christian and Utah State, 11 at Air Force and at San Diego and 10 against New Mexico State and San José State. UNM is averaging 8.4 steals per game and 7.4 steals per game in conference games. The Lobos are third in the conference in steals per game overall and second in steals per game in MW games.
Alyssa Hargrove leads the team in steals with 61 (2.3 per game), following three or more steals in 12 games with five against North Texas, New Mexico State and at UNLV, four against Western New Mexico, Air Force and Utah State, and three against South Carolina State, Nevada, Gonzaga, San Diego State, Colorado State and San José State. She’s recorded a steal in 24 games and multiple steals in 16. Hargrove led the team in steals against NAU, TTU, WNMU, North Texas, New Mexico State, Air Force, Nevada, Colorado State and UNLV, and tied for the team lead against South Carolina State, San Diego State (both games), Utah State, Colorado State (second game), Boise State (second game) and San José State. Hargrove has had three or more steals in seven MW games to date.
Destinee Hooks has recorded a steal in 16 games, and had four against North Texas. Joana Magalhães has had a steal in 18 games with multiple steals in 12 games. In the game at Utah State, the freshman had a season-high four and followed it up with three against Fresno State. Viané Cumber has had a steal in 15 games, with multiple steals in six games, and a game-high four against Gonzaga which tied her career high. Hulda Joaquim has recorded a steal in 14 games and six games with multiple steals. Against New Mexico State, Joaquim tied her career high with three steals, which she last did in 2022. Amhyia Moreland has had a steal in 13 games, credited with a career-high four against ACU.
Two Lobos are averaging over a steal per game with Hargrove (2.3) and Magalhães (1.3). Hargrove is 49th in steals in the NCAA. In MW games, she’s averaging 2.3 steals per game and is tied for third in the conference.
MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME
In 18 home games, UNM is outscoring opponents 1285-1210 (+75) and averaging 71.4 ppg while allowing 67.2 ppg. The Lobos are shooting 42.9% and 32.8% from three-point range, making an average of 7.5 three-pointers per game. UNM is also outrebounding opponents 38.4-34.7 (+3.7) and averaging 8.7 steals per game and 4.8 blocks per game in The Pit.
Destinee Hooks and Viané Cumber are averaging identical 284 points and 15.8 points per game in home games, while Hulda Joaquim is averaging 7.4 ppg and 6.6 rpg and Alyssa Hargrove is averaging 7.8 ppg, 2.0 spg and 4.3 apg.
New Mexico ranks 15th in the NCAA in attendance at 85,803 (4,767 average).
FAST-BREAK POINTS
On the season, UNM has scored 297 fast-break points (11.0 per game), while limiting opponents to 203 (7.5 per game). The Lobos held NAU, NMSU, USU, FS, BSU and SJSU to five fast-break points, Western New Mexico, Pepperdine, UC Irvine and Colorado State to four and South Carolina State, Sacramento State, Gonzaga and Wyoming to two. The Lobos didn’t allow a fast-break point against SDSU.
The Lobos have had the edge in fast-break points in 19 games and are 13-6 when having the advantage.
PAINT POINTS
The trend of prioritizing the paint points has continued from last season with UNM scoring 920 of its 1946 points in the paint, accounting for 47.3% of the points and an average of 34.1 points per game. The Lobos are outscoring opponents 920-778 (+142) in the paint and have outscored opponents in the paint in 16 games (13-3 in those games).
UNM has scored 50.0% or more of its points in a game in the paint in 12 games, four times scoring 60.0% or more of its points in a game in the paint.
ABOUT UTAH STATE
Utah State is averaging 64.3 points per game on the season, led by 15.0 points per game from Cheyenne Stubbs. Opponents are scoring 79.2 points per game and shooting 45.9% from the floor, 37.4% from three-point range.
In conference games, the Aggies lead the conference with 8.5 three-pointers per game with UNM second at 7.9, and are tied for second in offensive rebounds per game at 11.4. Against conference opponents, the Aggies are averaging 66.1 ppg and allowing a conference-high 80.0 ppg. Stubbs is fifth in the conference in scoring at 17.1 and is shooting 41.3% with 2.1 three-pointers per game.