ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobos host New Orleans on Wednesday morning for Field Trip Day, with an 11 a.m. scheduled start time.
UNM is 2-0 at home this season following a 71-64 win over North Carolina A&T on Sunday, while UNO is 0-2 on the season with both games on the road. The Lobos have two players averaging double figures in Destinee Hooks (18.0) and Nayli Padilla (10.7), while the Privateers have one player in double figures in Brialle Washington (11.0). The Lobos are averaging 74.0 points per game at home and have a +12.5 scoring margin, shooting 44.1% from the floor and making 7.5 three-pointers per game. Further, UNM is averaging 15.0 assists per game and 15.0 steals per game.
SERIES HISTORY
Wednesday will be the first meeting between the two programs.
WELCOME TO THE SEASON
The Lobo schedule featured three games in the opening week of the season and Wednesday’s game against New Orleans will be the fourth game in 10 days.
20 TIMES 2 FOR HOOKS
Destinee Hooks has led the Lobos in scoring in the last two games, scoring 20 or more points in both. Hooks led the Lobos with a game-high 22 points at Colorado and followed that up with a game-high 20 points against North Carolina A&T. Sunday was the eighth time scoring 20-plus points at UNM.
Hooks went off for 12 points in the second quarter against the Buffs, using a personal 7-0 run in the first 2:03 of the quarter to give UNM a 19-18 lead, and went 5-7 from the floor and 2-3 from three-point range. The Lobo guard continued to pace the Lobos with six point in the third quarter. In addition to leading the team in points, she also led with seven rebounds (four offensive).
Against North Carolina A&T, Hooks scored eight of her 20 points in the second quarter on an 8-0 personal run that included four layups. Hooks also recorded her second steal of the game that led to an Alyssa Hargrove three with four seconds left that gave UNM a 32-26 lead at the break to close a 7-0 UNM run in the final 1:20 (which started with her layup).
Through the first week of the season, Hooks is averaging 18.0 points per game with 2.3 three-pointers per game, shooting 46.7% from behind the arc. She’s also leading the team with 5.3 rebounds per game behind a team-high seven offensive rebounds.
Hooks is tied for second in the conference in scoring, and is fifth in three-pointers (seven) and eighth in field-goal percentage (42.2%). Nationally, she is 19th in points (54), 29th in field goals (19), 14th in field goal attempts (45), 37th in free-throw attempts (17) and 39th in three-pointers.
FAST START
The Lobos made four of their first five shots in the season opener against Northern Arizona with Nayli Padilla accounting for five points. At Colorado, CU scored the first six points of the game, but three-pointers from Destinee Hooks and Clarissa Craig tied the game. Two free throws by Craig and a basket by Joana Magalhães continued the Lobo run for the 10-6 UNM lead.
UNM is outscoring opponents 108-94 in the first 20 minutes.
In the third quarter against North Carolina A&T, the Lobos used a 9-0 run to build a 13-point lead.
BREAK EVEN
In the first week of the season, the Lobos are breaking even in scoring offense and scoring defense. Both UNM and its opponents have made 73 field goals and scored 207 points (69.0 ppg) with UNM outscoring opponents in the first (44-43), second (64-51) and fourth quarters (44-39) but is being outscored in the third quarter (74-55).
UNM is shooting slightly better at 40.8% with opponents at 39.9% and in three-point percentage at 34.3% to 32.8%.
CLOSE THE DOOR
The Lobos trailed 57-53 with 6:16 left in the fourth quarter against North Carolina A&T and went on a 10-0 run behind two free throws by Destinee Hooks, back-to-back three-pointers by Nayli Padilla and a layup by Alyssa Hargrove in 1:49.
When the Aggies pulled within two at 64-62 with 2:27 left, a layup by Jessie Joaquim off of a Padilla assist and a Joana Magalhães steal and layup immediately following kept the Lobos in front. Two free throws by Hargrove with 17 seconds left allowed UNM to build a seven-point lead at 70-63 and each team made one free throw with Padilla making the final free throw for the final score.
Padilla scored eight points in the fourth quarter, going 2-4 from three-point range and added two free throws. As a team, UNM outscored A&T 21-16.
In addition, the Lobos closed the season opener against Northern Arizona on a 10-1 run in the final 5:40 and held the Lumberjacks to five points in the fourth quarter to pull away for the 77-59 victory.
ART OF THE STEAL
The Lobos are averaging 12.0 steals per game behind two games with double-digit steals: 16 against North Carolina A&T and 14 in the season opener against Northern Arizona.
UNM was credited with 14 steals against Northern Arizona with six players recording at least one steal, three players with multiple steals and two players setting career highs in steals. Nayli Padilla finished with a career-high three steals and Joana Magalhães registered a career-high six steals. Magalhães’ steals were the most by a MW player in the first two days of the season.
In Sunday’s game against A&T, UNM recorded 11 steals in the first 20 minutes (six in the first quarter, five in the second), finishing with 16 in the game. Six players had at least one steal with five with multiple steals.
For the second time in three games, Magalhães was credited with six steals with three in each half. The sophomore is averaging 4.0 steals per game and is tied for third in the NCAA in steals (12). The 12 steals accounts for a third of UNM’s total steals. Her season high last season was four, which she did twice.
The Lobos are second in the MW in steals per game (12.0) with Magalhães third in the conference in steals per game but with the most steals.
UNM reached double-digit steals in 11 games last season, with the season high of 15, and averaged 7.9 steals per game.
MAKING THE MOST OF THE OPPORTUNITY
Nayli Padilla has started the first three games of the season after starting one game last season and has made the most of her increased minutes.
In the three games, the sophomore is averaging 10.7 points per game with 4.7 rebounds per game, 1.7 steals per game and 2.0 assists per game in 33.8 minutes per game. For comparison, last season she averaged 3.7 points per game, 2.2 rebounds per game, 1.6 assists per game and 0.6 steals per game in 25 games.
Padilla scored nine points with five rebounds, four assists and a career-best three steals in the season opener. In the last game against North Carolina A&T, she scored a career-high 15 points, the second-most points by a Lobo in the game, with a career-high three, three-pointers.
The Spaniard scored eight of her points in the fourth quarter, with a three-pointer that gave UNM a 58-57 lead and another three-pointer 37 seconds later to put UNM by four. When the Aggies were within two at 64-62, Padilla drove to the basket and dished it off to Jessie Joaquim for the layup and added a free throw with five seconds left for the final point. She also added two steals, four rebounds, two assists and block in the win.
Padilla is tied for sixth in the conference in three-pointers per game (2.0) and fifth in minutes played.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
New Orleans has played both of its games to date on the road, losing 109-48 to Oklahoma State and 77-60 to Tulsa.
As a team, the Privateers are averaging 54.0 points per game, led by 11.0 points per game from Brialle Washington, who has come off the bench in both games.
Four players have started both games in Shanihya Brown, Trinity Bane, Jayla Kimbrough and Aaliyah Ellis. Brown leads the team in steals (five) and assists (four), with Kimbrough leading in rebounds (14).
UNO has a veteran roster with 10 seniors, three juniors and just two freshmen with Kimbrough the top returning scorer from a season ago at 10.0 points per game as well as the top returning rebounder at 4.8 rebounds per game. The guard recorded four double-doubles last season and scored double-digit points in 15 games. Six players return from a season ago with all six making at least two starts last season.