ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobos close out their nonconference schedule at home against their third straight Big 12 opponent in Houston on Saturday at 7 p.m. The game will be UNM’s second game on Altitude with four conference games scheduled to be broadcast on the network.
New Mexico enters Saturday at 7-3 following a road win at Arizona in which the Lobos led for 34:40 and never trailed by more than three in the 72-69 victory. Houston marks UNM’s fifth Big 12 opponent on the schedule and the second Big 12 opponent to play in The Pit.
UNM is 4-1 in home games this season, outscoring opponents 76.2-63.0 with Destinee Hooks averaging 17.4 points per game in The Pit.
The Cougars are 5-4 on the season, 1-1 in road games, and are coming off of a 70-62 loss to Southern.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the 11th meeting against the Cougars with the Lobos 6-4 in the series and 5-0 at home. UNM last played Houston in 2022, a 68-61 win, and has won three of the last four games in the series.
In the five home games, UNM has outscored Houston by an average of 74.6 ppg to 58.4 ppg.
FAST START
UNM is outscoring opponents 172-136 (+36) in the first quarter, 207-140 (+67) in the second quarter and 379-276 (+103) in the first 20 minutes.
WIN THE QUARTER
The Lobos have won the second quarter in seven games this season, scoring 20-plus points in six games (twice with 28 points, twice with 22 points, once with 24 and once with 20) and holding opponents to 16 points or fewer in six.
Further, UNM has outscored its opponent in the first quarter five times (NAU, UNO, UTM, CSU, UA), the third quarter five times (UNO, NAU, NMSU, UTM, UA) and the fourth quarter five times (NAU, AT, UTM, UC, CSU).
The Lobos have also held their opponent below 10 points in a quarter four times this season (five in the fourth quarter against NAU, five in the second quarter against Chicago State, four in the second quarter against NMSU and seven in the second quarter against UTM).
Three times, the Lobos have held their opponent below 20 points at the half: 15 points (New Mexico State), 17 points (Chicago State) and 18 points (UT Martin).
UNM is 5-0 when leading after the first quarter, 7-0 when leading at the half and 7-0 when leading after the third quarter.
NO THREES FOR YOU, BUT WE’LL TAKE THEM
UNM has held six opponents to under four three-pointers in a game and three opponents to under 20 percent from three-point range, including New Mexico State (14.3%), UT Martin (16.7%) and Cincinnati (18.8%). In addition, the Lobos have held Colorado and Chicago State to 20 percent with Chicago State making three, three-pointers and Colorado four. Opponents on average are making 5.0 three-pointers per game, going 50-178 (28.1%).
In road games, UNM’s opponents are averaging 3.3 three-pointers per game and 20.0% (10-50). UNM is making 10.0 three-pointers per game on the road, shooting 36.1%.
For the Lobos, they are making 9.0 per game and shooting 32.1%, led by Nayli Padilla with 23 made three-pointers (2.3 per game) and is shooting 39.0%. Laila Abdurraqib is second with 18 (1.8 per game) and shooting 40.9% from three-point range. Padilla is third in the MW in three-pointers made with Abdurraqib ninth and Hooks 13th. As a team, UNM is second in the MW in three-point percentage and leads in made three-pointers per game.
Nationally, UNM is tied for 28th in three-pointers per game and 17th in three-point attempts per game (28.0).
OWN THE BOARDS
The Lobos lead the MW in offensive rebounds per game (13.4), rebounding margin (+6.9) and rebounding offense (41.5). UNM is second in defensive rebounds per game (28.1). UNM is 64th in the NCAA in rebound margin, 57th in rebounds per game and 58th in defensive rebounds per game.
UNM has outrebounded its opponent in six games and is 6-0 when the Lobos outrebound their opponent.
As a team, UNM had a season-high 56 against UT Martin with the largest rebounding margin against UT Martin (+35). Of note, the 56 rebounds are the most in a game amongst MW teams this season. UNM is led by Emma Najjuma, who is averaging 5.6 rebounds per game.
EMERGENCE OF EMMA
In the last three games, Emma Najjuma has recorded double-digit rebounds, going from one rebound against Texas Tech to 10 against Chicago State, 11 against Cincinnati and a season-high 16 against Arizona. Prior to the last three games, the redshirt-sophomore’s season high was six against North Carolina A&T.
Of her 56 rebounds, 24 are offensive and 32 defensive, and has recorded six offensive rebounds in each of the last two games. Najjuma is fourth in the MW in offensive rebounds per game (2.4).
She’s led the Lobos in rebounds in three games (North Carolina A&T, Chicago State and Arizona) and tied for the team high in one (Cincinnati).
Her 16 rebounds against Arizona are the most by a MW player this year, and among all MW players, she’s 14th in rebounds per game.
Additionally, she leads the Lobos in blocks (eight), tied for sixth in the MW in blocks per game.
PADILLA PRODUCTION
Nayli Padilla started the first three games of the season after starting one game last season and made the most of her increased minutes.
In the three games, the sophomore averaged 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.
While she now comes off the bench, her production remained as she led the Lobos in scoring against New Orleans (with 17 points), at New Mexico State (14 points) and against Cincinnati (with a career-high 19 points behind a career-best seven made field goals and career-best five three-pointers). She added a season-high six rebounds and tallied three assists against the Aggies. Padilla went 4-5 from three-point range against NMSU and has made three or more three-pointers in five games. She also created a career-best four steals against Chicago State and has recorded at least a steal in six games with four games with multiple steals.
The sophomore leads the Lobos in minutes at 28.3 per game, defensive rebounds (35) and three-pointers (23) and is second in points per game (10.3). Padilla is third in the MW in three-pointers per game (2.3) and nationally, the Lobo is 90th in three-pointers.
SHARE THE WEALTH
In all seven of UNM’s wins, the Lobos have had three or more players score in double figures. Three times (UT Martin, New Orleans and Chicago State), the Lobos have had four players reach double digits.
Seven different Lobos have scored 10+ points in a game, led by Destinee Hooks with 10, followed by Cacia Antonio and Nayli Padilla with five. Alyssa Hargrove has scored in double figures in four games, Drew Jordon and Laila Abdurraqib in two and Clarissa Craig in one.
The Lobos are 4-0 when Hargrove reaches double figures, 4-1 when Antonio and Padilla reach double figures and 3-0 when they both reach double figures in the same game.
Further, of UNM’s 261 made field goals, 141 were assisted (54.0%) with a season high of 21 against New Orleans.
Against NAU, 10 Lobos scored with three reaching double figures and 18 of the 28 made baskets were assisted.
In the game against New Orleans, UNM had 21 assists on 35 made field goals, and at New Mexico State, 10 different Lobos scored, assisting on 16 of the made field goals (55.2%). Ten Lobos again scored against UT Martin, with 15 of the made baskets assisted on (55.6%). At Arizona, 15 of the 26 made field goals were assisted on (57.7%) with nine Lobos scoring and six with eight or more points.
Alyssa Hargrove leads the team with 29 assists (2.9 per game) and is tied for sixth in the conference in assists per game. As a team, UNM is third in assists per game (14.1).
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
In Matthew Mitchell’s first year at Houston, UH is 5-4 on the season, 3-2 in its last five games, and is averaging 65.3 points per game while allowing 65.9 points per game.
Kyndall Hunter leads the team in scoring at 11.8 points per game, the only Cougar averaging double figures. Hunter, TK Pitts and Kierra Merchant have each led the team in scoring in two games and Merchant and Hunter have tied for the team lead once. Pitts has led the team in scoring in two of the last three games. On the boards, Jade Jones has led the team in rebounds in four games and tied for the team lead in one game, and is averaging 6.6 rebounds per game. As a team, UH is +0.8 in rebounding margin.
Briana Peguero is the only Cougar to start all nine games, while Jones has started the last five games and Amirah Abdur-Rahim has started in eight. Seven players have started at least four games.
UP NEXT
Following Saturday’s game, the Lobos open conference play at home against Boise State on Dec. 17.