ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobos close out 2025 at home with a 1 p.m. tip on New Year’s Eve against Wyoming.
Both teams enter the game 1-1 in conference with UNM (9-4) opening conference with a win against Boise State and a loss at UNLV and Wyoming (4-7) opening conference with a win against San José State and a loss at Fresno State. The Cowgirls are 0-6 on the road this season with the Lobos 6-1 at home.
The Lobos are outscoring their opponents 73.4-59.9 in home games, shooting 42.2%, and also outrebounding their opponents by a +8.1 margin (42.1-34.0) with 12.4 steals per game in home games.
SERIES HISTORY
UNM is 47-40 all-time against Wyoming, 29-12 at home. UNM has won four of the last five games in the series, which includes the last three games played in The Pit.
The two teams split the series last season with each team winning on its home court. Destinee Hooks averaged 11.5 ppg against the Cowgirls in the two games last season, leading the Lobos in the win at home with 20 points.
FAST START
UNM is outscoring opponents 223-182 (+41) in the first quarter, 245-196 (+49) in the second quarter and 468-378 (+90) 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 seven.
Further, UNM has outscored its opponent in the first quarter seven times (NAU, UNO, UTM, CSU, UA, UH, BSU), the third quarter seven times (UNO, NAU, NMSU, UTM, UA, UH, UNLV) and the fourth quarter eight times (NAU, AT, UTM, UC, CSU, UH, BSU, UNLV).
The Lobos have also held their opponent below 10 points in a quarter six 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, seven in the second quarter against UTM, nine in the fourth quarter against Houston and four in the first quarter against Boise State).
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 7-0 when leading after the first quarter, 9-0 when leading at the half and 8-0 when leading after the third quarter.
OWN THE BOARDS
The Lobos lead the MW in offensive rebounds per game (13.2), rebounding margin (+5.3) and rebounding offense (41.1), and tied for first in defensive rebounds per game (27.8). UNM is 86th in the NCAA in rebound margin, 60th in rebounds per game and tied for 63rd in defensive rebounds per game.
UNM has outrebounded its opponent in eight games and is 8-0 when doing so.
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 has 78 rebounds.
HOW MUCH DO YOU BENCH?
On the season, the bench has scored 326 points, accounting for 34.9% of the points. UNM is 74th in the NCAA and leads the MW in bench points per game (25.1).
SHARE THE WEALTH
In all nine of UNM’s wins, the Lobos have had three or more players score in double figures. Five times (UT Martin, New Orleans, Chicago State, Houston and Boise State), the Lobos have had four players reach double digits. Only against UNLV has UNM had three players score in double figures and lost.
Nine different Lobos have scored 10+ points in a game, led by Destinee Hooks with 13, followed by Cacia Antonio (seven) and Alyssa Hargrove and Nayli Padilla both with six. Further, Joana Magalhães, Drew Jordon and Laila Abdurraqib have done so in two games and Clarissa Craig and Jessie Joaquim in one.
UNM has also had seven different leading scorers in a game with Hooks leading in four games, Padilla in three, Antonio in two and Hargrove, Joaquim, Magalhães and Craig in one game each.
The Lobos are 6-0 when Hargrove reaches double figures, 5-2 when Antonio reaches double figures, 4-2 when Padilla does and 3-1 when Padilla and Antonio both reach double figures in the same game.
Further, of UNM’s 340 made field goals, 173 were assisted (50.9%) with a season high of 21 against New Orleans. Hargrove leads the team with 38 assists (2.9 per game) and is tied for fourth in the conference in assists per game. As a team, UNM is fourth in assists per game (13.3).
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
Wyoming enters Wednesday’s game 4-7 on the season with wins over Long Beach State, Chadron State, South Dakota and San José State. The Cowgirls share one common nonconference opponent with the Lobos in Colorado, with UW losing 58-46.
The Cowgirls are led in scoring by Malene Pedersen, who leads the Mountain West in scoring at 16.8 points per game. Pedersen is shooting 49.0% (second in the MW) and has made a team-high 23 three-pointers, shooting 47.9% from behind the arc and is 12th in the NCAA in three-point percentage. Pedersen has led the team in scoring in nine games and tied with Henna Sandvik for the team lead in the other two games. Further, Pedersen has scored in double figures in all 11 games with three games with 20-plus points, and Sandvik has scored in double figures in five games.
As a team, Wyoming is averaging 53.9 points per game and allowing 58.9 points per game, and is shooting 39.7% on the season.
Pedersen, Sandvik, Logann Alvar and Madi Symons have started all 11 games for the Cowgirls with Payton Muma starting in the last seven games and Lana Beslic starting in four.