ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobos close out the opening weekend of the season at home against New Mexico Highlands at 7 pm MT Friday on the MW+.
Friday’s game will count as an exhibition for NMHU and a regular season game for the Lobos with the Cowgirls having already played two games in their season.
SERIES HISTORY
UNM is 5-2 all-time against New Mexico Highlands and 5-1 at home. The Lobos last played the Cowgirls in 2004, a 78-35 win, and has won the last three games in the series.
NEWCOMERS DELIVER
In their first true game as a Lobo, several newcomers delivered significant contributions. UNM started three newcomers in Gracie Kelsey, Savannah Stricker and Katie Duncan, with Stricker getting the start in her first collegiate game.
Kelsey finished with a game-high three blocks to go with 10 points and seven rebounds. Stricker added a game-high five assists (to one turnover) and fellow first year Lobo Kate Wernli scored 10 points with a team-high two three-pointers. Mila Reynolds also finished with 10 points and was second on the team in assists with four.
The first years also played substantial minutes with Stricker playing 33 minutes and Wernli playing 27 minutes.
Newcomers combined to score 38 of UNM’s 62 points (61.3%).
LAILA LEADS
Laila Abdurraqib led the Lobos with a game-high 20 points and a career-high 10 rebounds for her first career double-double, while playing a career-high 30 minutes.
Abdurraqib scored six points in the second quarter, nine points in the third quarter and five points in the fourth quarter for the 20 points, the second time scoring 20 or more points in her two seasons at UNM. In addition, the guard had three assists and two steals.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
The Cowgirls are 0-2 on the season with losses to Angelo State and Northeastern State and are scoring 73.5 points per game while allowing 85.0 points per game.
Sophomore guard Aniya Johnson leads the team with 16.5 points per game, one of three players averaging double figures. Kamalani Anitielu is averaging 13.5 points per game and Brynn Hargrove is averaging 10.5 points per game.
On the boards, NMHU is averaging 32.0 rebounds per game, led by Maya Barnes at 6.5 per game, but is giving up 46.0 rebounds per game to opponents. Defensively, the Cowgirls are averaging 10.0 steals per game, led by four from Anitielu, with nine players credited with at least one steal and seven with multiple steals.
HOW TO WATCH
Monday’s game will air on MW+, the Mountain West's new direct-to-consumer digital subscription platform, powered by Kiswe, a leading streaming technology and services company. The platform is a big step forward for the Conference’s digital evolution, expanding access to live and on-demand content and creating new opportunities for fan engagement and revenue for member institutions. Most of each subscription purchased through a member school’s dedicated page will directly support that institution, creating a scalable and sustainable revenue opportunity aligned with fan engagement.
Along with live events such as football, soccer, volleyball, men's and women's basketball, baseball, and softball, MW+ will get you exclusive access to live press conferences, podcasts, and coaches' shows.
UP NEXT
Following Friday’s game, the Lobos go on the road for their only two non-conference road games on the season, starting with Fresno State on Nov. 11 and BYU on Nov. 14.