by Allison Weiss
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobos ended the non-conference portion of their schedule on a high note, setting season highs in points (107), made three-pointers (18), field-goal percentage (54.8), three-point field-goal percentage (46.2) and assists (26) in the 107-55 win over South Carolina State on Thursday night.
Five Lobos finished in double figures with 10 different Lobos getting in the scoring column, led by Shaiquel McGruder’s 23 points. It was the third game this season that McGruder has finished with 20-plus points and the fourth time in five games leading the Lobos in the category. In addition, the Lobo forward finished with a game-high eight rebounds, as well as three blocks and two steals.
Jaelyn Bates scored a season-high 16 points, going 4-4 from three-point range and 6-7 from the floor, with Viané Cumber also finishing with 16 points on four three-pointers. LaTascya Duff added five three-pointers to finish with 15 points and Paula Reus made three, three-pointers and finished with 13 points.
LaTora Duff made both three-pointers she attempted and finished with eight points, with Nia Johnson, Kath van Bennekom, Hulda Joaquim and Amaya Brown all accounting for four points apiece.
The 18 three-pointers tied for the third most in program history, only behind the 19 and 21 made three-pointers that the Lobos recorded last season. Thursday night was also the 15th time in program history that the Lobos have scored 100 or more points.
A LaTascya three-pointer opened the scoring with the Lobos scoring the first 12 points of the contest, a lead that grew to 20 at 24-4 behind a 10-0 run capped by a Johnson fast-break layup. A van Bennekom layup expanded the lead to 24 with 32 seconds remaining in the quarter with the quarter coming to a close with the Lobos in front 30-8.
Seven different Lobos scored in the first quarter, led by six each from McGruder and LaTascya, as UNM shot 56.5 percent from the floor.
A 12-0 run in the second quarter behind a three-pointer by Reus, LaTascya and Cumber stretched the lead to 32 at 47-15, with another Cumber three-pointer at the 3:15 mark pushing the Lobos to 50 points as UNM took a 55-23 lead into the break.
Cumber scored 11 points in the quarter, going 3-4 from three to lead all scorers at the half. As a team, UNM shot 60.0 percent from the floor and 62.5 percent (5-8) from behind the arc, giving the Lobos eight three-pointers in the first two quarters.
UNM built a 71-30 lead behind an 8-0 run that included a LaTora three and a Reus three and a McGruder layup at the 4:43 point of the third quarter before the Lady Bulldogs went on a run to close the gap to 33 at 77-44. A Bates jumper as time expired closed the quarter with UNM leading 79-44.
The Lobo offense reached another level in the fourth quarter, with the Lobos making 10-straight shots starting with a McGruder layup at the 9:04 mark that made it 81-46. From there, UNM scored on two McGruder layups, a LaTascya three-pointer, a McGruder layup and free throw, a Cumber three, a Cumber layup, two McGruder free throws, and three consecutive three-pointers for Bates with the last one occurring at the 2:34 mark. In the process, UNM scored 25 points on five layups (four by McGruder) and five three-pointers and included a 19-0 run.
UNM shot 66.7 percent (10-15) from the floor and 62.5 percent (5-8) from three to close the game with McGruder scoring 11 points and Bates nine points in the quarter.
