LAS VEGAS, N.M. – The Western New Mexico University women's basketball team will play just one conference game this week when they face in-state rival New Mexico Highlands University this Saturday at 2 p.m.
NMHU (4-12, 3-9 RMAC) has lost six straight and last picked up a victory at home against CSU-Pueblo, 64-54. They are 4-4 at home this season. The Cowgirls average 64.1 points per game, but allow 73.6, most given up in the RMAC.
Anngelina Sanchez and Jenny Johnson average in double-figures led by 13.9 a game from Sanchez, while Johnson adds 11.8 per contest. Claudia Meneses leads the way in rebounds with 5.7 and adds 7.4 points.
WNMU (9-7, 6-6 RMAC) has rolled to three straight victories and five of the last six. The Lady Mustangs are currently ninth in the conference standings, right behind a logjam in fifth. Currently four teams (Regis, Fort Lewis, CSU-Pueblo and Colorado Christian) are tied for fifth with 6-5 conference marks, all just a half-game in front of WNMU. MSU Denver is in fourth with a 7-4 mark. The Lady Mustangs have 10 games left in the conference season, five home and five away.
WNMU averages 65.4 points per game, good for fourth in the RMAC, while allowing 58, tops in the conference. WNMU also rates high in the RMAC in terms of scoring margin good for second (+7.4), field goal defense tied for fifth (37.8), three-point defense good for first in both the RMAC and in the NCAA national rankings (21.2), third in assists (15.06) and second in steals (11.2) and first in both turnover margin and assist-to-turnover.
The Lady Mustangs are ranked high in several NCAA marks including 39
th in assist-to-turnover ratio, 24
th in scoring defense, 38
th in steals per game, first in three-point defense, 20
th in turnover margin and 35
th in turnovers per game.
Individually,
RaTanya Newsome (Tucson, AZ/Tucson High School) still ranks eighth in the NCAA in terms of assists per game at 6.1 and 51
st in steals per game at 2.4.
Four players average over nine points a game led by 12.8 from
Ashley Mitchell (Fort Defiance, AZ/Window Rock High School).
Stephanie Moore (Anton, TX/Anton High School) tallies 9.6, Newsome at 9.4 and
Jade Botelho (Honolulu, HI/Iolani High School) with 9.2. Newsome leads the team in assists (101) and steals (39).
Nalani Hernandez (Tucson, AZ/Tucson High School), the reigning RMAC Defensive Player of the Week, leads the team in rebounding at 6.9 per game and is tied with Botelho for the lead in blocks at six.
Several Lady Mustangs rank in the top-10 in the RMAC in many categories including Moore in eighth for field goal percentage (50.5), Newsome tops in assists (6.1), second in steals (2.4),
Jordan Gutierrez (Albuquerque, NM/Valley High School) fifth in three-point percentage (41.7) and Newsome seventh in assist-to-turnover (1.3).
The teams split last season with each winning on their home floors. WNMU won the earlier meeting in Silver City, 80-73, before NMHU came back with a 74-61 win in Las Vegas to end the season.
Live stats and video will be available for the game.
