After a week off, the Lobos (8-5, 1-1) head to Logan Utah to take on the Utah State Aggies (6-8, 1-2). This is a big game for the Lobos, as after falling to FSU in double overtime at home last Saturday, the Lobos need to make up for lost ground by winning on the road. While the Aggies don’t have the best record in the Mountain West, they are a very dangerous team with the possible conference player of the year on their roster. The Lobos can’t take this game lightly and must find a way to put pressure on the Aggies’ defense.
The Lobo coaches, players, and fans are excited that freshman post Jaisa Nunn will be back for Saturday’s game after missing the last two games. Nunn is very important to this team and gives them a great scoring threat. With the loss of Nunn, Coach Sanchez had to be creative with the lineups she used in the last two games. On top of that, Alexa Chavez was hurt in the Nevada game and missed the FSU game, which made the frontcourt seem pretty thin. With Nunn back into the fold, it gives Coach Sanchez a chance to give Khadijah Shumpert and Cherice Beynon rest without wondering where the offensive production is going to come from. Having Nunn back is a huge boost, but Shumpert needs to make sure, as per usual, that she doesn’t get into foul trouble.
Something to keep an eye on in this game is to see if Coach Sanchez shuffles her lineup and goes away from the two-point guard lineup. I have liked the way Laneah Bryan and Bryce Owens have played together, but it is very important for the Lobos to get Jannon Otto going. After beginning the season in the starting lineup, Otto hasn’t seen as much playing time recently. The Lobos need Otto and Emily Lines to have an impact on this team for the Lobos to reach their potential. Today’s game should be a good one and hopefully the freshman trio of Otto, Lines, and Nunn are a key part of a Lobos road win.
Utah State Aggies:
The Aggies are led by fourth-year head coach Jerry Finkbeimer and are coming off a tough season, in which they finished 8-23 overall and 5-13 in Mountain West action. Finkbeimer had plenty of success at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, making the program there very successful in the conferences they were in during his tenure. It will just be a matter of time before Finkbeimer has the Aggie program competing for conference titles. With the Mountain West being down in women’s basketball, there is a chance for a couple of non-traditional power programs to become the class of the conference. The Aggies have a potential program-changing player who could help them become of one of those teams. If nothing else, she will make Coach Finkbeimer’s job a lot easier the next two and a half years.
There is no question as to who the star player is for the Aggies. Coming off being named as the Freshman of the Year in the MW last season, sophomore Australian guard Funda Nakkasoglu has gotten even better this season. Nakkasoglu is averaging an amazing 21.1 points, 4.9 assists, 2.2 rebounds and over a steal a game. It is very important for the Lobos to make her work extremely hard to get her points. If the Lobos can make it where she is averaging less than a point per shot, the Lobos will have done a great job on Nakkasoglu. I wouldn’t be surprised if you see Coach Sanchez put a lot of different players on her, to see if they can keep her off balance.
Of course, the Aggies are more than just Nakkasoglu. The other two players to keep an eye on are freshman guard Rachel Brewster and senior forward Tijana Djukic. Brewster is putting together a great freshman season so far, averaging 8.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, while Djukic is having a very solid senior season, averaging 9.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. While the Lobos are trying to slow down Nakkasoglu, theyhave to make sure that both Djukic and Brewster don’t have monster games. If they do, it could be a long day for the Lobos.
Team Stat Comparison:
- Points Per Game: Lobos 65.4; Aggies 71.5
- Points Allowed Per Game: Lobos 59.7; Aggies 71.8
- Field Goal Percentage: Lobos 39.1%; Aggies 40.8%
- Three Point Percentage: Lobos 28.1%; Aggies 31.1%
- Free Throw Percentage: Lobos 62.3%; Aggies 71.9%
- Defensive Field Goal Percentage: Lobos 35.3%; Aggies 39.8%
- Defensive Three Point Percentage: Lobos 29.1%; Aggies 33.7%
- Rebounds Per Game: Lobos 42.2; Aggies 41.8
- Assists Per Game: Lobos 14.4; Aggies 12
- Turnovers Per Game: Lobos 16.5; Aggies 17.7
- Turnovers Forced Per Game: Lobos 16.9; Aggies 17.7
Matchup to Watch:
The matchup that I will be watching in Saturday’s game is the matchup of Bryce Owens and Funda Nakkasoglu. While I am sure Coach Sanchez will have many different players try to guard Nakkasoglu, I will focus on the Lobos senior point guard to have a great game and go toe-to-toe with the Aggies star sophomore guard. While it seems like a tough task for Owens to have better numbers than Nakkasoglu, it is important for Owens to take great care of the ball, set teammates up for great shots, and hit some open shots herself. If Owens is able to play a great game, I like the Lobos’ chances to win this game.
Prediction:
In a game with a team with a good offense and a team with a good defense, it is hard to peg how this game will play out. While I do think the Lobos are a better team, they are on the road and the Aggies do have the best player on the court. This will be a game decided by whichever team can impress their style of play. If it is a defensive struggle, I like the Lobos’ chances but if it is a shootout, it could swing into the Aggies’ favor. I have the odds of the Lobos winning this game at 53% in what should be a close game with a lot of back and forth action. I predict a 65-62 Lobos win that will be the start to a great Lobos basketball game day.
MW Standings:
- FSU 3-0
- SJSU 3-0
- CSU 2-0
- WYO 2-1
- BSU 1-1
- UNM 1-1
- SDSU 1-2
- USU 1-2
- UNLV 0-2
- AFA 0-2
- Nevada 0-3
If SJSU can go to CSU and win, they will have to be considered a legitimate contender for the regular season conference championship.
MW Picks:
I went 4-1 for my picks on Wednesday to improve to 8-6 on the young season. It feels great to be over .500, let’s hope it will continue.
UNM AT USU
SJSU AT CSU
BSU AT FSU
AFA AT Nevada
WYO AT UNLV
Game Info:
Who: New Mexico 8-5, 1-1 AT Utah State 6-8, 1-2
Where: Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, Logan Utah
When: Saturday January 9, 2 PM MT
Radio: 610 AM
Stream: Campus Insiders