In a week that saw junior post Jaisa Nunn break a Lobo record for points scored in a game, the Mountain West has named her the conference's Player of the Week, marking the second straight UNM player to do so this season.
Senior guard Cherise Beynon picked up the accolade in the team’s first week, after nearly putting up triple-double in UNM’s season opener against Western Michigan.
Nunn, who is in her third year playing for UNM and in her second under head coach Mike Bradbury, followed it up with a brilliant performance against Marquette, which was ranked No. 16 at the time.
The junior forward scored a game-high 39 points, breaking the old Lobo record of 35 points in a single game set by Yvonne McKinnon in 1979. Nunn shot an astounding 14-of-15 from the floor and stuck 11 of her 12 attempts from the free throw line—none of which were as big as the dagger she nailed at the end of the game.
With UNM trailed 87-85 in the final seconds of the game, Nunn was fouled while driving for a layup, but still had the strength to final the play and convert an old-fashioned 3-point play that proved to be the game winner.
She also grabbed 13 rebounds to notch a double-double in the team's 88-87 win over Marquette.
Though she only played 10 minutes in the next game against Northern New Mexico, Nunn registered her second double-double of the week, collecting 12 points and 13 rebounds against New Mexico State on Saturday, Nov. 18.
The player of the week honor is Nunn’s first of her career and the second for New Mexico this season.
According to a Mountain West press release, it is the first time that multiple UNM players have won it in the same season since 2013-14 and the first time the team has had back-to-back winners since the 2009-10 season.
LOBOS GET VOTES FOR AP TOP 25: Though the Lobos’ upset against a ranked Marquette team didn’t thrust them into the top 25 — they were at least acknowledged after the big victory. New Mexico received eight votes in the AP Top 25 poll in week three.
The Lobos will continue its quest to achieve a ranking, protecting its 4-0 record as they host Wichita State on Friday, Nov. 24 in a Thanksgiving Tournament at Dreamstyle Arena. The team will also play UC Irvine and Illinois as the round-robin format unfolds throughout the weekend.
Matthew Narvaiz is a senior sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @matt_narvaiz.
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