WOMEN: NEW MEXICO AT UTAH STATE

Sunday, noon, Logan, Utah, 610 AM/95.9 FM, themw.com

What you need to know about New Mexico: The Lobos hope to bounce back after Wednesday’s disappointing 75-73 loss at Air Force, and task one will be getting off to a better start. UNM has trailed at halftime in each of its last five games and, despite winning three of them, cannot keep counting on stirring comebacks. Sunday would be a good time to start fast against; Utah State has struggled on the defensive end. LaTascya Duff provided a scoring spark in two starts at Air Force, racking up 51 points, but the Lobos are hoping to get Hurst back after she missed both games in Colorado Springs. The junior standout needs to clear conditioning hurdles as she returns from a positive COVID-19 test result. UNM has been one of the Mountain West’s better ball-handling teams all season but has been hurt by careless turnovers recently. As one might expect, most of the giveaways have occurred before halftime.

What you need to know about Utah State: The Aggies won their first two Mountain West games this season and have since dropped 14 straight. The roster has been largely overhauled in Ard’s first season as coach, and it includes some capable scorers. Latone and Chatman are the top threats for a team that plays fast and launches 3-pointers at nearly every opportunity. The Aggies have attempted 467 3s (106 by Latone), but they’ve hit only 28.1%. Utah State does an effective job attacking the offensive boards, but that has come at a price on the defensive end. USU ranks last in the league in scoring defense, allowing 77.5 points per game. USU has not rebounded well on the defensive end and ranks last in the league in rebounding margin (-5.2 per game). Former Lobo Bre Matthews led the Aggies in scoring through seven games but has not played since Jan. 20 and is no longer listed on the team’s online roster.