LAS VEGAS, NEV. — The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team (8-7, 4-1 MW) dropped its first Mountain West contest on Wednesday at UNLV (12-5, 3-2 MW) by a final score of 56-42. The loss ends a four-win streak for UNM which marked the first time the Lobos had gone 4-0 in conference play in 18 seasons.
Sophomore Jaisa Nunn and senior Richelle van der Keijl combined for 27 of UNM’s 42 points scoring 14 and 13, respectively to lead UNM. Sophomore Mykiel Burleson followed with seven while junior Cherise Beynon, who averaged 16.6 points per game heading into the match, scored just four points in her hometown. van der Keijl registered a double-double on the night, her fifth of the season, with 13 points and 16 rebounds.
The Lady Rebels got out to a swift start in the first quarter as they went 5-of-8 from 3-point range and 8-of-17 from the floor for a 23-8 lead. Junior Dakota Gonzalez scored 11 points while redshirt-sophomore Alyssa Anderson posted nine on three 3-pointers. Anderson went on to total a career-high 18 points and six 3-pointers on the game to lead UNLV. Anderson was 6-of-7 from behind the arc on the night.
Nunn kicked off the second quarter with a layup to reduce the UNLV lead to 13 before a 6-0 UNLV run made it a 19-point advantage for the Lady Rebels. The Lobos couldn’t gain the momentum and finished the first half down by 14, 34-20.
The Lobos looked for a comeback in the third quarter and returned to the floor with energy forcing four turnovers in just over four minutes. The Lobo defense held UNLV to just 17.6 percent shooting in the quarter, allowing room for UNM to close the gap to single digits for the first time since midway through the first quarter with just four seconds to go in the third. A layup by van der Keijl made it just an eight-point UNLV lead, 41-33.
Burleson continued the comeback, scoring a jumper in the paint to make it 41-35 and bring the game within six. With the Lobos on the verge of a successful comeback, UNLV went on a six-point run to extend their lead back to 12, forcing UNM to whittle it down again. Four straight UNM points from van der Keijl and Burleson brought it back down to eight with 4:34 left to play before three consecutive 3-pointers from UNLV gave the Lady Rebels a 17-point lead with just 2:51 left to run away with the game.
Overall UNLV outshot the Lobos 30.3 percent to 21.9 and went 10-of-29 from three (34.5 percent) while UNM failed to make a 3-pointer. The Lobos were 0-for-19 from behind the arc marking the first time this season New Mexico did not make a three. UNLV tallied 51 rebounds to 49 for UNM, making New Mexico 0-6 on the season when being outrebounded by its opponent.
UNM returns to action on Saturday afternoon for a 3 p.m. contest at home at WisePies Arena – The Pit as the Lobos take on Colorado State. It will be the PACK THE PIT game where fans can purchase tickets for just $2. For more information, visit UNMTickets.com or call 505-925-LOBO.