New Mexico – Utah State Postgame Notes
New Mexico 56, Utah State 51
Dee Glen Smith Spectrum
2/7/15
Team:
UNM improved to 12-10 on the season and have won five in a row for the first time since the start of the 2012-13 season. The Lobos are 8-3 in Mountain West play, marking the first time since the start of the 2006-07 conference season that they have been five games over .500.
The Lobos have won five straight conference games, not including MW Tournament play, for the first time since the 2006-07 season when the team won eight in a row. They have won their last five games decided by six points or fewer after losing 15 of their previous 16.
UNM won its third straight conference road game for the first time since the 2012-13 season.
UNM improved its series record against Utah State to 11-6 all-time.
The last five games have been decided by six points or fewer in the series against Utah State. The Lobos swept the season series, including a 60-59 win in the Pit on Jan.10.
The Lobos are 8-1 when leading at halftime. They led 30-27 on Saturday.
The Lobos had just two second-half turnovers and finished the game with 12.
UNM’s defense held Funda Nakkasoglu, who had 28 points in the first meeting between the schools, to 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting on Saturday.
Individual:
Junior forward Khadijah Shumpert had 13 points seven rebounds (including six offensive), three assists and three steals. Her last assist came on Antiesha Brown’s corner 3-pointer that broke a 51-all tie with 49 seconds left. Shumpert had 10 points, two rebounds and two steals in the first half on Saturday. She had 11 points and six rebounds in the first half Wednesday vs. Air Force.
Senior guard Antiesha Brown scored the game-winning 3-pointer with 49 seconds left to break a 51-51 tie. She added two insurance free throws for the final margin. Brown finished with 11 points and is now just 86 points away from 1,000 for her career.
Junior guard Bryce Owens scored 10 points, grabbed five rebounds and had three assists. She scored six straight points in the second half to help the Lobos rally from a four-point deficit to tie the score at 47.
Despite an off-shooting night (1 for 8 from the floor), freshman guard Cherise Beynon calmly sank a pair of free throws with 1:41 left in the game to tie the game at 51 for the Lobos. She added six rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot.
Junior forward Brea Mitchell had three rebounds Saturday and has 17 rebounds in her last five games. She had 16 rebounds in her previous 17 games this season.
Freshman guard Kenya Pye connected on a 3-pointer for the second straight game.