ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team suffered a 66-48 road loss to Wyoming Saturday afternoon in Arena-Auditorium. The Lobos are now 9-7 on the season and 2-3 in the Mountain West. Wyoming improves to 10-6 on the season and 3-3 in the MW.
Senior forward Khadijah Shumpert led the way for the Lobos, scoring a team-high 13 points to go along with four rebounds. She went 4-for-5 from the field and 5-for-5 from the free throw line. Sophomore Cherise Beynon finished second in scoring with 12 points. She was 5-for-26 from the field and 2-for-7 from the three. She finished with two assists and one steal to go along with a game-high eight rebounds. Senior Bryce Owens finished with seven points.
It was a slow start for the Lobos as they got on the board first by a Beynon three but then went on an eight minute and 45 second scoring drought. The Lobos didn’t get another bucket until the 9:22 mark in the second quarter. Wyoming carried a 10-0 run into the first media TO of the game and finished out the quarter on a 5-0 run, leading the Lobos 15-3.
Owens started off the second quarter with a jumper that surged the Lobos to a 9-2 run in the second. Shumpert put together a three-point play during the span, sinking a layup and the free throw. Alex Lapeyrolerie finished off the second quarter with a trey in the final minute to bring the Lobos within eight, 29-21. The Lobos outscored Wyoming 11-7 into the media TO and went on to outscore the Cowgirls 18-14, getting nine of those points from Shumpert.
New Mexico chipped away in the second half, getting a three-point play from Jannon Otto to bring the Lobos within five but Wyoming responded with a three to put them back up 32-24. Wyoming went up by as much as 13 in the third but the Lobos went on a 6-0 run to bring it back within five again with 1:24 left in the quarter. Wyoming finished off the third by getting three more points, leading the Lobos 44-36 heading into the final quarter.
Owens started the fourth quarter off with a trey to bring the game back within five but once again Wyoming responded with another three themselves to put the game back up by eight. The Lobos went on a 3:25 scoring drought giving the Cowgirls their biggest lead of 20 points with 52 seconds left to play.
For the game, the Lobos shot 28 percent from the field, 22 percent from the three and 73 percent from the free throw line. The Lobos out rebounded Wyoming 44-30, including 25 offensive rebounds (11 were team offensive rebounds). The Lobos dished out six assists, six steals and two blocks.
New Mexico will have their final bye week of the season this week. The Lobos return to WisePies Arena Jan. 23 at 2 p.m. to face San Jose State. For tickets, visit GoLobos.com or call 925-LOBO for ticket information.