ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team topped San Josè State Saturday afternoon 71-57 in WisePies Arena but something special came along with the win.
Senior forward Khadijah Shumpert hit a career milestone, scoring her 1,000th career point. With 6:39 left in the third quarter, Shumpert got the ball down low and worked her way for a layup to become the 14th player in UNM history to score 1,000 career points and pick up 500 career rebounds.
“1,000 points is a tremendous honor for Khadijah,” said head coach Yvonne Sanchez. “You’ll hear her name, four, five, six, seven years down the line when you’re talking about Lobo women’s basketball. She’s special.”
“I’m really excited,” said Shumpert. “…especially since there aren’t a whole lot of people who have done it in the history of UNM women’s basketball. It’s also great to have this and a win coincide together.”
Aside from the milestone, sophomore Cherise Beynon led the Lobos with 17 points and 10 rebounds, her second double-double of the season. She went 7-for-17 from the field, hitting 3-for-5 from the beyond the arc. She also finished with a team-high four assists and three steals. Shumpert was right behind Beynon with 16 points and nine rebounds. She went 7-for-9 from the field and 2-for-4 from the free throw line. She also picked up two steals.
The Lobos started out a little flustered in the first few minutes of the game, tallying two turnovers in the first two minutes. But Yvonne Sanchez called for time and the Lobos came out on a 20-2 run to finish out the quarter. Freshman Jannon Otto and sophomore Alex Lapeyrolerie hit back-to-back threes to give the Lobos a 16-4 lead. Defense held the Spartans to a little over six-minute scoring drought to help them lead 22-6 after the first.
San Josè State wasn’t backing down as they forced the Lobos to eight turnovers in the second quarter. The Lobos did stay consistent with their scoring as Beynon led off the quarter with a trey and junior Whitney Johnson picked up a three-point play. The Lobos headed into halftime with a 37-26 lead over the Spartans.
New Mexico picked up their game even more, going on a 7-0 run in the third to force a San Josè State timeout. The Lobos came out the timeout and extended their run to 12-0, leading the Spartans by 25, their biggest lead of the day, 55-30. Beynon hit seven straight points for the Lobos, getting two layups and sinking a three. The Spartans were able to get a little bit of offense going but the Lobos took a 16-point lead into the fourth quarter.
The Lobos went up by 17, 60-43, after another trey from Beynon but San Josè State came within 12 with 4:39 left to play. A layup from Cherise and a combined three made free throws from Shumpert and Bryce Owens put the Lobos back up 69-52. Johnson gave the Lobos an 18-point lead with 1:55 left in the game after grabbing her own rebound and getting the put back. SJSU tried to make their way back in the final minute but it was already too late.
Johnson finished third on the squad with 11 points. She was 4-for-10 from the field and 3-for-4 from the free throw line. She also picked up seven boards. Otto finished with seven points and five rebounds while Owens finished with six points, a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
The Lobos had one of their better games from the field, shooting 42 percent (25-60). They shot 50 percent (5-10) from the three and 67 percent (16-24) from the free throw line. They also out-rebounded the Spartans 53-31. The Spartans shot 27 percent (17-62) from the field, 15 percent (3-20) from the three and 63 percent (20-32) from the free throw line.
The Lobos move to a 3-3 record in the Mountain West and a 10-7 record overall. They will head to Air Force next week for a midweek matchup with the Falcons and then return to WisePies Arena for Boise State on Jan. 30. For tickets, visit GoLobos.com or call 925-LOBO.