ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team (7-6, 3-0 MW) stretched its win streak to three after a 78-67 victory over Utah State (8-6, 1-2 MW) in front of over 4,500 fans on Wednesday night in WisePies Arena – The Pit. The Lobos are one of just two teams to remain undefeated in the Mountain West this season. Both UNM and Wyoming sit atop the league with a 3-0 conference record.
After a rough first half which saw the Lobos down by five at the break, UMM powered back in the third quarter, outscoring Utah State 30-17 in the frame to take the lead. The Lobos were led by junior Cherise Beynon with her third-straight 20+ point performance in her last three games while tying her career-high five steals. Sophomore Jaisa Nunn chipped in another 22 points for a career-high, including a career-best two 3-pointers, while senior Richelle van der Keijl collected her fourth double-double of the season with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Nunn for three! #Golobos pic.twitter.com/OPyQ3Qxe8m
— New Mexico Lobos (@UNMLOBOS) January 5, 2017
“I thought Utah State came here ready to play and ready to win,” head coach Mike Bradbury said. “We couldn’t get our balance back until half time, and once we did, I thought we played well in the second half. We defended, we rebounded better and we made a few good shots.”
The Lobos got out to a four-point lead in the first quarter before losing control as Utah State freshman Olivia West went off for 12 points on four 3-pointers in just the first 10 minutes to give the Aggies a five-point lead heading into the second quarter, 21-16. The Lobos got the message after the first quarter and allowed West to score just once more from outside the arc for a career-high five threes.
The Lobos kept it close throughout the second quarter but failed to gain the edge. A three from junior Jayda Bovero with 4:16 left in the half brought the score within two, 30-28 Utah State and a pair of Nunn free throws tied it up at 30-30 with 3:31 on the clock. The Aggies went on a 7-2 run to close the half however and the Lobos were still down by five heading into the locker room. The five-point deficit was not ideal for UNM as the Lobos entered the game 0-3 when behind at the half.
At the half, the Lobos were being outshot 37.1 percent to 28.6 percent from the floor including 40.0 percent to 25.0 percent behind the arc. Utah State was also outrebounding UNM 24-23 at the break.
UNM burst out of the locker room with a six-point run to kick off the third quarter, including four free throws by Beynon, to overcome the deficit and take a one-point lead. The teams traded baskets but with 4:19 on the clock, Nunn fought for an inside layup to put the Lobos back on top by one and sparked the Lobo offense. Freshman Mykiel Burleson followed with her first and only 3-pointer of the game on the next possession and the Lobos began to take a steady lead.
Nunn increased the UNM lead to four, 53-49 and again 55-51 but Utah State’s Eliza West continued to match it. Beynon sunk a three with 1:22 left in the quarter to give UNM a five-point lead, 58-53 and the Lobos went on a 7-0 run within just 58 seconds, capped with another Beynon three, to take a nine-point lead, 62-58. Olivia West notched a free throw to make it an eight-point lead for the Lobos heading into the fourth quarter.
It was van der Keijl and Nunn who completed the game for UNM as van der Keijl scored UNM’s first six Lobo points of the frame before Nunn scored nine straight. With UNM up by seven, USU’s Katie Toole scored from deep to make it 71-67, but it was the last points the Aggies would score as the Lobos went on a 7-0 run over the final 4:44 to clinch the 11-point victory.
Overall Utah State shot 41.0 percent on the night compared to 40.3 percent for the Lobos while UNM outrebounded the Aggies 40-36. The Lobos are now 7-1 this season when outrebounding their opponent. The Lobo defense was successful yet again in limiting their opponent’s leading scorer to single digits as Utah State’s Rachel Brewster entered the game averaging 12.3 points per game, but scored just seven on the night.
The Lobos take to the road for their next two games, first at Nevada on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 5 p.m. (MT) then at UNLV on Wednesday, Jan. 11 in Las Vegas at 7 p.m. (MT). UNM returns home on Saturday, Jan. 14 as they face Colorado State at 3 p.m. at WisePies Arena – The Pit.