Open Announce

Lobos drop close contest with Auburn, 79-76

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team suffered a tough 79-76 loss to Auburn in the quarterfinal round of the 2018 Preseason WNIT on Sunday afternoon at Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit. With the result, the Lobos will now play in the consolation round of the tournament and will be at home against the University of Hartford next Sunday, November 18. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
 
The game against Auburn was just about as good as it can get early in the season as neither team led by more than eight points and the largest point-run on either side was seven points. Additionally, the lead changed hands 15 times and the score was tied on 16 different occasions. In the second half alone, the score was knotted nine times and the lead changed 10 times.
 
Trailing by a point entering the third quarter, the Lobos (1-1) took a one-point lead early in the fourth quarter, 58-57, on a layup by Jaisa Nunn. The Tigers (3-0) would regain the lead on the next trip down the court, and eventually built a five-point lead, 66-61, with 6:02 remaining in the game.
 
The Lobos would trim that deficit to a single point on a layup by Nunn and then a fastbreak lay-in by Antonia Anderson after she came away with the steal defensively. Auburn then grabbed another five-point lead, this time with 4:40 left. 
 
UNM responded once more, this time with a 6-0 run thanks to three-pointers by Anderson and Jayla Everett. Everett’s trifecta was her sixth of the game to that point, and it gave the Lobos a one-point lead, 71-70, with 3:11 on the clock.
 
With just a minute remaining in the game, the Lobos were trailing by three, 76-73, as Auburn’s Janiah McKay hit a jumper. On the Lobos’ ensuing trip down the court, Madi Washington found Everett in the corner near the Lobo bench for the game-tying three; her seventh of the game.
 
That prompted Auburn to call a timeout. Out of the timeout, the Tigers regained the lead on Daisa Alexander’s contested jumper that fell. Alexander then converted the and-one opportunity to give the Tigers a three-point lead, 79-76, with 16 seconds left. The Lobos then called a timeout to advance the ball to mid-court.
 
Out of the timeout, the Lobos were able to draw up a play that gave Everett a good look from 3-point range. Her shot would draw iron, however, but Anderson was there to grab the offensive rebound, giving the Lobos one more chance at tying the game. Off the offensive rebound, Anderson got it to Aisia Robertson, who was able to get off a shot before the buzzer, but her attempt was no good, ending the game.
 
For the game, the Lobos shot 38% overall from the floor (24-of-63) and were 12-of-37 (32%) from long range. The Lobos also overcame a 2-of-10 start from the charity stripe and made their final 14 free throws to end the game 16-of-24 (67%).
 
Everett and Nunn scored in double figures. Aisia Robertson, Antonia Anderson and Madi Washington were next in scoring with nine points each.
 
As mentioned earlier, the Lobos will now play the University of Hartford at home on Sunday, November 18 at 2 p.m.
 
Post-Game Notes
 
* Jaisa Nunn was a perfect 6-of-6 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free throw line 

  • Nunn moved to 16th on the UNM all-time scoring list and now has 1,058 points.
  • On Sunday, she passed Jessica Cunningham (1991-95), Heidi Harris (1991-95) and Mandi Moore (2001-05). 

* The Lobos posted 18 assists during the game, Auburn only posted 11. 

* UNM beat Auburn in fast break points (26-11) and from off the bench (20-12). 

* Jayla Everett scored 25 points in the game, placing her in a tie for 12th among top scoring games by a freshman. 

  • The program record for most points scored in a game by a freshman is 35 by Yvonne McKinnon (Feb. 19, 1982 vs. Adams State)
  • Everett also made seven three-pointers, making her the second player to make seven three-point field goals in a game.

* The Lobos’ 37 three-point attempts tied for the second-most in a game.

  • The record is 40 attempts – done twice (March 2, 2018 & December 20, 2017)