De La Cerda’s career day propels Lobos to 75-50 win at NM State

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Sophomore guard Jaedyn De La Cerda enjoyed a career day on Saturday as the native New Mexican led the University of New Mexico women’s basketball team in scoring with 21 points. The career-high for De La Cerda helped UNM sweep the Rio Grande Rivalry this season by overcoming  a slow start offensively and eventually running away with a 75-50 road win against the Aggies.
 
That slow offensive start saw the Lobos (8-1) trail by five points, 15-10 at the end of the first quarter. Through the media timeout in that opening quarter, the Lobos were just 2-of-15 overall from the floor while the Aggies (5-3) shot 67% and were 2-of-3 from three-point range to take an 11-5 advantage. Having subbed in the game just after the media timeout, De La Cerda got her scoring effort going as she scored the last four points of the quarter for the Lobos on layups.
 

Check out some of the broadcast highlights from our 75-50 win over NM State! #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/s9CbYyKne1

— Lobo Women’s Basketball (@UNMLoboWBB) December 16, 2018

In the second quarter, UNM settled in offensively and began to take control of the game. In that quarter, the Lobos shot 47% overall from the floor (9-of-19) and out-scored the Aggies 21-12. With 8:11 to go in the half and trailing by seven, 17-10, the Lobos scored their first points of the quarter and began an 8-0 run to take their first lead of the game, 18-17 with 6:40 to go.
 
The Aggies regained the lead moments later and kept in front until a converted and-one opportunity by Jayla Everett at the 4:26 mark gave the Lobos a two-point lead, 24-22. The Lobos would grow that lead out to eight points, 30-22 as Antonia Anderson’s painted jumper capped what was an 11-0 run that started back at the 5:16 mark on a free throw by Jaisa Nunn.
 
NMSU would pull as close as three points with 37 seconds to go, but a split trip to the line for De La Cerda gave the Lobos a four-point lead at the break.
 
Play early in the third quarter was tight as the largest lead for the Lobos was just five points through the first five minutes of action. During that time, the Aggies were able to tie the game once and also grab a slim and brief one-point lead at the 5:51 mark. On the Lobos’ ensuing possession, De La Cerda assisted Everett on a painted jumper.
 
From there, the Lobos closed out the third quarter on a 12-2 run to take an 11-point lead into the final period. A majority of that game-changing run was fueled by De La Cerda as she accounted for nine of the 12 points over the final five and a half minutes. Additionally, all nine of those points came as a personal run by De La Cerda that lasted nearly three minutes of game time. Prior to her personal run, the Lobos held a one-point lead over the Aggies.
 
The fourth quarter was the most dominant period of the game for the Lobos as they out-scored the Aggies 24-10 thanks to a gaudy 69% shooting overall from the floor (9-of-13) that included 2-of-4 makes from long range. On the other end of the floor, the Lobos defense was stout as they limited the Aggies to just 22% shooting overall (4-of-18) and 0-of-5 from long range.
 
The dominant play in the quarter helped the Lobos grow their lead out to as large as 25 points by the final horn. It may have been fitting, in fact, that the final two points of the game that were scored by the Lobos and secured the 25-point victory were delivered by De La Cerda as she made a pair of free throws with 25 seconds to go.
 
The Lobos will now return home to host the Lobo Invitational next Wednesday and Thursday evening at Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit. The Lobos’ first opponent in the invitational is Sacramento State. That game will tip-off at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, December 19. The follow day, depending on the results of Wednesday’s contests, the Lobos will play either Hampton or Stephen F. Austin.
 
NOTES

• The Lobos swept the Rio Grande Rivalry against New Mexico State for the second time under Coach Mike Bradbury
  • He is currently 5-1 against the Aggies as the Lobo head coach
• Both wins in the series this year were by 25 points each. The +50 point scoring margin is the largest for the Lobos against the Aggies in a season series since 2012 when the Lobos total margin of victory against the Aggies was 47
  • 11/20/12 | W, 60-37 (+23)
  • 12/18/12 | W, 68-44 (+24)
• The Lobos forced 26 turnovers for the game with 16 coming in the first half alone
  • The 26 turnovers tied the most forced in a game by the Lobos this season (26 vs. Oklahoma)
  • It is also the fourth game that the Lobos have forced 20 or more turnovers
• The Lobos had just eight assists in the game, marking their fewest this season
  • Aisia Robertson had half of those with four
• Four Lobos scored in double figures in the game
  • Jaedyn De La Cerda – 21 pts
  • Jaisa Nunn – 15 pts
  • Aisia Robertson – 14 pts
  • Jayla Everett – 10 pts
• As a team, the Lobos out-rebounded the Aggies 49-47. On the offensive glass, UNM hauled in 22 offensive boards compared to the Aggies 17.
• The leading rebounder for the Lobos was Jaisa Nunn as she pulled down a season-high 16
  • 11 of her rebounds came on the offensive glass