Lobos Fall in OT, Now Await WNIT Fate
Box Score | UNM Post Game Notes | Mountain West Post Game Notes | New Mexico Post Game Quotes
(3/11/2019) Women’s Basketball vs. SDSU (MW Tourn.)LAS VEGAS, Nev. — San Diego State tied the game with 2.6 seconds left and then scored the first 10 points of overtime as the Aztecs knocked The University of New Mexico out of the Air Force Reserves Mountain West Championship quarterfinals 70-61 in overtime. The Lobos, who entered the game with an RPI of 41, will learn of their postseason fate on Monday after the NCAA Tournament field is announced. The berth would be UNM’s WNIT invitation.
New Mexico led by 10 at 51-41 with 7:55 to go, but San Diego State went on a 14-4 run, keyed by back-to-back three-pointers, two of four in the run, to tie the game at 55-55 with 2:21 to go. Jayla Everett gave UNM the lead back on a driving basket with 2:09 to go before a pair of free throws from San Diego State tied it back up at 57.
Jaedyn De La Cerda, who made her first start since the third game of the season, filling in for Aisia Robertson who tore her ACL on Thursday, shot-faked and hit a 15-foot jumper with 50.1 left to give UNM a 59-57 lead.
On SDSU’s final possession of the game, they missed three shots and got the offensive rebound three times, three of 25 grabbed by the Aztecs. On the four try of the possession, Sophia Ramos scored driving into the lane with 2.6 to go, tying the game up. UNM couldn’t get a shot off in the final ticks, and the game went to overtime, and it was an overtime to forget.
UNM missed its first six shots in overtime, and the Aztecs made UNM pay each time. SDSU scored on each of its first five possessions, scoring the first 10 points of overtime to lead 69-59 before Jaisa Nunn scored UNM’s only points on a layup with 1:09 to go. Even then, down eight, the Lobos got opportunities, and couldn’t make San Diego State pay, missing its final five three-point attempts. For the game, the Lobos were just 3-for-29 from three-point range, its worst shooting night from long range this season.
4 on 1, advantage Jaisa#Nunnstoppable #PitWest pic.twitter.com/mY4G8rnP0m
— Lobo Women’s Basketball (@UNMLoboWBB) March 12, 2019
UNM was solid for most of the game in its first outing without the MW’s Newcomer of the Year in Aisia Robertson. Tied at 26-26, the Lobos scored the last six points of the half for a 32-26 lead, and then expounded that to 41-28, a 15-2 run over a 6:04 span wrapped around halftime. However, San Diego State was able to get hot from three-point range, hitting five of its last six three-pointers after going 4-for-14 over the first 32:43 of the game.
Nunn led UNM with 24 points and a Lobo Mountain West Tournament record 19 rebounds, and De La Cerda added 14. Nike McClure had 11 rebounds as well for UNM but without Robertson, UNM had just 10 assists and 17 turnovers.