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Balanced scoring effort propels Lobos to 93-78 win at UTEP

EL PASO, Texas – The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team concluded their first road trip of the 2019-20 season in convincing fashion as they eased past UTEP by a score of 93-78 in an early-season clash of unbeatens on Tuesday morning inside the Don Haskins Center.
 
In the game, the Lobos (5-0) received production from their entire rotation as five total players, two starters and three reserve, scored in double figures. Additionally, the Lobos set a season-high for points in a game with 93.
 
Starter Jordan Hosey led all scorers with a season-best 19 points on 6-of-14 shooting overall from the floor and 7-of-8 success from the free throw line. Hosey also registered her first double-double as a Lobo as she hauled in 13 rebounds. Fellow first-year senior transfer Bride Kennedy-Hopoate also enjoyed a season-high in scoring as she scored 17 points. Kennedy-Hopoate was 4-of-6 overall from the floor, 3-of-5 from three-point range, and a perfect 6-of-6 from the line.
 
Sophomore sharpshooter Ahlise Hurst remained efficient from deep as she was 4-of-8 from range en route to a 16-point effort against the Miners (3-1). Classmate Shaiquel McGruder stuffed the stat sheet in her 16 minutes of action as she scored a career-high 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting and hauled in eight rebounds. Junior Jaedyn De La Cerda chipped in 12 points and knocked down a trio of three-pointers as well.
 
For the Lobos, the game was not in doubt for very long as there was only 1:27 of total game time that they did not have the lead. In fact, UTEP led for just 25 seconds in the game with their largest lead being a mere two points early in the first quarter. By the end of the first half, the Lobos had a commanding 53-39 lead.
 
The 53 points in the first half were the most points scored in a half this season for the Lobos and came on the strength of 53% shooting overall (16-of-30) from the floor, 44% shooting from distance (7-of-16) and a perfect 100% shooting from the charity stripe (14-of-14). The Lobos would end the game shooting 46% overall (32-of-69), 41% from three-point range (12-of-29) and 90% from the free throw line (17-of-19).
 
The Lobos will now prepare for their highly-anticipated trip to Cancun, Mexico where they are set to play a pair of games in the Cancun Challenge, presented by Triple Crown Sports. The Lobos will first take on the University of Missouri out of the SEC on Thursday, November 28 at 2 p.m. (MT). The following day, the Lobos will take on the Big 12’s West Virginia University, again at 2 p.m. (MT).