Lobos overcome late by Loyola Marymount
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team overcame a slow start and carried a double-digit advantage into halftime over visiting Loyola Marymount on Thursday night inside Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit, but a second half scoring lull combined with a methodical comeback effort by Loyola Marymount saw the Lobos be edged out by the Lions 73-72.
That slow start saw the Lions (4-8) jump out to a 7-0 lead through the first two and a half minutes of the game. With 7:34 on the clock, the Lobos (9-5) cracked the scoreboard on a converted and-one opportunity by Jordan Hosey. Hosey then went on to score the Lobos’ next tow baskets as she accounted for the first seven points.
A three-pointer by Jayla Everett at the 5:58 mark of the first quarter brought the Lobos within a point, 11-10. About 30 seconds of game time later, Hosey layed one in to give the Lobos their first lead of the game. The Lions regained the lead at the 4:43 mark and grew their lead out as large as six points with just under a minute left in the quarter. Everett then went on a personal 5-0 run to close out the quarter and cut the Lions lead down to a single point.
In the second quarter, the lead changed hands on three occasions through the first minute and a half. The last of those changes went in favor of the Lobos as Everett buried a three-pointer. Everett proceeded to knock down two more triples over the next couple of minutes of game time giving the Lobos an eight-point lead, 32-24, with 6:22 left in the half.
LMU battled back and cut the Lobo lead down to a point with 4:33 left. The Lobos staved the Lions off and controlled the remainder of the quarter out-scoring LMU 16-5 and taking a 12-point lead, 48-36, into the locker room.
At the 7:42 mark of the third quarter, the Lobos grabbed their largest lead of the game at 15 points, 53-38, on a three-pointer by Ahlise Hurst. The Lions quickly answered back with a layup on the other end. After that make by Hurst, the Lobos were mired in a shooting drought that didn’t seem them make another field goal until the 8:42 mark of the fourth quarter.
During that time, the Lions were able to climb back into the game and trailed by a point through three quarters.
The Lobos did open up the fourth quarter on a 5-2 to take a two-possession lead, but the Lions eventually tied the game at 61-all at the 7:13 mark. An Everett jumper followed on the ensuing possession to keep the Lobos in the lead. With 4:52 left on the clock, LMU took the lead and with just over four minutes left had a three-point lead, 66-63.
A three-pointer by Everett tied the game at the 3:40 mark, but LMU answered right back with a three of their own to stay in front. After a pair of free throws by Shaiquel McGruder brought the Lobos within a point, an Everett layup pushed the Lobos back on top 70-69 with 51 seconds left.
The lead changed hands twice more over the next 20 seconds of game time and it was a pair of free throws by Everett that gave the Lobos a one-point lead with 34 seconds left. On their next possession down the court, LMU flipped the score in their favor with 16 seconds remaining.
With plenty of time to get the play they wanted run, the Lobos put the ball in the hands of Everett again. As the clock dwindled, Everett drove the right side of the lane and banked in a layup for what appeared to be the go-ahead basket, but an offensive foul call negated the make and kept LMU in front by a point, 73-72 with 1.1 seconds left.
The Lions were able to in-bound the ball and avoid any Lobo foul as time expired in the game.
Offensively, the Lobos were led by Everett and Hosey as the two combined for 61 of the Lobos’ 72 points. Hosey scored 17 points while Everett exploded for a career-high 34 points. Hosey did her damage on 8-of-12 shooting overall from the field. The eight made field goals were a season-high for Hosey. She also added 13 rebounds to register her second double-double of the season. Everett as lethal shooting the ball again as she knocked down six three-pointers and was a perfect 8-of-8 from the charity stripe. It was the 12th time in her career that Everett has gone perfect from the line when attempting at least four free throws.
The Lobos will now shift their focus to one final game in 2019 as they will play Ball State in the finale of the Lobo Invitational on Friday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit.