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Lobos Split Series with Fresno State

CANYON, Texas— After a down-to-the-wire first game of the Mountain West series against Fresno State, the first three quarters of Saturday’s game appeared as if it was heading towards the same fate.

However, the Lobos (7-2, 4-2 MW) were unable to get the go-ahead basket in the third quarter in the eventual 91-69 defeat to the Bulldogs (9-6, 7-3 MW) to split the series.

Shaiquel McGruder and Jaedyn De La Cerda were the only Lobos to finish in double figures, each finishing with 14 points. McGruder was an efficient 7-for-8 and added two assists, with De La Cerda scoring six of her points in the third quarter and grabbing a team-high eight rebounds. Both Lobos also finished with 14 points in Thursday’s game versus Fresno State.

The first quarter stayed a one-possession game through the first 4:26 of the game, until an Ahlise Hurst three stretched UNM’s lead to five at 12-7, capping a 7-0 Lobo run. A LaTora Duff layup made it 16-10 almost a minute later for UNM’s largest lead of the game.

Fresno State pushed back with a 9-2 run to take a one-point lead and would end the quarter with a one-point lead of 21-20.

Duff had seven points in the first quarter on 3-of-5 shooting, with Hurst adding five points, as the Lobos shot 47.4 percent in the opening quarter.

The Lobos trailed by nine points at 38-29 with 3:28 remaining in the second quarter, but were able to cut it back down to four on a De La Cerda three as time expired to make it 40-36 at the break following a 7-2 run.

A McGruder layup nine seconds into the third quarter made it a one-possession game, and the Lobos would later close to within one point at 52-51 on a Hurst three with 5:44 to go in the quarter, but the Bulldogs would make two free throws to stay in front.

An offensive rebound and putback by LaTascya Duff got the Lobos back within one at 54-53 and a McGruder fast-break layup off of a LaTora steal that made it 56-55 kept the Lobos within reach of the lead, but UNM couldn’t capitalize on its possessions to take the lead.

Fresno State then closed the quarter on a 9-2 run for the 65-57 score at the end of three. The Lobos shot their best percentage of the game in the third quarter at 62.5 percent on 10-of-16 shooting.

The Bulldogs would continue to pull away in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Lobos 26-12, as UNM shot just 25.0 percent with five made baskets. Corina Carter led the Lobos in the fourth with five points, accounting for two of those baskets.

The Lobos have a shorter turnaround with their next series at San Diego State scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 3 in San Diego, Calif. The games will be streamed on the Mountain West Network.

POSTGAME NOTES

  • Following Saturday’s game, the Lobos hold a 15-14 lead in the overall history between the two teams
  • The Lobos started the same five players for the ninth game this season: Ahlise Hurst, LaTora Duff, Antonia Anderson, Jaedyn De La Cerda and Shaiquel McGruder
  • UNM had just two scorers in double figures in De La Cerda and McGruder, who both finished with 14 points for the second-straight game
    • It is the fourth time this season that McGruder had double-digit points and the eighth time for De La Cerda
    • De La Cerda also led the Lobos with eight rebounds, the fifth game this season that the senior has either led the Lobos in the category or has been tied for the team high.
  • Saturday’s game is just the second time this season that the Lobos have scored below 70 points
    • The Lobos are now averaging 85.4 points per game
  • UNM scored 40 points in the paint and had 12 second-chance points
  • UNM’s best scoring run came early in the first quarter, a 7-0 run that gave the Lobos 12-7 lead with 4:46 left
    • Antonia Anderson and LaTora Duff each made a layup and Ahlise Hurst hit a three in the run
  • UNM’s largest lead was six points (16-10) with 3:28 left in the first on a LaTora Duff layup
  • The Lobos took 76 shots on Saturday, the second-most this season, and just one behind the season high
  • UNM finished with 24 assists, the second-most assists this season
    • Anderson and Hurst each finished with four for the team high, but eight total players recorded an assist