Lobos Outscore SDSU 58-21 in Final Two Quarters for MW Win

SAN DIEGO, Calif.— The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team claimed an 84-48 victory over San Diego State on Wednesday evening following a blistering second half in which the Lobos shot 75.9 percent and went 22-for-29 with 11 three-pointers, ultimately outscoring the Aztecs 58-21 in the final two quarters.

With the win, the Lobos won their eighth game of the season and are now 8-2 overall, 5-2 in conference.

UNM had four players finish in double figures, led by 19 apiece from LaTascya Duff and Ahlise Hurst. Duff was a force from distance, making six threes on nine attempts, while Hurst took over in the third quarter with 13 of her 19 points. Further, Hurst outscored SDSU’s entire point production in the third 13-10 and Duff outscored SDSU’s entire point production in the fourth, 12-11. Antonia Anderson finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and three steals and Shaiquel McGruder finished one rebound shy of a double-double with 15 points and a game-high nine rebounds, six of which were on the offensive end.

Anderson carried the Lobos early, scoring the first four points as the Aztecs and Lobos traded the first four baskets of the game. SDSU took a 10-4 lead on an 8-0 run to which UNM cut the lead back down to two on an Anderson layup and two McGruder free throws with 3:23 remaining in the quarter. The Aztecs regained the six-point advantage and the quarter would end with the Aztecs in front 14-11 after the Lobos closed with the final three points on an Anderson layup and Duff free throw.

UNM shot just 23.5 percent from the floor with Anderson accounting for eight of the team’s 11 points.

SDSU’s lead expanded to seven at 22-15 midway through the second quarter, but the Lobos responded with a 7-0 run to tie the game on a McGruder layup, an Anderson three and another McGruder layup. The Lobos took a 23-22 lead on a Hurst free throw, their first lead since it was 4-2, and would build on it with a Hurst three. However, the Aztecs ended the quarter with a 5-0 run to go into half with a 27-26 lead.

Hurst led the Lobos in scoring in the second with six points on three free throws and a three-pointer, with the Lobos shooting 35.7 percent and making their first three of the game after missing their first eight.

The third quarter was all UNM as the Lobos quickly reclaimed the lead on a Hurst three-point play just seven seconds into the quarter, and created separation on an Anderson and-one opportunity in which the senior missed the free throw, Jaedyn De La Cerda grabbed the offensive rebound and found Anderson for a corner three that made it 34-27 less than a minute into the third.

In all, UNM opened up the quarter on a 10-0 run and continued to build a lead from success behind the arc.

Duff started to heat up in the third with her first made three that pushed the Lobo lead to double digits at 10 with 5:34 showing on the clock and LaTora Duff grew the lead on the next Lobo possession with a three. Five straight points from Hurst made it a 15-point Lobo advantage at 50-35 and a hustle play on the next UNM defensive possession in which Autumn Watts blocked a shot in the paint, Hurst dove on the floor to take possession that led to a McGruder three and an 18-point margin at 53-35 with 2:52 in the quarter.

The Aztecs got two points back on a free throws, but the Lobos closed the third with a McGruder layup, a LaTascya three, a fast-break layup by Hurst and a McGruder layup with four seconds remaining for a 9-2 run and a 25-point lead going into the fourth at 62-37.

UNM shot 82.4 percent in the third quarter behind 14 made baskets and five three-pointers. Hurst had 13 points alone in the third quarter, going 5-of-6 from the floor and 3-for-4 from the free-throw line. McGruder and Anderson went a perfect 4-for-4 and 2-for-2 from the field, respectively, each hitting their only attempt from three in the process. Watts stepped in as the facilitator with three assists of the team’s seven assists in the quarter to surpass her career high, finishing with a career-high four assists in the game. The sophomore also finished with a game-high two blocks and four rebounds to go with five points.

On the other side of the floor, the Lobos stifled the Aztecs, holding them to just 10 points on two made baskets, both three points, and four free throws. The Lobos also outrebounded SDSU 11-3 with three offensive rebounds that they converted to eight second-chance points. UNM created three turnovers that the Lobos converted to six points, had 18 paint points to zero for SDSU and had 14 fast-break points in the third.

A LaTascya three 25 seconds into the fourth extended the lead to 28 points, with the junior guard ultimately ending up making five threes in-a-row starting at the end of the third and continuing into the fourth. A 9-0 Lobo run on two LaTascya threes and a Watts’ three made it 79-44 and a three by Kath van Bennekom with 2:42 to play provided UNM its largest lead of the game, a 36-point gap at 82-46. A Corina Carter steal and fast-break layup with 1:53 remaining put the final points on the board for the Lobos in the 36-point win.

LaTascya went 4-for-5 from distance in the fourth to finish with 12 points and Carter was credited with four assists, finishing with a game-high six assists.

Once again, the Lobos were hard to stop, making eight of their 12 attempts and going 6-for-8 from three-point range, for 66.7 percent shooting from the floor and 75 percent from behind the arc.

The Lobos defensively limited SDSU to 11 points in the fourth on four made baskets and two free throws, holding the Aztecs to 27.3 percent overall in the final 20 minutes.

UNM remains in San Diego to face SDSU in the second game of the series on Friday afternoon at 12 p.m. PT/ 1 p.m. MT on the Mountain West Network.

POSTGAME NOTES

• With Wednesday’s win, the Lobos snap a four-game losing streak to the Aztecs
• UNM now holds a 35-32 advantage over SDSU and are 13-16 in San Diego
• The Lobos scored 80-plus points for the eighth time this season
  • The Lobos shot 51.7%, the third time this season shooting above 50% in a game
  • It was also the third time that UNM shot 40% or better from behind the arc, shooting 43.3% against the Aztecs
• The 48 points allowed are the fewest points allowed this season for the Lobos
• UNM made 13 three-pointers in the game, the sixth time this season making 10-plus threes in a game
  • The Lobos are now averaging 10.5 made threes following Wednesday’s game
• Corina Carter recorded a game and season-high six assists on Wednesday, while Autumn Watts had a career-high four assists
• UNM had four players finish in double figures, led by 19 points apiece from LaTascya Duff and Ahlise Hurst
  • 13 of Hurst’s points came in the third quarter and 12 of Duff’s came in the fourth
  • Hurst tied her career high at the free-throw line in makes and attempts, going 6-for-8
  • Duff had 18 points in the final two quarters, going 6-of-8 from three
  • Antonia Anderson finished with 18 points and Shaiquel McGruder had 15
• The Lobos held the advantage in points off turnovers (23-6), paint points (36-22), second-chance points (16-2), fast-break points (24-2) and bench points (29-10)
• The Lobos defense held the Aztecs to below 15 points in every single quarter and held them below their 60.2 average points per game
• UNM was on par with its averages in steals (9.2), assists (17.2) and blocks (4.4), after finishing with nine steals, 17 assists and four blocks in the game
• UNM had its lowest amount of turnovers in a game this season, only committing six turnovers
• The Lobos are now 8-0 this season when leading after the third quarter