Lobos Advance to MW Semifinal with 16-Point Victory over Air Force
LAS VEGAS, Nev.— The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team advanced to the semifinals of the 2021 Air Force Reserve MW Women’s Basketball Championship following a 67-51 victory over Air Force on Monday afternoon.
Junior guard LaTascya Duff led with 14 points in the win, going 5-for -6 from the floor and making both of her three-point attempts. Duff was one of four players to finish in double figures, with Jaedyn De La Cerda finishing with 11 points and Corina Carter and Shaiquel McGruder each scoring 10. Carter also brought down five rebounds to tie her career high
Antonia Anderson produced another all-around effort with a game-high 10 rebounds and nine points, while creating a team-high two steals and added two assists. Ahlise Hurst and Autumn Watts each finished with two blocks, with the Lobos having six as a team.
Air Force scored the first four points of the game before the Lobos settled in and not only tied the game but continued to go on an 11-0 run to gain the upper hand through the first five minutes of play. The Falcon 4-0 lead was their only lead of the game.
UNM further stretched the lead to 14 at 20-6 after a Carter drive to the lane, finishing the basket through contact for the and-one situation which she converted. A Duff three with five seconds left in the quarter brought the frame to a close with UNM leading 23-8.
Of the 23 points, 16 came in the paint and seven came off of Falcon turnovers.
Monday’s game marked the seventh time this season that the Lobos have held their opponent under 10 points in the first quarter.
The Lobos maintained a double-digit lead through the first 4:43 of the second quarter before an Air Force three made it 27-19. Layups by Watts and Anderson pushed the margin back up to 12, but the Falcons closed the quarter on a 5-1 run for the 32-24 halftime score.
Out of the break, Air Force scored the first six points to cut the lead to two, and was within one-possession of tying or taking the lead four more times with the last time being at 41-39, but the Lobos responded with an 8-0 run on a Carter fast-break layup, a Duff fast-break layup, a jumper by Watts and an Anderson layup to lead 49-39 through three quarters.
Carter accounted for seven of UNM’s 17 points in the third on 3-of-4 shooting.
Two McGruder free throws pushed the Lobo lead to their largest margin at that point at 18 (59-41) with 6:40 remaining in the game, and the Lobos would reach that margin two more times before the Falcons got back within 12 with 2:25 left. A final Anderson layup and two Duff free throws were the final points of the game in the 16-point Lobo win.
De La Cerda closed the game with seven points in the fourth as UNM outscored AF 18-12.
UNM held Air Force to just 18.2 percent from three-point range in the game and 36.1 percent from the floor, just the second time all season that the Falcons have been held to two three-pointers and 11 attempts from three.
Monday’s win marked the third tournament victory over Air Force and the second time with the Lobos as the No. 1 seed in the tournament.
With the win, the Lobos advance to Tuesday’s semifinal against the winner of Fresno State – Nevada. The semifinal is scheduled for 5 p.m. PT/ 6 p.m. MT.