Cumber Leads in Scoring as Lobos Battle Bulldogs
NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla.— The New Mexico Lobos held with the Mississippi State Bulldogs in a game that had 16 lead changes and five ties and where UNM led for 8:23 before the game got away in an 87-58 final on Wednesday afternoon in the final game of the Sun Coast Challenge.
Viané Cumber was the leading scorer for UNM, making four three-pointers and finishing with a team-high 17 points. Cumber was one of two Lobos to finish in double figures, joined by LaTora Duff’s 11. LaTascya Duff and Shaiquel McGruder each finished with nine points, with McGruder recording a game-high three blocks and game-high four steals, and Duff making three three-pointers, the ninth time this season and the sixth-straight game that the Lobo has registered multiple three-pointers..
Amaya Brown grabbed a team-high seven rebounds to go with six points on a career-high two three-pointers.
The Lobos led the Bulldogs in blocks (3-2), steals (6-4) and made 12 three-pointers.
MSU opened the scoring with the first four points of the game before Brown and LaTora made consecutive three-pointers to put UNM ahead. A Bulldog three-pointer put MSU back in front, albeit temporarily as a LaTora layup created another lead change. Mississippi State pulled back in front 13-10 with 2:33 left, but Aniyah Augmon tied the game with another three-pointer. The Bulldogs led 15-13 at the end of the quarter with LaTora leading with five points.
An offensive rebound on the first possession of the second quarter led to a Cumber layup and and-one opportunity, with the Lobo sophomore converting at the line for the 16-15 UNM lead. Following another lead change, Brown hit her second three of the game to push UNM in front 19-17. After MSU tied the game at 22, an Augmon layup and converted free throw pushed the Lobo lead to three at 25-22 with 6:05 remaining in the quarter. The Bulldogs tied the game at 25 before a LaTora jumper put UNM up 27-26.
The game continued to be back and forth with a LaTascya three giving UNM a 30-28 lead and a Cumber three giving UNM the 33-32 lead with 1:29 left in the second before the Bulldogs closed with the final six points of the quarter for the 38-33 lead at the break.
Cumber led all scorers with nine points at the break, with all nine coming in the second quarter.
After MSU pulled ahead 40-33, the Lobos went on a 7-0 run behind a LaTora layup, a LaTascya three-pointer and a LaTora jumper less than 1:30 into the third quarter. However, MSU answered with a 7-0 run of its own before a LaTascya three-pointer ended the run. It was the closest the Lobos would get for the remainder of the quarter as MSU stretched the lead to 16 at the end of the third quarter and the game ended at 87-58.
Seven of UNM’s points in the third quarter came on fast-break opportunities, outscoring the Bulldogs 7-0 in the category in the third and Cumber scored eight points in the fourth quarter.
The Lobos (7-5) close non-conference play at home against South Carolina State on Dec. 29 at 7 p.m. before hosting Air Force on New Year’s Day at 2 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.