Lobos Use Strong Second Half to Win at Air Force

USAFA, Colo.— The Lobos held Air Force to 22 points in the final 20 minutes and outscored the Falcons 19-8 in the third quarter to win their fourth-straight game, 70-65, on Thursday.

Further, the Lobos led for 9:48 of the fourth quarter and went 5-7 at the line to close the game. In the final two quarters, the Lobos outscored the Falcons 30-22 and outshot the Falcons 42.3% to 28.6%, while also outrebounding them 27-15.

Aniyah Augmon led UNM with a game-high 17 points and game-high 11 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. Augmon was one of four Lobos in double figures with LaTascya Duff scoring 15 points on four three-pointers, Shaiquel McGruder with 12 points and LaTora Duff with 11 points.

Three Lobos finished with multiple steals, led by LaTascya with four, Augmon with three and McGruder with two. LaTora added one for a team total of 10.

An Amaya Brown jumper put the Lobos up 4-3 early with the Lobos getting up 8-5 on a LaTora layup before Air Force answered to tie the game at eight. Viané Cumber restored UNM’s lead on a turnaround jumper, and following another tie at 13, an Augmon and-one put the Lobos back in front 16-13. However, the Falcons closed on a 9-2 run to take the 22-18 lead at the end of the first in part to 4-7 shooting from three-point range in the first quarter.

The margin didn’t last long as LaTascya opened up the second quarter with a three-pointer while fouled in the act of shooting, converting at the free-throw line to even the score at 22 nine seconds in. Air Force went on a run to lead by as many as seven at 31-24 less than three minutes into the frame, but the Duffs got the Lobos right back into it with two LaTascya three-pointers and a LaTora layup to make it a one-point game and a McGruder layup brought the Lobos all the way back, tying the game at 34 with 4:48 left in the second. UNM reclaimed the lead on its following possession with LaTora getting an and-one opportunity, making the free throw to give UNM the 37-34 advantage. Much like the first quarter, the Falcons closed on a 9-3 run to take the 43-40 lead into the break.

LaTascya led the team with 10 points in the second quarter as UNM outscored Air Force 22-21, going 3-4 from three-point range.

Both teams were slow out of the break, with the first basket coming at the 7:45 mark on an Air Force layup that put the deficit at five. However, consecutive layups from McGruder and a Brown offensive board and layup turned the tables and put the Lobos on top 46-45. There were two ties at 49 and 51 before the Lobos closed on an 8-0 run in the final 4:20 to take the 59-51 lead into the fourth.

The Lobos held the Falcons to just eight points in the quarter and 23.5% (4-17) shooting, while also outrebounding Air Force 16-5 that included four offensive rebounds that led to six second-chance points.

UNM’s momentum carried into the fourth, using an Augmon 7-0 personal run to build a 13-point lead at 66-53 with 8:08 remaining in the game. The Falcons cut it to four at 67-63 with 3:16 on the clock before an Augmon free throw with 2:23 stopped their best scoring run in the quarter of 5-0. A Falcon layup with nine seconds remaining made it a one-possession game at 68-65, but McGruder put the game away at the line, making both free throws for the final points of the contest.

With the win, the Lobos improve to 18-11 on the season, 10-6 in conference play with two MW games remaining.