Lobos Defeat Grizzlies in Exhibition
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobos were tested by a slow start on Sunday, but also proved that they could respond and overcome it with a 60-45 win exhibition win against Adams State.
Like in the first exhibition, UNM had three finish in double figures, led by Viané Cumber with a game-high 16 for the second-straight game, followed by Nyah Wilson (11 points) and Aniyah Augmon (10 points).
Also much like the first game, UNM controlled the boards, this time by a margin of 31 (56-25), led by a strong 18-rebound outing by Charlotte Kohl. Hannah Robbins and Paula Reus finished with eight rebounds apiece with Cumber finishing with seven rebounds for the second-straight game.
Both teams were slow to start with Adams State missing its first six shots and UNM missing its first 10 shots of the game before Cumber hit a three-pointer to get UNM on the board at 12-3. Augmon added a jumper with under a minute left in the quarter and split a pair of free throws as the defense held the Grizzlies to a scoring drought of 2:52 to stay within range at 12-6 through the first.
However, the Lobos found a rhythm in the second quarter, using a 7-0 run behind a Reus layup, a Kohl offensive board and layup, and a Cumber steal and offensive rebound that turned into a Natalia Chavez three-pointer to pull within one at 18-17 with 4:28 remaining in the quarter.
The Grizzlies responded to push the deficit to five, to which a 5-0 personal Cumber run tied the game at 22 with less than 90 seconds to play. A Paris Lauro layup off of two offensive rebounds with 42 seconds left gave UNM its first lead of the game before the quarter ended tied at 24.
UNM doubled up the Grizzlies on rebounds at 32-15 through the first two quarters with Kohl collecting seven rebounds and Cumber leading with eight points, five of which came in the second quarter.
The Lobos took control of the third quarter from the start with an 11-2 run, as Nyah Wilson opened the scoring with a corner three eight seconds in to reclaim the lead and Cumber hit her third three-pointer of the contest on the following UNM possession to extend the lead. ASU answered with a layup to break up the run, however a Wilson layup, Augmon steal and fast-break layup and later an Augmon free throw extended the lead to nine at 35-26.
The Grizzlies trimmed it to three at 36-34 before Chavez drained a three-pointer from the wing and a Robbins offensive rebound and putback provided a six-point cushion.
While the Grizzlies trimmed the lead down to four at the conclusion of the third quarter, UNM used a 6-0 run over a span of 52 seconds in the final quarter that included four-straight points by Augmon to create an eight-point Lobo lead. A Wilson three-pointer made it a nine-point game at 54-45 with 4:42 left and a Reus free throw extended the game to double figures at 55-45 as part of an eventual 9-0 run that pushed the lead to 15, capped by a Wilson layup for the final points of the game.
UNM held ASU the final 5:23 without a point and outscored them 18-7 in the quarter. UNM put up 18 points in each of the final three quarters, outscoring ASU 54-33.
Wilson scored all of her 11 points in the final two quarters, while Kohl collected 11 rebounds in the final two quarters.
With the win, the Lobos wrap up the exhibition portion of their schedule and the focus turns to the regular season starting on Nov. 6 against Texas Southern.