Four Finish in Double Figures as Lobos Defeat Aggies
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Lobos used a 9-0 run in the second quarter to break a tie at 12 and continued to assert control over New Mexico State on Saturday, winning 67-52 behind four in double figures.
With the win, the Lobos have won 10 of the last 11 meetings against the Aggies and the last seven games in Albuquerque with Coach Mike Bradbury improving to 11-2 all-time against NMSU and 7-0 in The Pit. Historically, the Lobos are now 31-12 in Albuquerque and 58-27 in the series.
Paula Reus and Charlotte Kohl shared the team high in points at 15, a career high for Kohl, with Kohl also recording her second double-double of the season with 13 rebounds in addition to tying her career high with four blocks. Reus brought down eight boards while distributing a season-high five assists and tallying a block.
Nyah Wilson scored nine of her 13 points in the final two quarters for her sixth double-digit outing of the season and in the third consecutive game, with Aniyah Augmon finishing with 10 points for her seventh double-digit performance of the season and fifth consecutive game. Augmon also finished with six rebounds and five steals, the sixth game with multiple steals for the Lobo point guard and for the fourth consecutive game.
As a team, UNM outscored NMSU 42-16 in the paint, 15-4 in second-chance points, 11-2 in fast-break points and 16-10 in points from turnovers. In addition, the Lobos outrebounded the Aggies 47-33, finished with five blocks and eight steals and led for 32:47.
The Lobos opened the scoring 2:15 into the game on a pass from Viané Cumber to Kohl before the Aggies scored the next four points and led 6-3 with 3:48 left in the quarter for their largest lead of the game. However, the Lobos answered with the next four points, with Nahawa Diarra Berthe making two free throws and Wilson giving UNM the 7-6 lead on a layup with a little more than two minutes on the clock, which held as the score through the quarter. It was the third time holding an opponent to single digits in a quarter for the Lobos.
UNM continued its run on a Lara Langermann three-pointer to open the second quarter before NM State responded to tie the game at 12. An Augmon steal that led to a Reus three-pointer broke the 12-all tie and layups by Wilson, Reus and Kohl stretched the lead to nine, while conversely holding the Aggies scoreless for 4:24. The Lobo lead reached double figures with a pair of Kohl free throws with under a minute remaining in the quarter, before taking a 27-19 lead into the break.
UNM outscored NMSU 20-13 in the second quarter after shooting 50.0% from the floor and 2-3 from three-point range.
The Lobos scored the first six points out of the break behind a Kohl offensive board and putback, two free throws by Wilson and an Augmon steal and layup to expand the lead to 14 points (33-19). The Aggies cut the lead to eight on three separate occasions in the quarter, but each time the Lobos answered on the other end, led in large part by scoring from the bench (a Langermann three and a Diarra Berthe layup on a Hulda Joaquim assist). A Joaquim offensive rebound and putback made it 44-32 before the Aggies closed the quarter with the final four points.
A 5-0 personal run by Wilson made it 51-38 less than three minutes into the fourth and a 5-0 run led by a Wilson layup and a Natalia Chavez steal that led to an Augmon and-one extended UNM’s lead to 16 with under five minutes to play. A Reus layup with 2:04 remaining gave the Lobos their largest lead of the game at 17 (64-47), which the Lobos matched on two Reus free throws with 53 seconds left for UNM’s final points of the game. NMSU closed with the final basket for the 67-52 final score.
Reus scored eight points in the fourth quarter with Wilson adding seven, as UNM outscored NMSU 23-16 in the final 10 minutes with 16 points in the paint.
UP NEXT: The Lobos (6-2) are back at home on Monday against Mississippi Valley State at 7 p.m., the start of three games next week.