Lobo Comeback Falls Short at CSU
FORT COLLINS, Colo.— The Lobos twice cut the deficit to four points in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t complete the comeback against the Rams, falling 61-55 on Saturday.
Nyah Wilson led the way for the Lobos with 17 points, followed by Aniyah Augmon’s 15 points and Viané Cumber, who scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to finish with 10 points and a team-high nine rebounds. It marked the 12th game in double figures for Augmon, 11th for Wilson and eighth for Cumber this season.
Additionally, Cumber led the Lobos in rebounds for the third time in four games and Wilson led the Lobos in scoring for the second time in four games, with Wilson and Augmon reaching double figures in all four MW games.
Augmon also led the way with four steals, her third consecutive game with multiple steals and the 10th time this season, 22nd in her career. As a team, UNM had eight steals, with Wilson credited with two for her fifth time in six games with multiple steals and Paula Reus and Cumber with one each.
UNM trailed 3-2 before CSU went on a 15-0 run over a span of 4:19, ended by two Augmon free throws. The Lobos scored the final five points of the quarter behind an Augmon three and a Wilson layup for the 21-9 score. Augmon accounted for all seven of UNM’s points and created two steals in the quarter.
The Rams opened up the second with a jumper, to which the Lobos answered with a 9-0 run starting with two Wilson layups and five-straight points by Charlotte Kohl that closed the gap to five at 23-18. The Rams made one final shot to close the half, but the Lobos ultimately held CSU to four points on 2-17 shooting, the seventh time the Lobos have held an opponent to single digits in a quarter and the second time against Mountain West competition.
CSU got the margin up to 13 at 32-19 in the third quarter, but once again the Lobos responded with an 8-0 run to cut the gap to five with a Wilson free throw, a Reus layup, a three-pointer by Kohl and a Wilson steal and layup to make it 32-27 with 4:26 remaining in the quarter. However, the Rams built their lead back up to 11 at 41-30 the end of the frame.
Four consecutive baskets by Augmon kept the Lobos within reach as UNM pulled within six at 44-38. Much like the third quarter, CSU answered to push the lead back to double digits at 13 before a 6-0 Lobo run made it 51-44. A Ram three-pointer temporarily halted the run as back-to-back corner three-pointers by Wilson and Cumber brought UNM within four at 54-50 with 2:49 on the clock. CSU stretched the lead back to nine at 59-50 with Cumber leading the Lobos with five consecutive points in a span of 18 seconds to again make it a four-point game at 59-55. The Rams made two free throws down the stretch for the final points of the game.
Cumber and Augmon went 4-6 from the floor with Cumber scoring 10 points and Augmon eight as the Lobos shot 61.1% (11-18) in the final quarter.
UNM (11-6, 2-2 MW) returns home to host Wyoming on Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m.