Strong Fourth Quarter and Augmon Double-Double Pushes Lobos Past Rams
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobos held Colorado State to four points and 12.5% shooting, outscoring the Rams 15-4, in the final quarter in the 62-46 win on Saturday afternoon.
UNM’s defense stymied the Rams to a season low in points, and outrebounded the Rams 46-28, led by a game- and -career high 16 rebounds from Aniyah Augmon and a career-high 12 rebounds for Hulda Joaquim. The 46 points were also the fewest allowed against the Rams since Feb. 11, 2015 when the Lobos won 67-40 at home. In addition, the Lobos have now won the last eight games played in Albuquerque in the series.
Augmon also led the offense with a game-high 22 points to tie her career high and was one of three Lobos to reach double figures, joined by Paula Reus with 13 and Viané Cumber with 12. The 22 points and 16 rebounds marked Augmon’s second double-double of the season and fifth of her career. While Nyah Wilson didn’t reach double figures, she led with a game-high four assists and a career-high two blocks.
Beyond having the advantage in rebounds, the Lobos also had the edge in paint points (30-22), fast-break points, points off turnovers (7-4) and second-chance points (5-1), as well as in assists (9-5) and three-pointers (8-4), holding the Rams to 15.4% from three-point range.
The Lobos are now 16-0 on the season when scoring 60 or more points, 11-1 when allowing fewer than 60 points, and after shooting 46.2% in the game, are 10-1 when shooting 40% or better.
Neither team could gather any separation in the first quarter with three ties and one lead change and the lead no larger than one possession throughout the quarter, with CSU holding a narrow 13-12 lead.
However, that changed in the second quarter as a Wilson layup started a 7-0 run that put UNM in front 22-17. The Rams answered to close within one at 27-26, to which the Lobos’ second 7-0 run stretched the lead to eight at 34-36. UNM made eight consecutive field goals in the stretch from Wilson’s layup that made it 17-17 to Augmon’s three-pointer that made it 34-26.
Defensively, the Lobos held CSU scoreless for 3:48 before a last second fast-break layup ended the drought for the 34-28 Lobo lead at the break.
Augmon had nine points in the second quarter on 4-4 shooting and added three rebounds to give her 12 points and eight rebounds at the break. As a team, UNM shot 64.3% in the second quarter on 9-14 shooting and went 3-5 from behind the arc.
Out of the break, the Lobos scored the first six points on consecutive three-pointers to pull ahead 40-28 before CSU used an 8-0 run to close within four. A Reus three-pointer pushed the lead to seven, with the lead holding at seven until a final jumper by CSU with 43 seconds remaining closed the quarter with UNM in front 47-42.
A 7-0 UNM run in the fourth quarter stretched the lead to 13 at 57-44, with the final CSU basket occurring at the 6:16 mark. UNM closed with a Wilson layup, and an Augmon and-one with the Lobo converting the play at the line for the final score. UNM closed with a 12-2 run over the final 8:10 for the win.
Augmon added five points and four rebounds in the final quarter, with the Lobos holding an opponent to single digits for the ninth time this season, and the second time against Colorado State.
With the win, UNM improves to 17-8 on the season, 8-4 in the MW. The Lobos remain at home to host San José State Wednesday at 7 p.m.