Hooks Scores 21 as Lobos Lose in Last Second to Lumberjacks
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— A free throw by Destinee Hooks tied Monday’s game at 78 with 2.4 seconds remaining, but a last-second shot by Northern Arizona broke the tie in the 80-78 final in which UNM led for 34:12 and by as many as 13 in the third quarter.
Entering the fourth quarter up 59-49 and following a Viané Cumber layup that extended UNM’s lead to 11 at 64-53 with 8:37 remaining, the Lumberjacks rattled off the next 10 points to tighten the margin, and although Alyssa Hargrove’s fast-break layup ended the run, NAU’s momentum continued with an 8-2 run that not only tied the game, but gave the Lumberjacks the 71-68 lead with 3:37 remaining.
Hooks’ three-pointer with 49 seconds left pulled UNM even with NAU at 75, with another tie at 77 following two Lara Langermann free throws with 15 seconds remaining and each team splitting a pair of free throws down the stretch to set up the final possession.
Hooks finished with a game-high 21 points in her Lobo debut, one of three Lobos to finish in double figures. Cumber finished with 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds and Hargrove finished with 12 points and a team-high two steals in her first game as a Lobo.
After winning the tip, NAU missed its first two shots before the first point of the 2024-25 season came on a Hooks free throw. On the other end, UNM started 2-2 from the floor behind three-pointers by Hooks and Cumber for the 7-3 lead and started 5-5 from the floor with layups from Joana Magalhães, Hargrove and Hooks. The Lobos led 15-11 at the first quarter media timeout with Hooks already at six points, which extended to six out of the break on an Amhyia Moreland basket for her first points as a Lobo. After NAU cut the lead in half, a Moreland and-one pushed it back to six at 20-14, with UNM leading 22-19 at the end of the first.
UNM shot 56.3% in the opening quarter with five different Lobos contributing points.
A 6-2 Lobo run to start the second quarter that included two layups from Drew Jordon pushed the lead to seven at 28-21, but the Lumberjacks answered with a 7-0 run to tie the game at 28 with 6:21 left to play in the second quarter. However, a Hargrove three out of the timeout restored UNM’s lead and was the start of a 9-0 run over 2:45, and UNM led by as many as 11 in the quarter following a Reza Po three-pointer to go into the half up 42-34.
UNM led for 18:27 of the first two quarters as Hooks paced the Lobos with 12 points on 5-7 shooting, while Hargrove added seven points with two steals and Cumber and Moreland each had a balanced five points and five rebounds.
While a three-point play by NAU opened the third quarter, the Lobos then held the Lumberjacks without a point for 3:38 while able to extend the cushion to 48-37. UNM ultimately held NAU without a field goal for 4:02 until a three-pointer with 5:46 left in the quarter, but Cumber answered with a three that made it 51-41 with 5:09 remaining in the quarter.
Hargrove’s three-pointer at the 2:44 mark pushed UNM’s lead to 12 at 56-44, and following a Lumberjack layup, a Langermann fast-break three-pointer gave UNM its largest lead of the game at 59-46 with 1:03 to play in the third.
Three free throws and a layup by Cumber at the start of the fourth quarter allowed UNM’s lead to hold at 11 at 64-53, but NAU cut the lead down to one behind a 10-0 run over 2:53. A fast-break layup by Hargrove on a Langermann pass ahead ended the run, but neither team could pull ahead by more than a possession for the remainder of the contest.
Two Hulda Joaquim free throws pushed it back to three at 68-65 with 4:28 left, but NAU hit a three to tie the game at 68 and a corner three gave the Lumberjacks their first lead since it was 3-1 at 71-68. A Magalhães layup pulled UNM within one, with five consecutive points by Hooks keeping the Lobos within reach and ultimately tying the game. A NAU basket put the visitors back in front with 35 seconds remaining, with two Langermann free throws tying the game back up at 77.
NAU split a pair of free throws with 4.2 left, to which Hooks matched on the other end to provide the fourth and final tie of the quarter, setting up NAU’s game-winning shot with 0.2 left.
UNM returns to the court on Thursday against Morehead State at 7 p.m.