Lobos Cruise to Win Over Mustangs Behind Four in Double Figures

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— Four Lobos scored in double figures, led by a game-high 15 from Destinee Hooks, as the Lobos scored 20-plus points in each quarter for the 85-56 win on Friday night.

Hulda Joaquim was one rebound shy of a double-double with a game-high nine rebounds to go with 12 points, Alyssa Hargrove set the tone with nine points in the first quarter, finishing with 10 points to go with a game-high four steals and Viané Cumber scored 13 points in the contest.

It was the fourth time this season that Hargrove and Cumber have reached double figures, the third time for Hooks as well as the third time leading the Lobos in scoring, and the second time for Joaquim, who matched her season high in points.

Additionally, it was the second time in three games allowing 56 points with the Lobos 2-0 when scoring more than 60 points and allowing less than 60 points.

Cumber scored on UNM’s opening possession, but the Mustangs scored the next six points on three consecutive possessions for their largest lead of the game. Hooks ended the scoring run on a layup and a Hargrove steal led to a Cumber three-pointer to put the Lobos in front. WNMU went ahead 8-7, to which a Hargrove layup started a 7-0 run that ended in a Hargrove three for the 14-8 Lobo lead and essentially put the game out of reach from there. A Hargrove layup and Reza Po three-pointer put UNM up 19-10, with the Lobos holding a 21-14 lead after the first with Hargrove scoring nine points on 4-6 shooting and recording four steals that translated to five Lobo points.

UNM extended the lead to 27-15 behind a 6-0 run less than two minutes into the second quarter, including a Joaquim steal and fast-break layup and reached 17 at 37-20 behind an 8-0 run that included two more Joaquim layups. A Nayli Padilla three-pointer pushed the lead to 20 (44-24) with 36 seconds remaining in the quarter, with UNM taking a 44-26 lead into the half.

The Lobos outscored the Mustangs 23-12 in the quarter with Joaquim accounting for six points on 3-3 shooting and a 6-0 advantage in points off turnovers, recording three steals and forcing six turnovers in the quarter.

Hargrove reached 10 points with a free throw in the second quarter to lead all scorers at the break with Cumber at seven points and Hooks and Joaquim both at six. Of UNM’s 44 points, 28 came in the paint and 12 were second-chance points on nine offensive rebounds.

The Lobos’ lead reached 22 points five times in the third quarter with the Mustangs unable to get any closer than 16 points, which occurred at the 9:00 mark of the quarter. UNM’s lead held at 20 points (65-45) at the end of the third quarter with Hooks scoring nine points on 3-3 shooting that included the final three Lobo points in the quarter and a spurt of five-straight UNM points out of the media timeout.

A layup and three-pointer by Paris Lauro stretched the lead to 24 points (74-50) with 6:16 remaining in the game and a three-pointer by Lydie Mwamba extended the margin to 79-53. WNMU made a three-pointer with 1:57 remaining, the final points scored by the Mustangs, as UNM closed on a 6-0 run behind two layups by Drew Jordon and a Mwamba layup for the 29-point differential.

Of UNM’s 20 points in the final quarter, 18 were scored by the bench with 12 coming in the paint. Overall, UNM finished with 56 paint points, a 29-9 edge in points off turnovers after forcing 24 turnovers and finished with 13 steals and six blocks. UNM had a 21-2 edge in second-chance points and 13-4 in fast-break points.

Up next: UNM hosts South Carolina State on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m.