Hooks and Joaquim Record Double-Doubles in Loss to NMSU
LAS CRUCES, N.M.— Destinee Hooks scored 27 points and finished with 10 rebounds while Hulda Joaquim recorded 14 rebounds and 12 points, setting a career high in rebounds, but the Lobos fell to the Aggies 68-60 on Sunday.
It was Joaquim’s third double-double of the season and the second for Hooks. For Hooks, it was also her fourth game this season scoring 20-plus points and her sixth time leading the Lobos in scoring. Viané Cumber was close to a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds, the third Lobo to reach double figures, with Cumber scoring in double figures in all 10 games this season.
UNM outscored NMSU 17-15 in the second quarter and 17-13 in the third to hold a 49-46 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but was outscored 22-11 in the fourth.
The Lobos outshot NMSU 44.2% to 36.8% and had the edge in paint points (40-30) and 15-5 in second-chance points (15-5) with Joaquim grabbing six of UNM’s 12 offensive rebounds. UNM also outrebounded NMSU 43-30 with Joaquim having a game-high 14.
Hooks opened the scoring 54 seconds in with a three, but the Aggies scored the next six points before a Joaquim offensive rebound and putback ended the run. A 7-0 Aggie run put the Lobos down 15-7 before a Hooks turnaround jumper stopped the run. Hooks added another three to make it 18-12, with the Lobos scoring the final six points on a free throw by Hooks and an Alyssa Hargrove layup.
UNM trailed 18-15 at the end of the first, but consecutive baskets by Hooks not only gave her double figures, but the Lobos a 19-18 lead less than a minute in. NMSU went up 22-19 but a Joaquim offensive rebound and putback pulled UNM within one and two Hooks free throws put UNM back in front 23-22. NMSU took the lead back at 26-23. NMSU’s lead fluctuated between one and three points in the final 4:34, which included a Cumber three that made it a one-point game with under a minute to play in the second quarter and a Hooks layup with five seconds left that brought UNM back within one at the half, 33-32.
Hooks added eight points in the second quarter to give her 17 points through the first two quarters on 6-9 shooting and 2-2 from three-point range, while Joaquim brought down nine rebounds with all three offensive rebounds turning into layups for six points at the half for the Lobo.
Hooks kept the scoring going to start the third with two free throws to give UNM back the lead, with the Aggies hitting a three on the other end on the next possession for another lead change. A second NMSU three made it a five-point game, but a Paris Lauro layup ended the run and started a 6-1 Lobo run with Hargrove and Hooks both adding a layup to tie the game at 40. Two Cumber free throws out of the media timeout tied the game at 42, the fifth tie of the game. After the Aggies went back up, a Cumber feed to Joaquim led to another tie. Following an Aggie jumper with 3:06 remaining in the third quarter that made it 46-45 NMSU, the Lobos held the Aggies without a point for the rest of the quarter while an Joaquim offensive rebound and layup followed by two Cumber free throws to close the quarter gave UNM the 49-46 lead at the end of the third.
The Lobos outscored the Aggies 10-2 in the paint in the third quarter and outshot them 41.7% to 26.3%, and went 7-8 from the free-throw line.
A Cumber jumper 45 seconds into the fourth gave the Lobo double figures and kept UNM in front 51-48, however NMSU went on an 8-0 run to take the 56-51 lead with 7:07 left in the fourth. A Hargrove basket brought UNM back within a possession and Hooks again did so on a layup with 5:24 to play that made it 58-55, but the Aggies extended the margin to nine at 64-55.
UNM responded with a 5-0 run to close with four at 64-60 with 46 seconds remaining, but the Lobos couldn’t convert on their remaining possessions to get any closer.
The Lobos (5-5) return home to face Pepperdine on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 2 p.m.