Cumber Makes Six Three-Pointers in Loss at Boise State

BOISE, Idaho — After scoring 54 points in the first 20 minutes and taking a 54-43 lead into the half, the Lobos struggled in the final 20 minutes, losing 89-80 to Boise State Tuesday night.

Viané Cumber scored a game-high 23 points behind six three-pointers, one of three Lobos to finish in double figures in the game. Hulda Joaquim finished with 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds and Destinee Hooks scored 10 points.  For Cumber, it was her 13th career game with five or more three-pointers, the fourth time this season and the second time in the last three games. In addition, her six three-pointers gave her 219 career three-pointers, moving the Lobo into third all-time in program history, passing Amy Beggin’s 218.

In a fast-paced first quarter, the Broncos scored on three of their first four possessions while UNM missed its first three shots to get out to a 7-0 lead. Cumber put the Lobos on the board with a three and the Lobos rallied behind two baskets by Joaquim and another Cumber three to tie the game at 10 at the 5:40 mark of the quarter. A Joaquim layup led to UNM’s first lead of the game at 14-12 and a Joana Magalhães three gave UNM a 17-14 lead which expanded to four at 20-16 on a Nayli Padilla three with 3:20 to play in the quarter.

The margin held at four (24-20) through the media timeout with 1:56 on the clock, with the Lobos building the margin to 10 in the remaining portion of the quarter on an 8-0 run. UNM held BSU scoreless for the final 2:27 to take a 30-20 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Cumber and Joaquim paced the Lobos with eight points each in the opening quarter with Cumber making two three-pointers and the Lobos shooting 60.0% as a team and making five three-pointers.

A Lara Langermann three restored UNM’s 10-point cushion at 33-23 41 seconds into the second quarter before a 7-0 run by BSU in the second made it a one-possession game. A jumper by Hooks ended the run and following a Bronco basket, a Cumber three-pointer later pushed the margin to six at 38-32 before BSU tied the game at 38 with 5:42 remaining in the quarter.

However, Cumber gave the Lobos the lead back out of the media timeout with another three-pointer, and after BSU hit a three-pointer on its end, the Lobos closed with a 13-2 run behind consecutive Cumber three-pointers, a Joaquim made a layup and five-straight points from Paris Lauro for the 54-43 halftime score.

The 54 points were the most in a first half for the Lobos since scoring 51 against Nevada on March 2, 2024.

Cumber went 4-4 from three-point range in the second quarter with UNM again shooting 60.0% from the floor and added six three-pointers.

Between the first two quarters, UNM shot 60.0% from the floor and 52.4% from three-point range with 11 three-pointers, led by six three-pointers and 20 points from Cumber. Joaquim was in double figures at the half with 10 points on 5-6 shooting.

After trading baskets to start the third quarter to make it 58-48 Lobos 2:01 in, a 12-0 run by BSU tied the game at 58, and gave BSU its first lead since it was 12-10. Alyssa Hargrove hit a corner three to put UNM back in front with the Broncos going on a 9-0 run to take a 69-61 lead before a Cumber free throw stopped the run. Hargrove closed the quarter with a fast-break layup for the final points of the quarter with UNM trailing 71-64.

The Broncos outscored UNM 28-10 outshot the Lobos 45.0% to 26.7% in the third quarter with Hargrove scoring five of UNM’s 10 points.

A 4-0 UNM run pulled the Lobos within five 1:28 into the fourth quarter and again at 77-72 following a Langermann three with 7:31 left, but the Lobos couldn’t get any closer as the Broncos pushed the deficit to 11 at 84-73 with 3:48 on the clock.  Langermann closed the Lobo scoring with a layup with 55 seconds left with BSU adding two final free throws for the final score.

UNM (13-9, 6-3 MW) returns home for the next two games, starting with San Diego State on Saturday at 2 p.m.