ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— Destinee Hooks scored a game- and season-high 24 points behind 10 made field-goals, one of two Lobos to finish in double figures, as UNM lost 82-57 to Texas Tech Sunday.
It marked the third time scoring 20 or more points, the seventh time in double figures this season, and the second time in as many seasons scoring 20-plus points against TTU. Further, it was the fourth time this season that Hooks has led the team in scoring.
Cacia Antonio scored 10 points for the fourth time this season reaching double digits. Off the bench, Nayli Padilla tied Hooks for the team lead in rebounds at five and Laila Abdurraqib led the Lobos in scoring with six points, the fourth time this season leading the bench. Padilla was one of three players to be credited with two steals, joined by Hooks and Alyssa Hargrove, Hargrove’s fifth game this season with multiple steals.
Texas Tech opened the scoring on its opening possession, but the Lobos scored the next four points on a layup by Hooks and a pair of free throws by Clarissa Craig to take the lead. After TTU tied the game at four, an Antonio layup changed the lead, to which a Lady Raider three put the visitors in front by one. Joana Magalhães gave the Lobos an 8-7 lead 3:10 into the quarter, with two more ties occurring at eight and nine on free throws. A Lady Raider layup changed the lead once more with a Padilla free throw with 4:46 left in the quarter pulling UNM within one at 11-10 before a 6-2 TTU run closed the quarter.
There were four tied and four lead changes in the quarter with UNM leading for 1:26 and Antonio leading the Lobos in scoring with four points.
TTU extended the deficit to seven before a Hargrove three-pointer provided UNM’s first points in the quarter. Each team traded three-pointers with Antonio making a three to pull the Lobos back within four at 22-18, however, TTU used a mini 4-0 run to build the margin back to eight with 6:12 remaining in the quarter. A Hooks’ offensive rebound and layup allowed the Lobos to cut the margin to five, however a 7-0 run later in the quarter pushed the gap to 13 points at 36-23 with the Lady Raiders holding a 39-29 lead at the half. Hooks hit two three-pointers in the final 1:43 to put the Lobo into double figures at 10 points.
Hooks scored eight points in the second quarter to go with three rebounds and an assist to lead all scorers with 10 points at the break.
A layup by Hooks opened the scoring for the Lobos in the third, but New Mexico was unable to generate any momentum in the quarter as TTU built the margin to 17 and led by 19 at the end of the quarter.
Hooks again paced the Lobos with eight points on 4-5 shooting, accounting for four of UNM’s five made field goals in the quarter. Of UNM’s 12 points, 10 came in the paint.
Her 20th point came at the start of the fourth quarter to put the margin back to 19 and an Antonio free throw and a Craig layup on the next Lobo possession closed it to 18 before Texas Tech extended its lead to 26 at 79-53. An Abdurraqib three-pointer with 1:02 provided UNM’s final points as TTU closed the scoring with two free throws for the final points of the game.
Abdurraqib and Hooks scored six points apiece in the final quarter with Craig adding three.
UNM (5-2) heads to the Florida Gulf Coast Challenge to face Chicago State and Cincinnati on Thursday and Friday, respectively.