LOGAN, Utah— Wednesday night was a milestone night for the Lobos as UNM defeated Utah State 69-54.
First, it marked the 19th consecutive win over Utah State in the series. On the season, it marked win No. 20, the fourth time in the last five years that the Lobos have reached at least 20 wins in a season. It also marked UNM’s eighth road win on the season, with the last time the Lobos having more road wins (with the exception of the COVID year) was in the 2018-19 season with eight.
Wednesday’s win also marked the 200th win at UNM for Head Coach Mike Bradbury, who became only the second Lobo women’s head coach to reach the milestone.
The Lobos led for 32:58 of the game and by as many as 21 points, holding the edge in rebounds (48-28), steals (7-2), assists (15-9), three-pointers (12-4), second-chance points (16-0) and bench points (20-6). The Lobos shot a season-best 50.0% from three-point range with the 12 three-pointers the second most on the season.
Three Lobos scored in double figures with Joana Magalhães leading the way for the fifth time this season, and second time in three games, with 14 points behind three, three-pointers. Nayli Padilla led the Lobos off the bench for the 11th time this season, making four three-pointers for 12 points and Jessie Joaquim recorded her second straight double-double and fourth of the season with 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, seven of which came on the offensive end. For Padilla, it was also the eighth game this season making three or more three-pointers.
The Lobos got out to a 4-0 lead with Cacia Antonio and Destinee Hooks baskets on consecutive possessions in the first two minutes, while USU missed its first eight shots before making a three-pointer five minutes in. Laila Abdurraqib scored the final five points in the quarter for the Lobos on a layup and three-pointer for the 10-10 tie at the end of the first.
Hooks gave the Lobos the lead to start the second on a jumper with both teams trading baskets for ties at 12 and 14. Alyssa Hargrove broke the tie and started an 8-0 Lobo run with a three-pointer and added a steal and fast-break layup 27 seconds later with a Hooks’ three-pointer midway through the quarter as the run gave the Lobos the lead for the remainder of the game.
USU got as close as seven points with a Magalhães free throw and Hargrove three-pointer stretching UNM’s lead to 11 points at 32-21 before an Aggie layup closed the second.
Hargrove scored eight points in the second quarter going 3-4 from the floor and 2-2 from behind the arc as UNM led 32-23 at the break.
A Joaquim offensive rebound and layup set the tone at the start of the third, and the trio of Joana Magalhães, Padilla and Joaquim carried the Lobos in the quarter accounting for all 21 points.
Back-to-back three-pointers from Magalhães extended UNM’s lead to 13 midway through and a Drew Jordon offensive rebound that led to a Joaquim layup combined with a Padilla three-pointer pushed the margin to 16. A Padilla steal led to Magalhães’ third three-pointer of the quarter and pushed the Lobo into double figures at 12 points with the Lobo lead growing to 17 at 50-33. A Padilla three-pointer with 59 seconds remaining closed the Lobo scoring with USU making a layup for the final points as UNM led 53-40.
Padilla and Magalhães went 5-5 from three-point range in the third quarter with the Lobos assisting on seven of the eight made baskets led by three from Hargrove.
The trio continued to lead the Lobos in the final quarter as Padilla’s third three of the game started the quarter scoring. The next 10 Lobo points came from either Joaquim, Magalhães or Padilla as Magalhães made a layup, Joaquim made two free throws and Padilla reached double figures on a three-pointer that pushed the Lobo lead to 18 at 63-45 with 3:15 left. A three-point play for Joaquim put the forward into double figures to restore the 18 point lead, which reached its largest point of the game on an Antonio three-pointer with 1:24 remaining. The Aggies closed with the final six points for the final score.
Padilla added six points, Joaquim scored five points to go with four rebounds and Magalhães scored two points.
In the final two quarters, Padilla, Joaquim and Magalhães accounted for 34 of UNM’s 37 points with Antonio scoring the other three.
The Lobos close out the week at Nevada on Saturday before closing the conference schedule at home against Fresno State on March 3.