Lobos fall to Boise State, wait to learn fate

For the second straight time, Boise State pulled out a last-second win over The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team. Just exchange Marijke Vanderschaaf ’s name with Brooke Pahukoa. The Boise State senior guard hit a jumper in the lane with 1.1 seconds left to give the Broncos a 64-62 win over UNM in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament in the Thomas and Mack Center on Tuesday afternoon.

Boise State, the fourth seed in the tournament, takes on No. 1 Colorado State, which beat eighth-seeded San Jose State 65-60, in a semifinal at 6:30 p.m. The score was the exactly the same as it was when the Broncos beat the Lobos at home Feb. 15.

While the outcome was similar, the path was not. In a nipand-tuck battle, neither team had a lead larger than five points. That, though, was enjoyed by the Lobos (15-15), who held a 57-52 lead on Alex Lapeyrolerie’s jumper with 7:44 left in the fourth quarter.

That margin evaporated under the weight of a 10-2 Broncos run that ended with back-to-back buckets by Pahukoa for a 62-59 lead with 1:37 left. Boise State (23-7) could have put the game away on its next possession, but missed on three straight shots that gave New Mexico hope.

The Lobos cashed in on the opportunity when Jayda Bovero hit a 3-pointer from the right wing to for 62-all with 3.2 seconds left. Boise State got the ball on its side of the court after a timeout, and Pahukoa took the inbounds pass inside the paint, turned and hit a 6-footer over Bovero for the win.

Lapeyrolerie’s 50-foot heave at the buzzer for UNM never hit iron.

Pahukoa finished with 25 points, six rebounds and a pair of assists, and scored the Broncos’ last six points of the game.

The Lobos struggled before Bovero’s 3 tied the game, scoring only on Beynon’s drive to the basket with 2:52 left that gave the Lobos a 59-58 lead.

Beynon finished with 20 points to lead UNM, Lapeyrolerie added 17 and Laneah Bryan 10. Marta Hermida was the only other Boise State player to reach double figures with 14 points.

UNM will await its postseason fate, which should be decided by Monday at the latest.