Lobos’ late rally falls short vs. Fresno State
Dismal start to second half proves too much to overcome
Ever had 10 minutes you’d really like to relive?
The University of New Mexico Lobos unanimously regretted 10 minutes of Saturday’s women’s basketball game against Fresno State at the Pit.
Bree Farley’s driving layup with 2.2 seconds left was the decisive shot in the Bulldogs’ nail-biting 75-73 victory in front of an announced turnout of 6,911. Farley’s basket took some of the shine off a wild rally by the Lobos, who erased a 14-point deficit to tie the score late.
But UNM coach Yvonne Sanchez and her players were quick to acknowledge that Farley’s basket was not the difference.
A dismal 10-minute stretch to begin the second half ultimately undid the Lobos’ hopes of
knocking off the Mountain West Conference-leading Bulldogs. During that span Fresno turned a 36-32 deficit into a 61-47 lead.
“It comes down to mental toughness,” said senior Sara Halasz, who led the Lobos with 15 points. “It’s a 40-minute game and we have to be focused for 40 minutes. We lost it at the start of the second half and ended up two points short.
“Everyone wants a game like that back.”
The Lobos’ regret was only enhanced by the way they dominated the game’s final five minutes. Trailing 69-59, UNM (7-9, 2-3) turned up the intensity and put together a 12-2 run to get the Pit rocking.
Bryce Owens scored six of her 11 points during the surge that was capped by an Antiesha Brown jumper that tied the score at 71 with 1:10 remaining. Brown finished with 14 points.
“The atmosphere was amazing,” Owens said. “That crowd really helped us get back in the game, and I thank them for that.”
Fresno State (11-6, 5-1) narrowly avoided a turnover on its ensuing possession, forcing coach Raegan Pebley to call a timeout. But with four seconds on the shot clock, Alex Sheedy muscled in a post basket to give the Bulldogs a 73-71 lead. Sheedy scored 14 of her 16 points in the second half.
UNM answered when Owens swished a baseline jumper to make it 73-all with 20 seconds left. But the Bulldogs quieted the crowd when Farley came off a high-post screen and drove to the basket for the winning points.
“We were switching on all screens,” Sanchez said, “but we didn’t switch on that flair screen. (Brown) had to come all the way across the court and just couldn’t quite get there to stop (Farley).”
The Lobos were hardpressed to stop Fresno’s shooters for most of the second half. Farley and Taylor Thompson trapping press. Lapeyrolerie chipped in two assists, a fastbreak layup and played disruptive defense during the Lobos’ rally.
Owens was even better, rallying the Lobos with strong overall play down the stretch. She tried for a game-winner with a running 3-point launch from halfcourt at the buzzer, but her bank-shot clipped the side of the rim and bounded off.
“Any loss is tough,” Owens said, “whether it’s two points or 20. We don’t like losing, especially at home.”
The Mountain West schedule is such that UNM will not face Fresno State again in the regular season, but the Lobos say they’re more than up for a MWC Tournament rematch.
“I’m pretty sure we’ll see them again,” Halasz said.
Added Sanchez: “If we do see them again, that’ll be a good thing.” scored repeatedly on drives, and Sheedy cashed in a halfdozen post baskets. FSU shot 64 percent from the field after intermission.
It was a drastic turn after UNM led for all of the first half, working the ball inside effectively and limiting the Bulldogs to 33 percent shooting. The Lobos would have built a comfortable lead but for reserve Fresno State guard Alex Furr, who came in averaging 2.5 points per game. Furr scored 16 first-half points and finished with a game-high 22.
Still, New Mexico held a four-point edge at halftime. That was before easy Bulldogs baskets and repeated Lobo turnovers against full-court pressure keyed the visitors’ 29-11 surge to start the second half.
“We had some mental breakdowns and some toughness breakdowns,” Sanchez said. “We worked on that press for two days. Then we get it in a game and players just froze.”
To their credit, the Lobos regained their poise and soon had the Bulldogs on their heels. Khadijah Shumpert, returning from concussion symptoms that kept her out of the past three games, scored 11 of her 13 points during UNM’s comeback.
Freshman Alex Lapeyrolerie also provided a spark as the Lobos turned to an effective