All the Lobos get in on the fun
UNM women rout UC-Colo. Springs
Not bad for an opening act. The new-look University of New Mexico women’s basketball team made an impressive debut Sunday, racking up 60 first-half points and coasting to a 103-54 exhibition victory over Colorado-Colorado Springs at Dreamstyle Arena — the Pit.
Jaedyn De La Cerda paced four Lobos in double figures with 18 points as coach Mike Bradbury mixed and matched his lineup combinations throughout the game. Najala Howell and Shaiquel McGruder scored 14 points apiece, and Jayla Everett added 10 for UNM.
“We wanted to accomplish a couple of things,” Bradbury said. “No. 1 play hard, and No. 2 look at all the combinations we could. I thought we got both those things done, so I’m pretty satisfied.”
An announced crowd of 4,015 got their first look at a Lobo team that bears little resemblence to the squad that finished 24-7 last season. Mountain West Player of the Year Jaisa Nunn and starting post Nike McClure exhausted their eligibility, and All-MWC point guard Aisia Robertson is recovering from ACL surgery and is hoping for a midseason return.
But UNM’s largely new cast — which includes returning starters Everett and Ahlise Hurst — showed impressive potential Sunday. All 12 players in uniform logged at least 6 minutes of court time and all but one scored four points or more.
“Everyone just did what they’re capable of,” Bradbury said. “It was good.”
The teams largely traded baskets for the game’s first five minutes, with UNM holding just a 13-12 lead. That’s when the Lobos got their transition game rolling, and the visiting Mountain Lions could not hope to keep up.
Everett and De La Cerda buried 3-pointers, Bride Kennedy-Hopoate scored on back-to-back drives to the
basket, and New Mexico energized the home crowd with a 19-0 run.
After Madi Gaibler hit a jumper for UCCS, the Lobos poured in 13 more consecutive points to make the score 45-14 early in the second quarter. Howell, De La Cerda and Antonia Anderson nailed 3’s during the run as UNM hit eight 3-pointers in the first half (11 for the game).
By intermission the Lobos had a 60-24 advantage and they spent most of the second half on cruise control.
“After the first six minutes we got really good defensively,” Bradbury said. “We either turned them over or forced tough shots. That got us into transition, which is where we wanted to be.”
Ball-handling was considered a question mark for UNM this season with Robertson unavailable, but a committee approach at point guard was effective Sunday. Howell, Everett, freshman Corina Carter and De La Cerda all took shifts running the offense to good effect. They combined for 15 of the Lobos 18 assists.
“The guard play was fine,” Bradbury said. “We have people who can handle the ball, it just won’t be one player dominating that position like last year. That’s been the most-asked question but I’m not worried about it. I’m more concerned about us getting rebounds.”
UNM finished with a 53-42 rebound advantage Sunday, with freshman Autumn Watts grabbing a team-high nine. The taller Lobos also piled up 12 blocks, five by McGruder and four by Jordan Hosey.
Makenna Baker scored a team-best 13 points for the game-but-overmatched Mountain Lions.
The Lobos figure to get a stiffer test in their second and final exhibition game against Eastern New Mexico on Wednesday. The Greyhounds finished 19-11 and advanced the NCAA Division II Tournament last season.