Lobos bounce back from slow start to win opener
Hurst scores 21 points to help UNM women erase early deficit
Forgettable start, fast finish. That was pretty much the story of the University of New Mexico women’s basketball team’s season opener Tuesday night. The Lobos did little right early but found their stride in time to earn an 80-70 victory over UC Riverside at Dream-style Arena.
Ahlise Hurst paced UNM with 21 points, including a 6-of-7 performance from 3-point range. She was the only starter to reach double figures for the Lobos, but three did so off the bench. Jayla Everett (14 points), Jaedyn De La Cerda (13) and Jordan Hosey (12) provided a needed spark as UNM battled to shake off the tall, athletic Highlanders.
UCR led for most of the first half and trailed just 60-56 early in the fourth quarter before New Mexico finally pulled away.
“They’ll win 20 games,” Lobo coach Mike Bradbury said of the Highlanders. “They’re bigger than us, probably more athletic than us and they have almost everybody back. That’s a good team and they gave us trouble, especially inside, but I thought we played pretty well for the last three quarters.”
UCR did an effective job posting up and lobbing the ball over UNM defenders for easy baskets. The visitors finished with 19 assists on 28 field goals and got a game-high 22 points from Marina Ewodo, who was 9-of-11 from the field and hit all four of her 3-point shots.
The Highlanders also started much faster than did the Lobos, grabbing a 13-2 lead and holding a 17-8 margin after one quarter. UNM was 3 of 19 from the field in the game’s first 10 minutes.
“There were probably some nerves going on,” Hurst said. “A lot of our players hadn’t been in a real game here. It also took a while to just get into the game. This wasn’t like playing a scout team or an exhibition. We had to find our energy.”
Hurst did her part, scoring seven straight points in the second quarter to help UNM pull even at 19. The Lobos’ bench also stepped up after Bradbury employed a first-time starting lineup that didn’t include Everett or Hosey.
Both played well in reserve roles, as did De La Cerda. The latter scored UNM’s final eight points of the first half, including a put-back at the buzzer that tied the score at 33.
“I actually kind of liked it,” Everett said of coming off the bench. “It allowed me to kind of see how the game was going and bring that spark when I came in.”
The teams traded baskets for much of the third quarter and were tied at 51 after a layup by UCR’s Daphne Gnago. But a floater by Antonia Anderson, a Najala Howell jumper and a late put-back by Shaiquel McGruder gave New Mexico a 57-53 edge at quarter’s end.
It was 60-56 when Hosey scored on a lob pass from Bride Kennedy-Hopoate to spark a 14-3 UNM run that finally seemed to knock out the Highlanders. Everett and Hurst nailed 3-pointers during the surge, and UCR never got closer than a 10-point deficit over the final four minutes.
The Lobos were outrebounded 45-37 but forced 28 UCR turnovers while committing 12 of their own. Howell finished with nine points for UNM, while Anderson had four points and six blocks.
Former Lobo Jannon Otto had a short night for UCR, rolling her ankle after scoring the game’s first basket. She did not return and left the Pit using crutches.
Prior to the contest, fans observed a moment of silence in honor of UNM football player Nahje Flowers, who was found dead Tuesday morning.