Lobos impressive again in victory over Providence
UNM defense holds Friars to six 3-pointers
The warming trend continued Wednesday night at Dreamstyle Arena.
Jayla Everett sizzled in the first half, Antonia Anderson and Ahlise Hurst heated up in the second, and the UNM women’s basketball team earned an impressive 86-68 victory over Providence in round one of the Lobo Invitational.
Everett hit 6 of 8 from 3-point range and scored a game-high 21 points for the Lobos (9-4), who kept things rolling after Monday’s 107-53 victory over New Mexico State. Anderson chipped in 18 points, Hurst scored 14 and Shaiquel McGruder added 10 for New Mexico.
Productive as its offense was, UNM also put a strong night together on the defensive end. Providence (8-2) entered the game ranked second nationally in 3-point percentage and among the top 20 in overall field goal percentage.
The Friars were limited to 39.3% shooting and went 6 of 16 (37.5%) from behind the arc.
“We really wanted to get up on (Kaela Webb and Kira Spiwak),” Lobo coach Mike Bradbury said of the Friars’ starting shooting guards. “Those two shoot 3s so well, we thought if we could take those away we’d give ourselves a chance.”
Webb and Spiwak finished a combined 3 for 6 from 3-point range.
Meanwhile, Everett was simply filling it up on the offensive end. The sophomore scored 18 points in the first half, hitting 5 of 6 3-point tries, including a pair from well outside the arc.
Everett has been a primary ball-handler for much of this season but with point guard Aisia Robertson recovered from a knee injury and back in game condition, Everett is able to focus more on scoring.
“My mindset is still kind of pass first,” Everett said, “but before the game my teammates were telling me, ‘Shoot it, shoot it, shoot it.’ So yes, I was definitely looking for my shot tonight and it felt good.”
Everett hit three 3-pointers in the first quarter as the Lobos built a 22-7 lead over the Friars. While UNM’s guards pestered Providence’s shooters, forwards Jordan Hosey and Shai McGruder battled and held their own against the Friars’ tall front line of 6-foot-3 Mary Baskerville and 6-4 Alyssa Geary.
“We wanted to take away their shooters, so our bigs were kind of on an island down there,” Robertson said. “They were definitely challenged but they stepped up.”
Baskerville ended up leading the Friars with 10 points and 14 rebounds but was clearly frustrated and picked up a fourth-quarter technical, her fifth foul overall, that ended her night.
UNM led 43-27 at halftime but had to fight off several second-half pushes by Providence. The Friars began face-guarding Everett to limit her opportunities and their offense steadily became more productive.
The Lobos’ lead was 60-46 after three quarters, but Providence put together a final surge to get as close as 70-61 on a Webb 3-pointer with 4:27 remaining.
UNM had an answer. Anderson, who scored 13 second-half points, converted a layup on one of Robertson’s nine assists, and Everett followed with her only second-half basket — a 3-pointer — to increase the lead to 75-61.
It sparked a clinching 16-4 run that gave the Lobos’ their largest lead at 86-65 with less than a minute remaining.
“I’m proud of my team,” Bradbury said. “They played really hard and were really disciplined, which you have to be against that team. Providence is a really good, efficient offensive team.”
In Wednesday’s tournament opener, Ball State (5-4) rallied from an 18-point halftime deficit to defeat Loyola Marymount (3-8) by a 77-72 score. Oshlynn Brown had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Cardinals, who face Providence today at 4:30 p.m. UNM faces LMU at 7.