Free throws a winning hand as UNLV trumps UNM women

It’s tough to beat the odds in Las Vegas when you can’t knock down layups or shoot free throws.

Such were the struggles of the University of New Mexico women’s basketball team on Saturday in a downright strange 90-65 loss to Mountain West juggernaut UNLV.

The Lobos hit a season-high 15 3-pointers but missed far too many shots around the basket and were largely unable to get to the foul line. UNM actually shot better from 3-point range (15-for-32) than from two-point territory (8-for-33).

The Rebels did quite the opposite. UNLV hit a respectable 8-for-22 from 3-point range but rarely missed inside (21-for-34) and spent the afternoon parading to the Cox Pavilion free-throw lines.

UNLV went 24-for-27 and outscored the visiting Lobos (4-for-7) by 20 points from the charity stripe. The free-throw disparity was 26-2 in favor of the Rebels at one point.

The numbers certainly did not add up for UNM (13-12, 6-6 Mountain West), which dropped its fifth straight game. Destinee Hooks scored 15 points, Alyssa Hargrove added 13 and Viané Cumber had 11 to pace the visitors.

Despite the Lobos’ impressive 3-point shooting, it was a long afternoon for coach Mike Bradbury, who picked up a technical foul after one of the home team’s many trips to the foul line.

Bradbury declined to discuss the call in a postgame interview, saying only, “We’ve got to stop fouling so much.”

Instead, Bradbury credited the Rebels for effectively attacking UNM’s defense inside. Aaliyah Alexander scored a team-high 15 points for UNLV with 10 of them coming from the foul line.

“They came right out and attacked us inside,” he said, “posting up and either hitting shots or getting to the line. We adjusted and shut that down, but we weren’t good enough offensively to stay with them. Too many missed layups too many turnovers in the first half.”

The turning point came late in the first quarter, after the Lobos weathered an early 13-0 Rebels run. Hooks netted back-to-back 3’s to make the score 15-11, but UNM’s next two possessions ended with a missed breakaway layup by Hargrove and a missed short jumper by Amhyia Moreland.

“It should’ve been 15-15,” Bradbury said. “Just two shots but they really changed the momentum.”

Instead, UNLV led 22-12 after one quarter and scored the first eight points of the second to make it 30-12.

UNM’s defense picked up and limited the Rebels to just one field goal over the final 6:28 of the first half. But the Lobos continued to struggle with missed layups and turnovers while they steadily slid into a 38-20 halftime hole.

New Mexico’s shooters warmed up after halftime, knocking down seven 3’s in the third quarter. Hargrove and Paris Lauro hit two apiece, with Nayli Padilla, Reza Po and Hooks adding one each.

Hot perimeter shooting was not enough to make a significant dent in the deficit, however. UNLV hit a pair of 3s and went 12-for-12 from the foul line in the third quarter to stay comfortably in front.

Hargrove ended the day with three assists and five steals for UNM, but posts Hulda Joaquim and Amhyia Moreland managed just one point apiece.

Lauro finished with eight points and five rebounds off the bench for UNM, while Po had six points and two assists in 10 minutes. Starting guard Joana Magalhães went to the bench midway through the first quarter during UNLV’s early scoring run and did not return.

“She needs to adjust her attitude,” Bradbury said.

The Lobos will have four days to bounce back before hosting Boise State on Thursday at 7 p.m.

REBELS 90, LOBOS 65

NEW MEXICO (13-12, 6-6 Mountain West):

Hooks 5-12 2-3 15, Hargrove 5-10 0-0 13, Magalhães 2-3 0-0 5, Joaquim 0-3 1-2 1, Cumber 4-10 0-0 11, Langermann 0-2 0-0 0, Lauro 3-7 0-0 8, Padilla 1-10 0-0 3, Jordon 1-1 0-0 2, Po 2-4 0-0 6, Moreland 0-3 1-2 1. Totals 23-65 4-7 65.

UNLV (19-5, 11-1 Mountain West):

Jackson 6-12 0-0 13, Brackens 4-11 4-4 12, Alexander 2-3 10-10 15, Kimpson 1-2 4-4 6, Brown 4-7 2-2 11, Colvin 0-1 0-0 0, Winfrey 3-4 0-0 8, Spencer 1-1 0-0 2, James 2-2 0-1 4, Guiney 2-3 0-0 6, Collins 0-0 0-0 0, Roland 4-10 4-6 13. Totals 29-56 24-27 90.

New Mexico 12 8 25 20 — 65

UNLV 22 16 30 22 — 90

3-point FGs—UNM 15-32 (Hooks 3-6, Hargrove 3-5, Magalhães 1-2, Cumber 3-6, Langermann 0-2, Lauro 2-4, Padilla 1-4, Po 2-3); UNLV 8-22 (Jackson 1-4, Brackens 0-4, Alexander 1-1, Kimpson 0-1, Brown 1-3, Winfrey 2-3, Guiney 2-3, Roland 1-3). Rebounds—UNM 32 (Hooks 4, Joaquim 6, Cumber 3, Lauro 5, Padilla 7, Po 2, Moreland 1); UNLV 41 (Jackson 3, Brackens 2, Alexander 5, Kimpson 2, Brown 7, Winfrey 3, Spencer 1, James 4, Collins 2, Roland 9). Assists—UNM 16 (Hooks 3, Hargrove 3, Cumber 1, Padilla 5, Jordon 1, Po 2, Moreland 1); UNLV 23 (Jackson 3, Brackens 4, Alexander 2, Kimpson 2, Brown 4, Colvin 3, Winfrey 3, Spencer 1, James 1). Steals—UNM 9 (Hargrove 5, Lauro 1, Moreland 3); UNLV 7 (Jackson 2, Brackens 1, Alexander 1, Colvin 1, Spencer 1, Roland 1). Blocks—UNM 2 (Lauro 1, Moreland 1); UNLV 3 (Brown, James, Roland). Turnovers—UNM 19, UNLV 12. Team fouls—UNM 19, UNLV 12. Fouled out—UNLV Alexander. Technical foul—UNM head coach.