Last-minute winners: Lobo women grab MWC victory at Air Force

The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team won the final minute Sunday at Clune Arena.

That’s what it took for the Lobos to open Mountain West play with a 69-63 road victory over Air Force — the Falcons’ first home loss of the season.

UNM entered the final minute clinging to a 60-58 lead after Air Force reeled off a 7-0 run to amp up the pressure. With the shot clock winding down, the Lobos’ Alyssa Hargrove drove into the paint, stopped and passed the ball out to Viané Cumber well outside the 3-point arc.

Cumber drained the long 3-pointer as the shot clock expired, UNM led 63-58 with 49 seconds left, and the Lobos hit 6-of-8 free throws down the stretch to seal the gritty win.

Cumber finished with 20 points and eight rebounds to lead a balanced UNM attack. Hulda Joaquim posted a double-double (16 points, 11 rebounds), while Destinee Hooks scored 15 points and freshman Joana Magalhães had a season-best 11.

“I’m really excited,” UNM coach Mike Bradbury said in a postgame phone interview. “We knew getting a win here wouldn’t be easy, if we could get one at all. The thing I liked best was that our players kept their composure even when things went wrong. They didn’t worry about mistakes, didn’t worry about the officiating, they just kept playing.”

The Lobos (8-6, 1-0) led most of the way but could not put away the Falcons (10-3, 0-1) until the final minute. Air Force ranked among the national leaders in steals and forced turnovers coming into the game and disrupted UNM often enough to keep Sunday’s contest tight.

UNM turned the ball over 22 times, but forced 17 Air Force giveaways. The Lobos won the rebound battle 43-39 and shot 43% from the field while limiting the Falcons to 35% shooting.

“Still too many turnovers,” Bradbury said, “but we did a good job on the boards and turned them over enough that those things were a wash. What you can’t do against Air Force is let them score in transition or at the foul line. They excel at both, and I thought we kept those points to a minimum.”

Cumber once again provided key baskets for the Lobos, who trailed 13-9 midway through the first quarter. Cumber scored 8 points, including hitting back-to-back 3s, as UNM finished the quarter with a 13-2 run to take a 22-15 lead.

Defense set the tone in the second quarter as neither team found many openings. UNM briefly flustered the Falcons with a triangle-and-two defensive set focused on top AFA scorers Milahnie Perry and Madison Smith, that helped the visitors take a 31-25 lead to halftime.

The Falcons scored six straight points to trim the deficit to 34-33 after an odd double foul call on UNM’s Amhyia Moreland with 4:52 left in the third quarter. Moreland picked up her fourth foul on a charge call, then tossed the ball into the lap of a fallen defender. After review, Moreland received a technical, her fifth foul, and went to the bench.

Joaquim played the rest of the way for UNM and gave the Falcons fits. She scored 12 of her 16 points in the third and fourth quarters, including a steal and breakaway layup that gave the Lobos a 54-46 lead with 6:35 left.

“Hulda was outstanding,” Bradbury said.

Air Force, which started 1-for-16 from 3-point range, heated up late. Smith hit twice from long range as the Falcons made it a two-point game with 1:19 remaining. Perry finished with 19 points, and Smith scored 18 for AFA.

But the final minute belonged to UNM, with Magalhães, Joaquim, Hargrove and Cumber hitting key free throws down the stretch.

UNM was without guard Lara Langermann, who developed swelling on her knee during the holiday break. Langermann attempted to warm up for Sunday’s game but was unable to play, Bradbury said.

The Lobos return to Albuquerque to host Nevada on New Year’s Day at 2 p.m.

LOBOS 69, FALCONS 63

NEW MEXICO (8-6, 1-0 MW): Hooks 7-14 0-0 15, Hargrove 1-6 2-2 5, Magalhães 4-8 2-5 11, Moreland 1-2 0-0 2, Cumber 6-15 4-4 20, Lauro 0-3 0-0 0, Padilla 0-1 0-0 0, Joaquim 6-9 4-7 16, Po 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 25-58 12-18 69.

AIR FORCE (10-3, 0-1): Cortez 1-8 1-2 3, Perry 8-17 2-4 19, Smith 7-16 1-1 18, McNabb 1-8 0-0 2, Huntimer 0-4 0-0 0, DeVaughn 3-7 4-5 10, O’Hollaren 2-6 2-2 7, Adams 2-3 0-0 4. Totals: 24-69 10-14 63.

New Mexico 22 9 12 26 — 69

Air Force 15 10 14 24 — 63

3-point FGs: NM 7-21 (Hooks 1-4, Hargrove 1-2, Magalhães 1-4, Cumber 4-9, Lauro 0-2); AF 5-23 (Cortez 0-1, Perry 1-4, Smith 3-7, McNabb 0-1, Huntimer 0-3, DeVaughn 0-2, O’Hollaren 1-5). Rebounds: NM 43 (Hooks 8, Hargrove 6, Magalhães 5, Moreland 1, Cumber 8, Lauro 1, Padilla 2, Joaquim 11); AF 39 (Cortez 6, Perry 4, Smith 5, McNabb 8, Huntimer 6, DeVaughn 1, O’Hollaren 1, Adams 5). Assists: NM 17 (Hooks 2, Hargrove 5, Magalhães 4, Moreland 2, Cumber 1, Padilla 2, Joaquim 1); AF 9 (Cortez 1, Perry 1, Smith 1, McNabb 1, Huntimer 3, DeVaughn 2). Steals: NM 11 (Hooks 2, Hargrove 4, Magalhães 2, Lauro 1, Joaquim 2); AF 13 (Cortez 2, Perry 1, Smith 4, McNabb 2, Huntimer 2, O’Hollaren 1, Adams 1). Blocks: NM 6 (Hooks 1, Hargrove 2, Moreland 1, Padilla 1, Joaquim 1); AF 1 (McNabb 1). Turnovers: NM 22, AF 17. Team fouls: NM 15, AF 18. Fouled out: NM Moreland; AF Smith. Technical fouls: NM Moreland.