Stunner in Fresno: Lobo women erase 22-point deficit in 65-61 win

Bench points has not often been a particularly positive stat for the UNM women’s basketball team this season.

Not until Saturday.

Paris Lauro scored a career-best 18 points and the Lobos’ bench racked up 35 in a stunning 65-61 comeback victory at Fresno State. The win secured New Mexico (17-13, 10-7) a first-round bye in the upcoming Mountain West tournament.

Saturday’s win rates among the most unlikely in program history considering how the game started. Fresno State led 25-7 after one quarter and 31-9 early in the second.

Paced primarily by reserves, the Lobos stormed back, taking their first lead since 2-0 on a Lauro 3-pointer with 3:16 remaining. The sophomore finished 7-for-9 from the field and hit four 3s in 23 minutes off the bench.

Amhyia Moreland (11 points, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks) and Drew Jordon (4 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) also had big games off the bench in what’s believed to be one of the largest comeback wins in program history. Official stats are not kept on the largest deficits overcome.

“It felt really good,” Lauro said in a postgame phone interview. “It was a really good opportunity for Drew, Amhyia and myself to show what we can do. Everyone played well for the last three quarters. It just feels good to help the team win.”

A New Mexico win seemed farfetched in the early going, as the Bulldogs (17-13, 8-9) came out sizzling on Senior Day. Saga Ukkonen, a senior, and Mia Jacobs, a junior, led the way as FSU hit 4-of-7 from 3-point range and raced to an 18-point lead.

The Lobos, meanwhile, appeared to still be nursing a hangover from Wednesday’s sluggish 59-40 loss at Wyoming. UNM started 3-for-13 from the field with three Hulda Joaquim layups as the team’s only baskets.

“It didn’t look good,” Lobos coach Mike Bradbury understated. “We started terribly. The big trick was to figure out who wanted to play today. Once we did that, things turned around pretty quickly.”

Bradbury went to his bench early in the second quarter and began to find positive results. Mariah Elohim’s long 3-pointer gave Fresno State a 31-9 lead with 8:26 left in the first half before the Lobos began battling back.

Lauro hit the first of her 3-pointers, Moreland converted a three-point play, and Joana Magalhães, Jordon and Alyssa Hargrove scored during a 12-2 UNM run that gave the visitors momentum and hope. By halftime Fresno State’s lead was trimmed to 37-26.

“I always believe we can come back,” Lauro said. “I’d say after the second quarter, we really knew we could win.”

Bradbury went back to his starters to open the third quarter but quickly turned to the bench after FSU rebuilt its lead to 42-28. Moreland scored six points and Lauro added five as the Lobos finished the quarter on an 18-4 run to tie the score at 46.

The Bulldogs scored the first five points of the fourth quarter, but again UNM bounced back. Consecutive 3’s by Hargrove and Lauro sparked a 10-2 run that put the Lobos ahead to stay.

“If you break it down, we really dominated the last 30 minutes,” Bradbury said. “It just didn’t look like it because we got absolutely annihilated for the first 10 minutes. I’m happy for our bench players because they work hard, stay ready and they gave us a huge spark today.”

Hargrove finished with 10 points and 6 assists, while Magalhães chipped in 5 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals for UNM, which avenged a 77-64 home loss to Fresno State on Jan. 25. UNM hosts Air Force at 7 p.m. Tuesday for its regular-season finale.

Viané Cumber tied UNM’s program record for career 3-pointers (239), but it came on her only made field goal in 18 minutes. Destinee Hooks had just one point in 12 minutes. Jacobs led FSU with 21 points but went 6-for-22 from the field.

Asked if Saturday’s performance will impact player rotations moving forward, Bradbury said, “It gives us confidence that our bench can get the job done. I hope it lights a fire under some of the starters.”

LOBOS 65, BULLDOGS 61

NEW MEXICO (17-13, 10-7 Mountain West)

Hooks 0-5 1-2 1, Hargrove 4-9 0-0 10, Magalhães 2-6 1-2 5, Joaquim 4-6 0-0 8, Cumber 1-7 3-4 6, Langermann 0-0 0-0 0, Lauro 7-9 0-0 18, Padilla 1-3 0-0 2, Jordon 2-4 0-2 4, Moreland 4-8 3-3 11. Totals 25-57 8-13 65.

FRESNO STATE (17-13, 8-9 Mountain West)

Sta. Maria 3-4 0-2 6, Ukkonen 5-12 0-2 13, Amundsen 0-0 0-0 0, Jacobs 6-22 6-8 21, Fox 2-7 0-0 5, Elohim 2-6 0-0 6, Griffiths 0-0 0-0 0, Watkins 0-0 0-0 0, Konstantinidu 3-7 2-3 9, Williams 0-1 1-2 1. Totals 21-59 9-17 61.

New Mexico 7 19 20 19 — 65

Fresno State 25 12 9 15 — 61

3-point FGs—NM 7-22 (Hooks 0-3, Hargrove 2-5, Magalhães 0-2, Cumber 1-5, Lauro 4-5, Padilla 0-2); FS 10-28 (Ukkonen 3-8, Jacobs 3-10, Fox 1-4, Elohim 2-5, Konstantinidu 1-1). Rebounds—NM 40 (Hargrove 2, Magalhães 7, Joaquim 4, Cumber 4, Lauro 3, Padilla 1, Jordon 6, Moreland 10); FS 37 (Sta. Maria 2, Ukkonen 6, Jacobs 11, Fox 8, Konstantinidu 4, Williams 2). Assists—NM 20 (Hargrove 6, Magalhães 4, Cumber 1, Padilla 3, Jordon 5, Moreland 1); FS 16 (Sta. Maria 4, Ukkonen 5, Jacobs 2, Fox 3, Konstantinidu 1, Williams 1). Steals—NM 5 (Hargrove 1, Magalhães 5, Padilla 1); FS 5 (Ukkonen, Jacobs 2, Fox 1, Konstantinidu 1). Blocks—NM 8 (Joaquim 2, Lauro 1, Moreland 5); FS 2 (Jacobs 2). Turnovers—NM 14, FS 11. Team fouls—NM 15, FS 12. Fouled out—None. Technical fouls—None.