The Lobos and Jordan Adams put on a show in their 91-85 overtime thriller victory over the Miami Hurricanes Saturday night at The Pit.
Adams led the Lobos with 27 points, seven rebounds and eight blocks. Posting her 336th block, Adams tied Luc Longley's UNM career record. She will likely break the record, set by the former Chicago Bulls starting center on Monday when she will lead UNM against third-seeded Mississippi State University.
The win marks the first ever Lobo victory in the NCAA tournament and the team's debut in the second round. The Lobos have played in the tournament twice before, but never made it past the first round.
As a relative NCAA tournament newcomer, it took UNM most of the game to get comfortable and find a rhythm. Sophomore forward Lindsey Arndt and Adams carried the Lobos throughout the first half with six and nine points respectively. Arndt grabbed five rebounds in the first period.
Miami, on the other hand, was not fazed by tournament pressure or jitters and took full command of the first half. Hurricane guards, Yalonda McCormick, Meghan Saake and Hutashi Wilson could not miss a shot, hitting 71 percent from 3-point land.
Making only two-of-11 threes and three-of-seven free throws in the first half, the Lobos allowed Miami to build an 11-point lead. At the break, UNM was at a 40-29 disadvantage.
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"In the first half we didn't defend the three very well, we didn't shoot the three very well," head coach Don Flanagan said. "We felt like at halftime, that we could close the gap a little at a time."
But before closing that gap, the Lobos gave fans a 14-point-deficit scare early in the second half. Finally, mid-way through the second period, point guard Mandi Moore decided to take the game into her own hands.
"We were kind of in a drought and nothing was really working for us," Moore said. "So I made a little jumper and started knocking 'em down."
Moore hit three consecutive 3-pointers and followed up with another to bring UNM within three mid-way through the second period.
Moore's 3-point frenzy brought The Pit into an uproar and the crowd became a major opponent of the Hurricanes.
It was Moore who pulled UNM into the lead on a turn-around jumper with 6:29 remaining in regulation. Her intensity and accuracy were contagious -- with three points from junior Lauren McLeod and buckets from Adams and senior Tiffany Scaglione, UNM rapidly built an eight-point lead, 69-61, with less than five minutes remaining in regulation.
However, the Lobos missed their last three free throws and Miami rallied to come back and tie the score, 77-77. UNM held the Hurricanes, and sent the game into overtime.
The Lobos jumped out to a five-point lead, 82-77, in OT. Miami consistently fouled, hoping UNM would continue missing free throws, but seniors Chelsea Grear, Cristal Garcia and Adams were nearly perfect from the charity stripe and clinched the win.
"We did what we needed to," Flanagan said. "I thought we had some great performances, outstanding performances, really gritty performances by our players."
Advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament, UNM will challenge the mid-west third seed, Mississippi State University. Tip-off is slated for 7:23 tonight at The Pit.
