Despite out-rebounding the Aggies 41-25, New Mexico (1-7) dropped the Rio Grande Rivalry game in the only meeting between the two teams this season.
UNM came into Sunday’s matchup averaging 21 turnovers per game, which is a major problem for a team that doesn’t force that many. UNM turned the ball over 23 times in Las Cruces compared to the Aggies’ 14.
The Lobos -7.0 turnover margin is 334th in the nation out of 343 teams. Granted, the Lobos committed 39 turnovers against an aggressive DePaul squad, but the prominent problem is something coach Yvonne Sanchez will need to address before conference play begins.
Freshman guard Cherise Beynon, who has received a major role in the shooting guard spot, had a forgettable game against the Aggies. In 25 minutes of play, Beynon put up only five points and turned the ball over seven times.
Redshirt senior guard Antiesha Brown scored a team-high 22 points with four assists, but her effort was not enough to overcome New Mexico State’s hot shooting from outside.
NMSU guard Sasha Weber scored 23 points for the Aggies — well above her 12.5 average. She hit 15 points from behind the arc, hitting five of her 10 3-pointers.
Guarding perimeter shooting has been a sore spot for the Lobos all season that was exposed yet again by the Aggies (2-5). Coming into the matchup, NMSU averaged just above 27 percent shooting from behind the arc, but UNM’s soft defense allowed the Aggies to hit 40 percent of their shots from 3-point land.
Aside from junior forward Khadijah Shumpert’s 12 points and seven boards, the Lobos’ post play was nearly nonexistent. The three other players sharing time at the post position scored seven combined points and only shot the ball six times.
In addition to fixing an exposed defense, the Lobos will need to address the lack of aggressiveness down low. The three forwards, not including Shumpert, only put up two shots apiece and weren’t able to make up for it by getting to the free throw line.
The Lobos’ play in the paint has been a point of concern for UNM, having lost its starting center Ebony Walker before the start of the season and sixth man Alexa Chavez missing time to a kidney infection.
New Mexico will have a whole week prepare for UTEP (3-3). The Miners are forcing 19 turnovers a game while only committing 13.8 per contest.
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Tipoff is scheduled for Sunday at 2 p.m.
Liam Cary-Eaves is the assistant sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at assistantsports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Liam_CE.
