Although Johnson Center is typically home to UNM’s volleyball team, the women’s basketball team played its game away from WisePies Arena due to scheduling conflicts. However, the Lobos made due with the 1,471 fans, the smallest home crowd of the season, to pull out a tight victory.
“It was interesting. It was loud. It was fun,” head coach Yvonne Sanchez said. “I thought we’d get a few more fans, but the fans that showed up were incredible.”
New Mexico led by 13 in the first half but North Dakota did not go away quietly. On the putback of Megan Lauck, UND came within one point in the game’s final seconds.
Despite late turnovers and defensive breakdowns, UNM turned to Alexa Chavez to knock down two clutch free throws giving the Lobos a three point advantage and eventually the win.
“I really just try not to think about it,” Chavez said. “The more I think about it, the more pressure I put on myself.”
While Chavez sealed the deal for UNM, the Lobos’ top scorer Antiesha Brown endured foul trouble. The senior guard led UNM to her first postseason win with 12 points, the team high.
With only 20 minutes played, Brown contributed her 15th consecutive double-digit scoring game.
“One thing we’ve done really well this year is getting outside of ourselves,” Brown said. “I am one of the only seniors that play and I didn’t want to set a bad example.”
Even with the new ambiance of Johnson Center and UNM’s difficult time to finish North Dakota off, Sanchez said she is pleased her squad finished with a victory.
The Lobos will play Oral Roberts Monday at 7 p.m. The game will be played again at Johnson Center.
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.
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