The women's basketball team won their second and final exhibition game 60-45 against the Adams State Grizzlies on Oct. 29.
The Lobos took control in the fourth quarter for a win, despite mistakes made throughout the game. The team shot 38.3% from the field, 28% from the three-point line and went 7-14 on free throws. They also gave up 21 turnovers in the game.
On offense, they had three players in double digit scoring. Vianè Cumber led the team with 16 points. Aniyah Augmon scored 10 points and earned four rebounds, two assists and two steals but had five turnovers. Nyah Wilson showed out in the second half, scoring all 11 of her points.
After the game, Wilson said that the Grizzlies' physicality was good for them because they will learn how to adjust to bad starts in the future.
"It prepares us for the future. So whenever we have these close games in the first half, (it's like) 'How do we respond to it?' And today, I felt like we showed how we can respond to it and how we can stay together," Wilson said.
At six feet and five inches tall, Charlotte Kohl was the tallest player on the court. Adams State had one player over six feet. This led to the Lobos dominating on the glass, out rebounding the Grizzlies 56-25. Kohl had 18 rebounds along with eight points. She talked about how she used her height to her advantage.
"I just tried to get every board I could. I just had to remember to keep the ball high because they were tiny and had arms everywhere, but I think that is something I need to work on this week," Kohl said.
It was an ugly start to the game. The starters and the bench did not score in the first stretch.
Lobos first scored with a Cumber three-pointer with just 2:32 left in the quarter. They started to get back on track, ending the quarter down 12-6.
Both teams had agreed to play zone defense for the first five minutes of the second quarter. On defense, they protected the paint well but gave up a few three-pointers. On offense, they were able to penetrate the paint and get good looks around the basket.
Natalia Chavez checked into the game midway through the quarter and received applause from The Pit. She hit a three-pointer from the corner on her first touch on offense to put the Lobos down three. The first half ended with the game tied 24-24.
Wilson kicked off the second half with a three-pointer to take the lead. The Lobos’ shooting improved but turnovers kept Adams State in the game. UNM was up 42-38 going into the fourth quarter.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Augmon and Cumber combined for a 7-0 run early in the quarter to earn some breathing room. Down 51-45, the Grizzlies started a full court press. Immediately after, a 10 second violation from the Lobos occurred but Wilson was able to respond with a three-pointer on the next possession. This led to a 9-0 run to close the game. The Lobos won 60-45.
Head Coach Mike Bradbury was pleased with the team's second half and said the game was more about getting reps than winning, but said they will spend the week focusing on offense.
"We got a lot to work on. The good news is we got eight days to work on it. We'll get back to work after we watch it and hope to clean some stuff up … We just were a little sloppy and a lot of it has to do with how we play, but some of it we just lost our mind there for some stretches,” Bradbury said. “We just couldn't wrong a basic offense that we do every day, and I'm not sure why. So we just gotta clean that up. We haven't worked on offense much lately, so that's my fault. But we will this week."
The Lobos start the regular season against Texas Southern on Nov. 6 at The Pit.
Thomas Bulger is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @thomasbulger10
Thomas Bulger is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @thomasbulger10
