The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team dominated the South Carolina State University Bulldogs with an 80-38 win at The Pit on Wednesday, Nov. 20.
Head Coach Mike Bradbury said he is proud of the team for their victory.
“I thought we were much better in the second half,” Bradbury said, adding that the Lobos “are going to have a much better year than they did last year.”
After their 85-56 win over Western New Mexico University on Nov. 15, the Lobos did not cool off before facing the Bulldogs, which showed in their second-half performance.
In the first quarter, the Lobos played a tight game, ending with the Lobos leading 12-11. Unusual play led to a disappointing quarter for the team.
The Lobos were plagued by fouls, which stifled their offensive schemes. The Lobos knew they had to make a change, and that reflected in the second quarter.
In the second quarter, the Lobos began to fire on all cylinders. The defense reflected its play during the last game, only holding the Bulldogs to 9 points in the quarter. Although the Lobos held the Bulldogs down defensively, they still struggled with missed shots and other offensive opportunities to gain momentum over the Bulldogs, leaving it a winnable game on either side.
The Lobos led 30-20 going into halftime.
Players like forward Amhyia Moreland helped lead the Lobos to victory during the second half, despite the slow start.
Moreland finished the game with a career-high six blocks. Moreland also motivated her team when the game wasn’t moving in UNM’s favor, which paid off.
“If somebody is having a bad day, someone else can tell, and we hype them up,” Moreland said. “We’re all very stuck together.”
In the third quarter, the Lobos started to get red-hot. They scored 21 points during the quarter, with 14 of those points going unanswered, shocking fans.
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The Lobos put the Bulldogs in a corner with suffocating offense. The leading scorer in the third quarter was guard Vianè Cumber, who dished out two 3-pointers as she ended the quarter with 10 total points.
In the fourth quarter, the Lobos put up 29 points, ending the game 80-38.
The Lobos had an outstanding performance on the court, with forward Hulda Joaquim leading UNM with 14 points and 10 rebounds, ending Wednesday’s game with her second career double-double.
With the win, the Lobos improved to 3-2 on the season, trying to get a win streak going.
Izabella Kubiak-Reseigh is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at sports@dailylobocom or on X @kubiakizabella
