On Wednesday, Jan. 8, the University of New Mexico women’s basketball team had a Mountain West showdown against the University of Wyoming Cowgirls. Each team came into the game on a three-game winning streak. It was exciting down to the final buzzer, as the Lobos secured a 73-67 victory.
With the win, the Lobos moved their record to 11-6 on the season.
The first quarter was a slow start for the Lobos. They couldn’t get the offense going early on, and defensively couldn’t stop Wyoming in the paint.
Luckily for the Lobos, they were able to go on an offensive stretch later in the quarter. This helped them build a 16-15 lead to close out the first.
That stretch of offense for the Lobos persisted throughout the rest of the game; they found their groove from there on out. Guard Vianè Cumber explained why she thinks that happened.
“Everybody just came together: coaches, players,” Cumber said. “Everybody gathered together, got all on the same page and brought energy.”
The second quarter was back and forth between both teams. The Lobos’ offensive production kept them ahead but their inability to stop Wyoming in the paint kept the game tight. The Lobos led 37-33 going into halftime.
The third quarter resembled the second quarter almost to a tee. The Lobos showcased great offense but were still losing the battle in the paint. The Lobos held on to a 53-51 lead going into the fourth and final quarter.
When the fourth quarter began, the Lobos changed the pace of the game. Their defense came to life for a brief period, which helped the Lobos get ahead by 7 points with just under seven minutes left of play.
Wyoming attempted to cut down the score, but the Lobos’ offensive output remained strong. The Lobos closed out the game victorious.
A major contributor to the night’s success was guard Destinee Hooks, who had 20 points on 9/16 shooting. She had four assists. Cumber was also an important contributor to the win, with 16 points shooting 50% from the field, along with four rebounds.
After the win, the Lobos are on a four-game winning streak and have won six out of their last seven games since losing to New Mexico State University. Head Coach Mike Bradbury didn't attribute the team's current success to specifically bouncing back from that game.
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“We just came back to work and knew we had to get better,” Bradbury said.
The Lobos will look to make it five straight wins on Sunday, Jan. 12. against another Mountain West rival: the University of Nevada Las Vegas Rebels.
Rodney Prunty is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @rprunty05
