by EL PASO, Texas — A strong defensive effort guided The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team to its eighth-consecutive victory to start the season as the Lobos defeated previously undefeated UTEP 59-35 on Thursday night at the Don Haskins Center.
The 35 points allowed by UNM (8-0) is the lowest since allowing 33 to Air Force on Jan. 27, 2016.
“That was unbelievable defense,” UNM coach Mike Bradburysaid. “Our kids followed the plan. We made it tough on (UTEP).”
The Lobos, playing in their first road game of the season, allowed nine or less points in three of the four quarters – including outscoring UTEP 12-4 in the third quarter to turn a 34-22 halftime advantage into a 20-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.
UNM, which never trailed UTEP (4-1), came out firing as Cherise Beynon drained a pair of 3-pointers in the Lobos’ first two possession to make it 6-2 before a Madi Washington 3-pointer made it 9-2.
The Lobo lead shrunk to 13-11 before an Antonia Anderson 3-pointer – the first in the freshman’s young collegiate career as she had all nine of her points in the first quarter – ignited an 8-2 run to end the quarter with Tesha Buck hitting the first of her five 3-pointers in the game with five seconds left to make it 21-13 UNM heading into the second.
Buck (Mdewakanton Sioux) finished the game with a team-high 19 points, going 5-for-12 from beyond the arc.
“People were basically were driving the ball, (UTEP) would lose me and I just ended up wide open and knocked shots down,” Buck said.
The UNM lead wouldn’t get under 10 the rest of the game as UNM limited UTEP to 25 percent shooting and forced 25 Miner turnovers – both season bests for the Lobos.
Along with Buck’s 19 points, Beynon finished with 11 points on 4-for-4 shooting (3-for-3 from 3-point range) in just 12 minutes due to foul trouble throughout. Many Lobos were in foul trouble as UNM committed a season-high 24 fouls compared to 12 for the Miners.
UNM continued shooting it from long distance as the Lobos were 12-for-36 from 3-point range – a game after making a program-best 18 in a win over Illinois. Also the Lobos have won six consecutive games and seven of their eight by double figures.
The Lobos continue their road trip 11 a.m. Saturday as UNM takes on New Mexico State in Las Cruces.
