It appears UNM has shaken off its offensive timidness.
New Mexico has struggled putting games away down the stretch, often looking for someone to fill the role of taking the big shot. Head coach Yvonne Sanchez described Wednesday’s 73-70 victory over Utah State as a team victory.
“I really like the grit of this team,” Sanchez said. “Losing three games in a row and then coming back and winning like we did, that was awesome.”
Sanchez said the difference in Wednesday’s game was all of the help her squad gave their two primary go-to players. She said it was not just Khadijah Shumpert and Cherise Beynon who pushed New Mexico down the crucial stretch on Wednesday.
The Lobos have missed forward Alexa Chavez for a large part of league play, but the senior made her presence felt during the final minutes of the game.
“We did it when it counted and, gosh darn it, welcome back Alexa Chavez,” Sanchez said. “She got a big time steal off a rebound, she got that block at the end and that was clean I thought.”
Though Utah State was able to out-rebound and shoot for a higher percentage, Sanchez said she wasn’t disappointed at any point with her player’s decision making process.
“The right players took the right shots,” Sanchez said. “If they don’t go in all the time, fine. But the right players took the right shots.”
With less than six minutes left in the ballgame, the Lobos (12-10, 5-6 MW) were trailing 62-55. However, New Mexico showcased its poise in crunch time and chiseled away at USU’s lead on the back of the defense.
After center Jaisa Nunn converted on one of her two free throw attempts, guard Laneah Bryan hit her only shot of the contest, a deep three to put the game within one possession, 62-59.
The UNM run didn’t stop there as Beynon hit one of her six 3-pointers to tie the game at 62-62.
The Mountain West’s leading scorer, Funda Nakkasoglu gave the advantage back to Utah State after a pair of buckets were exchanged on both sides.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Khadijah Shumpert then hit her first free throw followed by a miss that somehow fell into the arms of Chavez in a big spot. The board set up Shumpert for two more free throws both of which she converted this time around, tying the game back up at 67-67.
After Bryce Owens grabbed her fourth and final steal of the game, Shumpert converted on another basket, to put the Lobos up 69-67, a lead UNM would hold for the rest of the game.
“Our leadership was shown greatly in that last five or seven minutes,” Owens said. “I think that’s what pulled us through.”
While the game was a team effort, it was Beynon who led the squad with a career high 24 points. 18 of those came from beyond the arc as she dished out four assists and picked up four steals.
“Everybody was in tune,” Beynon said. “If they weren’t playing, they were still excited for everybody. I just think it was a big confidence booster for us.”
Beynon’s six three pointers strayed from her typical physical play. Beynon didn’t reach the charity stripe once, but instead was a playmaker with long range.
“Once I get on a roll I just feel it, and I think every player does,” Beynon said. “I just kept having confidence and felt like every shot was going in.”
Snapping a three game losing streak can be a huge momentum booster for any squad. New Mexico will need it as league play winds down before the Lobos take a two game road trip to San Jose and Boise State.
“It gives us confidence and it gives us the ability to know that we can play like this every game,” Owens said. “I think this game was really crucial for us.”
Liam Cary-Eaves is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers volleyball, women’s basketball, baseball, and beach volleyball. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Liam_CE.
