KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The women's basketball team's chance to oust defending national champion University of Notre Dame dissolved when the Lobo offense came to a grinding halt in the second half, spelling a 58-44 UNM loss.
The Lobos (22-9) offensive production ran dry in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Knoxville, getting outscored 28-11 in the second half after leading at halftime.
UNM led by five points early in the second half when the drought began. The Lobos missed 17 straight shots to go scoreless for 12:13. The Lobos also did not hit a shot from the field for over 15 minutes, finishing the second half shooting 16.7 percent from the field after making only four-of-24 shots.
"We had a really good first half, shot well," head coach Don Flanagan said. "And then we had a really difficult time scoring. We couldn't find anybody to get a hoop for us."
UNM built its biggest lead of the game at 35-30 seconds into the second half after a basket inside by Jordan Adams. After Notre Dame (20-9) scored the next six points, the Lobos answered with jump shots by Molly McKinnon and Mandi Moore to grab the momentum and the lead 39-36.
Then, what looked to be a strong shooting game by UNM after shooting 52 percent in the first half turned into a horrendous second half display. Moore's jumper at the 15:10 mark would prove to be the last basket the Lobos would score until 2:57 left in the game after a free throw by Chelsea Grear.
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By that time the Irish ran off 15 straight points and had the game in hand, leading 51-40. As shot after shot clanged off the rim, UNM's confidence and chances at earning its first NCAA Tournament win withered away. The Lobos finally made a field goal with three seconds left on a layup by Moore.
"It was just a game where we ran out of offense and they continued to score," Flanagan said.
Melissa Forest led the Lobos with 12 points, all in the first half, and Moore chipped in 10 points.
The Lobos finished shooting 35 percent for the game, while Notre Dame shot 43 percent, including 47.6 percent in the second half.
Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw said she thought a change in defensive philosophy disrupted UNM's rhythm offensively.
"We went only to a man-to-man defense in the second half," she said. "I wasn't happy with our zone. We guarded better in the second half."
But Flanagan said his team has been streaky offensively all season and it was no different Friday.
"I didn't think they were doing anything really different, maybe a little bit more physical, maybe a little bit more aggressive," he said. "We just stopped hitting our shots."
The Lobos' cause was also hurt by untimely sloppy play that included 18 turnovers.
The first half was a tight, physical battle, with the teams' trading baskets. The game saw five lead changes and seven ties in the first 20 minutes, providing an entertaining back and forth battle between the two teams.
Adams hit a jumper from the right wing to give the Lobos a 5-4 lead. But the Irish started dominating the offensive boards, grabbing four in two-and-a-half minutes to grab an 8-5 lead. Notre Dame pushed out to a 15-10 lead before UNM went on an 11-4 run to snag a 21-19 lead. After Forest hit a three from the left corner to make the score 24-21 with 3:50 left, the Lobos would lead the rest of the half and build a 33-30 halftime lead.
Alicia Ratay led the Irish with 14 points and Jacqueline Batteast contributed 13 and five rebounds.
Flanagan said he was encouraged with his team's effort because it showed it could play with some of the better teams in the nation.
"It was nice to go to the NCAA Tournament," he said. "I thought we could have played better. I thought we played very well defensively, especially in the first half. We had a good first half offensively. I think at the end we just ran out of scorers. Overall, I think it was a valuable experience for our young players."
Notre Dame advances to second round Sunday to play the University of Tennessee on their home court by virtue of the Lady Vols 98-68 win over Georgia State University.
