With a 62-49 win, the Lobos bounced back from a conference loss to chase the Cowgirls back to Wyoming.
Head coach Don Flanagan said the intensity and level of competition in the game matched a post-season contest.
"That felt to me like a Mountain West tournament game," Flanagan said. "It was that intense."
It was anyone's game for the first four minutes, with the Lobos and Cowgirls tied at five points. The Lobos exploded into action, freezing the Wyoming offense and defense. New Mexico went on a 17-point run, dominating the Cowgirls 22-5 with just over 10 minutes remaining in the first half.
With the 17-point lead, coach Flanagan took the opportunity to test the depth of the Lobo bench. With the Lobo's starting player sitting out, Wyoming attempted to bridge the gap.
"One of the things I am trying to do now is get more players to go on the floor to get that experience," Flanagan said. "At some point, I may need them. I need to trust the fact that they will have quality play and not be a letdown on the floor."
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The Lobos frustrated Wyoming defensively, allowing the team to convert less than 30 percent of its field goal attempts in the first half.
"They run a complicated offense, so to keep them under 50 points is a task," Flanagan said. "We were hoping to keep them at 55 points, and we held them to 49. Our kids did a great job."
Despite the low percentage, the tireless Cowgirls diminished the Lobos' lead to six points, ending the half at 34-28.
Forward Lindsey Arndt said the Lobos anticipated the effort they saw from Wyoming.
"They play probably harder than anybody in our conference," Arndt said. "They never give up, and we knew that."
Wyoming came into the second half pushing and throwing elbows even more than in the first. They racked up 10 team fouls in the half, putting the Lobos in double bonus for the last two minutes of the game.
The foul-happy Wyoming defense helped seal the deal for the Lobos, who made 12-of-13 free throws in the second half.
Thirty-nine of the Cowgirls' 49 total points came from two players who dominated the Wyoming offense. Freshman Hanna Zavecz led the team with 20 points, and Erin Elliott was just behind with 19.
Dionne Marsh scored 15 points and led UNM with eight rebounds. Flanagan said the freshman is a mismatch for most defenders, which forced the Cowgirls to double-team her.
The Lobos will take on conference rival Colorado State on Saturday.
Arndt said the team will need to come out hard, as Colorado State is an intense and scrappy team.
Katie Montgomery said she thinks this is one of the most intense conference games.
"They are probably our biggest conference rivals," Montgomery said. "There is definitely no love lost between our teams."
