by Steven Fernandez
Daily Lobo
Dionne Marsh spent most of her night either on the free-throw line or on the bench in foul trouble.
That didn't stop the rest of the women's basketball team from rolling over Metro State Tuesday night, 77-50.
Marsh got in foul trouble early and the starter ended up playing only 21 minutes. Still, the sophomore forward was the Lobos' leading scorer with 19 points. Most of her points came from the stripe, going 11-of-13 from the free-throw line.
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Head coach Don Flanagan said Marsh didn't play her best game, but was pleased with how she performed, specifically from the free-throw line.
"Obviously people are going to foul her because she can score over most post players," he said. "I liked what Dionne did, especially from the free-throw line. When you're only playing 21 minutes and getting about a point a minute, that's pretty good."
With Marsh out for nearly half the game, plenty of players came off the bench to provide a spark for the Lobos.
Flanagan said he was especially pleased with the performance sophomore guard Brandi Kimble gave. Kimble played a team-high 30 points and was the only other Lobo to score in double digits. She finished the game with 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists after coming off the bench.
"I loved her effort," Flanagan said. "She was all over anybody that had the ball. She did a nice job of that and rebounding."
Kimble said she was excited with the game, but said she and the entire team has room for improvement.
"I think I did pretty good," she said. "I think I still need to work on my defense."
In the beginning of the first half, Metro State proved to be a worthy opponent, keeping the game close for much of the first 20 minutes.
Paige Powers, a New Mexico native, followed up a three-pointer with a field goal at 16:03 to give the Roadrunners a 7-5 lead. It was a physical battle early, and the Lobos were able to use their size advantage to go on a run.
Kimble hit a shot with 14:19 left in the opening half, giving the Lobos a 14-7 lead and completing a 9-0 run for UNM.
Metro State closed to within three at 12:39, making it a 14-11 game. That would be as close as the Roadrunners would get the rest of the night.
UNM kept going on mini-runs, but Metro State did not want to let the game get away. It was not until there were 13 seconds left in the half that the Lobos were able to open up a double-digit lead.
Kimble dropped in her third field goal of the game to stretch the lead to 39-28 going into halftime. The basket marked a 10-2 run by UNM.
In the second half, the Lobos started to run away with the game. After back-to-back threes by guards Abbie Letz and Katie Montgomery, UNM led 45-30 with 18:05 remaining in the contest.
At 12:34, forward Timi E-Nunu made a basket to give the Lobos a 20-point lead, 54-34. UNM continued to dominate, and with 3:52 remaining held a commanding 71-41 lead.
Flanagan stressed the importance of coming out of halftime sharp, and said his team did that well Tuesday.
"One key I think in basketball is the first four minutes of the second half," he said. "If you can go out and establish yourself in the early part of the second half, I think that gives you momentum as the game progresses."
