LAS VEGAS - Hannah Zavecz and Megan McGuffey had their way with the UNM women's basketball team's defense today, scoring more than 20 points each.
Unfortunately for the two Wyoming players, the Lobos shut down everyone else, as the rest of the Cowgirls combined for just 10 points.
No. 3-seeded UNM led 21-9 in the first half and overcame a second-half deficit to defeat No. 2-seeded Wyoming 65-53 on Friday in Las Vegas, advancing to the finals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament on Saturday at 2 p.m. The Lobos will play No. 1-seeded Brigham Young, who they split with this season.
"First half, we got out to a good start, then they made a nice comeback - got back in the game," Lobo head coach Don Flanagan said. "The momentum had shifted. Second half, we had to grab that momentum back."
The Lobos started off 3-of-4 from the field as part of an 8-0 run to open up the game.
Wyoming came back with a 17-8 run of its own to cut the lead to one point before intermission.
The Lobos went into the locker room without momentum on their side but did a good job of regaining their poise, Flanagan said.
"At halftime, we're just talking about what we're going to do the second half to play better and play with more confidence, more energy," he said.
To start the second half, the Cowgirls and Lobos battled back and forth as the lead changed four times in the first four minutes.
UNM took control of the game during a 14-2 run with 13:03 left in the game.
The Cowgirls ended up with only four players scoring, as Zavecz and McGuffey combined for 43 of Wyoming's 53 points.
Zavecz was a threat to the Lobos, scoring 13 first-half points and sinking 3-of-4 3-point shots.
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However, Zavecz found herself in early foul trouble with three fouls in the first half and picked up a fourth within the opening minutes of the second.
She still was the game's leading scorer with 22 points, but she said the foul trouble hindered her usual performance.
"It was definitely difficult," she said. "I had to back off a bit on the offensive end and defensive end. I wasn't being as aggressive toward the basket. I couldn't do much. It really limited me in my game."
Julie Briody, the Lobos' leading scorer this season, countered the Zavecz and McGuffey show by contributing 21 points for UNM. Briody also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds for the Lobos.
UNM won the game because the Lobos kept their composure, Briody said.
"I thought we didn't stray from our game plan," she said. "We had to make sure that we stayed focused. They made a little bit of a run, but we didn't let it bother us. That's why we were successful."
