The UNM women's basketball team evened its conference record at 6-6 with a 79-40 trouncing of Air Force at The Pit on Wednesday.
All 13 Lobos scored a basket en route to the 39-point win.
"We shot well, obviously, and in the second half in particular," head coach Don Flanagan said. "We got the opportunity to play a lot of people. It was definitely a positive night for us all around."
UNM started the game slowly, building a slim 4-3 lead in the first five minutes of the game.
"In the first half, I think we could have shot a little better," Flanagan said. "They were fresh at that point. They played a little bit better defense."
The Lobos responded with a 14-0 run over the next six minutes to jump out to an 18-3 lead with 9:07 remaining in the first half.
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Senior forward Dionne Marsh hit a 3-pointer with just over two seconds left to cap off a 10-2 run and put the Lobos up by 20 at the half, 35-15.
"I'm, like, 2-for-9 on the whole year (from beyond the arc)," Marsh said. "To hit the 3 right before the half, it gave us some confidence heading into the locker room."
UNM shot 53.1 percent from the field in the second half and extended its lead to as much as 40 with 56 seconds remaining in the game.
Marsh said she had to hand it to the Falcons for not giving up during the second half.
"Air Force usually gives us a good fight because they are a very scrappy team, just like San Diego State," she said. "Today, we were hitting a lot of our shots and getting a lot of second-chance shots off the boards, so that helped us. But they never quit."
UNM used its height advantage inside, outrebounding Air Force 45 to 32 during the game. The Lobos also managed 36 points in the paint versus 12 for the Falcons.
"I think we blocked out really well tonight," Marsh said. "They were a very aggressive team underneath the basket, and we were able to get the positioning in the paint to set us up for rebounds and good, solid shots."
Marsh led the Lobos with a game-high 17 points. Sophomore guard Georonika Jackson added 10 points. Senior guard Brandi Kimble and junior guard Amanda Adamson each chipped in eight.
With the hefty lead in the second half, the Lobos looked to their bench for the last 10 minutes of the game.
"We had a chance to rest some people," Flanagan said. "That was the first time that Amy (Beggin) has been out all season long. That's good for her because she is wearing down a little bit. I used her for 45 minutes the last game, and this slows it up a little bit and gives her a much-needed break."
Marsh said the Lobos' bench will be crucial in the next game against No. 18 Utah on Saturday.
"Everybody got to play tonight," Marsh said. "Especially for the younger girls, it was good to see some action. Hopefully, that confidence will carry over to this weekend and they'll be excited with that adrenaline pumping to play well against Utah."
