Triple-doubles are rare events that deserve celebratatory champagne - if the player is of age.
This triple-double, however, will likely be forgettable for UNLV's Shamela Hapton, as it was one of the wrong sort.
"I thought we did a pretty good job on Hampton - bothering her with the double team," head coach Don Flanagan said.
Hampton managed 14 points, 11 rebounds and 12 turnovers. Dominique Harris was the only other Rebel in double-figures. She had 10.
"I didn't see that, but I'm thankful that you pointed that out," Flanagan chuckled. "Triple-double - that's pretty good."
And the UNM women's basketball team remained undisputed - at home at least. The Lobos improved to 12-2 with the 75-49 win over UNLV on Wednesday. All dozen wins for the Lobos have come at home. As for their two losses, both were at ranked opponents' venues.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Leading 8-4 less than five minutes into the game, UNM subdued the Runnin' Rebels by going on a 32-point run that put the Lobos up 40-12.
One half was all about offense, as the Lobos churned out 48 points. The second half, however, was all about defense. Or just lackluster offense.
UNM mustered just a 27 percent field-goal average in the second half. Give credit to the Runnin' Rebels, however. Despite being dominated in every other major statistical category, they were able to outshoot the Lobos in the second half, as UNLV made 33 percent of its attempts.
Translation: Not good enough to make a comeback.
UNLV got no closer than 22 in the second half, but Flanagan said the Lobos didn't set their alarm clocks at halftime, and slept through most of the second half.
Instead of penetrating a lane that looked more like a freeway, UNM settled for jumpers, especially from behind the arc. After splitting the ends of the nets with an 8-of-15 3-point exhibition in the first half, UNM hit only one 3 in the second half. That didn't stop them from taking shots from behind the arc, though.
"I was disappointed in the second half," Flanagan said. "Sometimes that happens. You get a big lead and pretty soon everybody's sitting on the bench saying, 'When I get in, I'm shooting my shot.'"
And it showed in the box score.
Harthill and Beggin combined to go just 8-of-24 from the field. But Eileen Weissmann and Amanda Adamson took some of the weight off Harthill and Beggin's shoulders by scoring 13 and 10 points, respectively. Weissmann, too, was dead-on from downtown, converting three of her four 3-point attempts. Beggin finished with 13, despite a tepid shooting performance.
Twenty-five turnovers and 22 points off those turnovers for the Lobos probably helped, too.
Weissman said it was all about defensive pressure on Hampton.
"Hampton is a very good player," Weissmann said. "I think she was getting really frustrated from the pressure. We didn't bail her out by fouling. I think just the frustration from us bodying her up caused her to have 12 turnovers."
