LAS VEGAS – It’s been a few years, but the New Mexico women’s basketball team climbed its way back into the Mountain West Basketball Championships.
The Lobos knocked off the defending tournament champion in the process.
Senior guard Antiesha Brown scored a game-high 18 points Wednesday night and did not miss from the free throw line, leading the Lobos to the championship game following a 64-53 victory over last year’s title winner Fresno State. UNM, the tournament’s No. 2 seed, will play fourth seed Boise State.
Tip-off is Friday at 1 p.m. MT at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The Lobos make their first trip back to the title game since 2011, seeking their first tournament championship since 2008.
“I think it just shows a lot about our team,” Brown said. “We’re very determined this year. We have a pretty good group of girls this year and we’re willing to do anything and everything for each other.”
Dealing with another physical opponent, the Lobos (20-11) needed to overcome a sputtering offensive output in the final seven minutes to secure the title game berth.
Up 37-28 through the first eight minutes in the second half, the Fresno State defense clamped down on UNM and cut the deficit to 40-38. Over that span, the Bulldogs netted eight straight points.
Then came the Under-8 timeout at the 7:55 mark. Coming out of that stoppage, the Lobos established its offensive potency with its own eight-point run. Guard Bryce Owens dropped a 3-pointer and Brown converted on a fast break during the quick two-minute rally.
“Once we got into media time-outs, 30- and 60-second timeouts, I think it was a chance for us to recollect and refocus on what we needed to,” said Owens, who added 11 points for UNM. “The best thing about that is we weren’t rushed at any point in time in the game. I think we stuck to our game plan and to our game, and that’s what works for us in the end.”
Forward Alexa Chavez joined Brown and Owens in double-figure scoring with 10 points, including two free throws in that key run.
The Lobos limited Fresno State’s shooting through the first half. The Bulldogs missed its first nine field goal attempts – the first coming at the 10:06 mark – and hit only five of their first 21 attempts.
Foul shooting, however, kept Fresno State (22-9) in the game. The Bulldogs scored all eight of its free throw attempts and missed only two in the second half. Forward Alex Sheedy made all 10 of her foul shots, finishing with 14 points.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Boise State reached Friday’s title tilt with a 76-67 win over San Jose State in first semifinal game. UNM split its season series with the Broncos, falling 86-65 in Boise, Idaho, but prevailing 63-60 at WisePies Arena.
“Man, they’re awfully good,” UNM head coach Yvonne Sanchez said, referring to Boise State. “They read each other well. They shoot the ball extremely well. You saw that tonight when they made their run against San Jose State.”
J.R. Oppenheim is the managing editor for the Daily Lobo. Contact him at managingeditor@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @JROppenheim.
