New Mexico senior Kahdijah Shumpert propelled her team to a 72-53 road victory over the Minnesota Gophers on Wednesday night in Shumpert’s return to her home state.
UNM got off to a slow start in the first quarter but quickly turned that around as Shumpert tied a career high with 27 points and the Lobos never trailed in the second half.
“Khadijah was phenomenal. I am so proud of her, especially on a stage with all of her family and friends,” head coach Yvonne Sanchez said in a release. “She deserved every bit of it. I am so happy for her.”
Sanchez has been stressing the importance of getting things going on the defensive side of the ball, something the Lobos have been able to do during the squad’s three-game win streak. For the second consecutive game, UNM (7-3) has held each opponent under 60 points during the three-game span and has yet to lose a contest when the opposing team has less than 60.
“I am so proud of this team,” Sanchez said. “They were very well prepared by this staff. I have the best staff in the country. Our kids came in and they weren’t afraid. They weren’t scared and they hit big shots.”
While the offense was able to push ahead of the Gophers (6-3), it was the Lobos’ defensive showcase that shut down Minnesota. While UNM shot just above 41 percent from the field, the team was able to hold Minnesota down for a 30 percent shooting night.
It was New Mexico’s ability to play sound defense with just about everyone on the team. The Gophers only sent out seven players throughout the night as UNM fielded 12 players on the court.
The Lobos will need to rely on their depth again as they look to get even with in-state rival New Mexico State on Sunday. In just the second game of the season, that Aggies handed UNM its first loss in a 78-59 win for NMSU on Tuesday, Nov. 17. However, New Mexico has won its last three games and the Aggies (7-2) have won one of their last three, as of Thursday morning.
Liam Cary-Eaves is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at assistantsports@dailylobo.com or on twitter @Liam_CE.
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