The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team hit a game-tying shot late in the game, but fell in the final seconds on the road against Boise State, losing 64-62.
Junior guard Alex Lapeyrolerie drained a 3-pointer with just 27 seconds remaining to tie the game at 62-62, but it wasn’t enough. The Broncos worked the clock down and hit a short jumper to seal the deal.
Despite the Lobos falling in heartbreaking fashion, four Lobos scored in double digits.Senior center Richelle van der Keijl put up a team-high 22 points, while also bringing down 13 rebounds to give her a double-double.
The other Lobos who scored in the double-digits were Lapeyrolerie (17), junior guard Jayda Bovero (11) and junior guard Cherise Beynon (10). The Lobos were able to come out of the first quarter with a 14-10
In the second quarter, the first few minutes proved a back-and-forth affair, with both teams trading baskets. But the Lobos ended the quarter on a 6-0 run that gave them a comfortable 31-21 halftime lead.
The third quarter was similar to the second with the Lobos maintaining their 10-point lead. The quarter ended with a
But things tightened up in the final quarter as Boise state was able to make a 9-2 run in the opening minutes of the period, closing the gap to 53-50 with 7:52 left to play.
The Lobos got the lead back up to six points with 4:51 left to play, but Boise State didn’t back down. Boise State’s Braydey Hodgins hit a critical 3-pointer with on the ensuing possession, closing the Lobos’ lead to three points again with 4:14 left to play.
The 3-pointer sparked a 9-0 run by BSU that allowed the Broncos to snag a 62-59 with 32 seconds left in the game.
It was Boise State’s
Head coach Mike Bradbury said he believed that the Lobos had a good handle on things throughout most of the game, but lost composure when it mattered most.
“We controlled the whole game, but we couldn't get a rebound in the fourth quarter," Bradbury said in a release. "This is the best we've been all year defensively and it's disappointing, (rebounding) is usually our strength and tonight, that was our weakness. We'll get it corrected.”
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The rebounding advantage was huge in the second half. The teams were separated by just two rebounds in the first half, but the Broncos punished the Lobos on the glass 23-12 in the second half on the way to a 49-40 edge in rebounding for the game.
Even though the Lobos couldn’t take the victory, they did come out with the better shooting percentage. They shot 36.4 percent to the Broncos’ 34.2 percent.
The Broncos really hurt the Lobos with strong bench scoring. Boise State was able to post 29 bench points as a team compared to 11 from the Lobos.
Up next for the Lobos is a home game against Fresno State on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 1 p.m. The game is set to be streamed live on the Mountain West Network as well as being broadcasted on radio on 610 KNML.
Matthew Narvaiz is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers women’s basketball and baseball. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @matt_narvaiz
