(Zach Agee Photo)
The New Mexico Lobos entered Laramie with one of the most potent offenses in the entire Mountain West. The Lobos ranked third in the conference in scoring offense, but had the most made three-pointers of any team in the league heading into the contest, averaging just above eight three-point makes a game.
The Cowgirls’ defense made the Lobo offense look anything but that for much of the second meeting between these two teams, as the Cowgirls held the Lobos to more than 10 points below their season average of 69.5 points per game. The Lobos also only shot 8-of-28 (29%) from deep but 23-of-55 (42%) from the field.
That was the good part.
The bad part–as it has been in many of the Cowgirls’ 14 losses this season–was the offense. Ranking at the bottom of the league in scoring offense, it has been no secret that the Cowgirls have struggled to score the basketball this season–and tonight was no different.
The Cowgirls used an early 7-0 run to take a 7-5 lead in the contest–however, that run would serve as the Cowgirls’ largest of the game as they would be unable to bolster any sort of advantage over the Lobos.
The Lobos, on the other hand, did just that with a timely 13-0 run towards the end of the third quarter to give themselves a 17-point cushion.
“We just had some turnovers and they kind of stacked up at the wrong moment where they converted,” head coach Ezell said. “We just were unable to hit shots. We had some good looks, they just kind of rimmed in and out.”
“We didn’t hit a lot of shots that I think characteristically we normally would make,” senior Logann Alvar added.
Despite holding the Lobos without a field goal for over five minutes in the fourth quarter, the Cowgirls would be unable to mount the comeback even after they drew within as close as eight points late. The Lobos would cash in a dagger triple with just around a minute left that would all but close the door on a possible Cowgirl comeback.
For the Cowgirls, it was yet another unfortunate stretch of missed shots and mistakes that ultimately doomed them in being swept by the Lobos this season.
“We definitely got to be able to pull ourselves out of those [droughts] quicker, getting easier baskets, going to some sets and do some different things and try and get something easier,” Ezell said.
The Cowgirls did finish the contest with a better shooting split than the Lobos, finishing 20-for-47 (43%) but did give away 13 turnovers and were outrebounded 34 to 28.
The Cowgirls continue their Mountain West campaign on the road this Saturday, where they will take on Colorado State in the first rendition of the Border War between these two teams this season.
