Jan. 7, 2015
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Despite 14 points apiece from junior Erimma Amarikwa (Vacaville, Calif.) and freshman McKynzie Fort (Fontana, Calif.), the visiting San Diego State women's basketball team came up on the short end of a 62-53 decision to New Mexico Wednesday in a Mountain West game at WisePies Arena.
The Aztecs (4-10, 1-2 MW) were unable to build on a 13-point lead in the first half as the Lobos stormed back to win going away. SDSU sank a season-best 85.7 percent (18-21) of its free throws, but struggled to find its rhythm from the field, shooting just 34.7 percent (17-49) overall, including a woeful 4-for-20 clip in the second half, which allowed New Mexico (5-9, 1-2 MW) to claw back into contention.
The Aztecs also experienced a rash of turnovers, committing 16 miscues over the final 28 minutes after posting just two by the 8:46 mark of the first half. On the flip side, the Lobos, who recorded seven turnovers in the opening stanza, posted just four after the halftime break.
Individually, Fort finished with a 6-for-7 effort from the floor to spark the SDSU offense, while Amarikwa drained all six of her foul shots on the evening. In addition, the Aztecs received six rebounds each from senior Khristina Hunter (Fairfield, Calif.) and sophomore Ariell Bostick (Oakland, Calif.).
The Aztecs had things rolling in the first half, unleashing a 21-6 blitz that spanned nearly eight minutes to forge a 23-10 advantage by the 9:17 mark of the period. Fort scored six points during the run, while sophomore Aleiah Brandon (Corona, Calif.) added a triple to help give SDSU its biggest lead of the game.
However, the Aztecs were unable to build on their good fortune as New Mexico began to chip away at the deficit, eventually pulling to within three at 31-28 following an Alexa Chavez layup with 23 seconds remaining before the break. SDSU soon countered with a clutch basket by freshman Cheyenne Greenhouse (Riverside, Calif.) with 1.8 seconds left to provide the contest its 33-28 score at intermission.
A turnover on the Aztecs' opening possession of the second half proved to be a harbinger of things to come as the Lobos began to gradually assert themselves. UNM engineered a 17-6 run over the first 11 minutes of the period, taking the lead for good at 45-39 following back-to-back three-pointers by Cherise Beynon and Laneah Bryan. The Aztecs managed to minimize the damage with four free throws by junior Deidra Smith (Aurora, Colo.) and another two by Amarikwa.
Incredibly after missing its first seven shots from the field in the half, SDSU still had a chance to reclaim the lead after consecutive layups by Amarikwa and two free throws by sophomore Chloe Johnson (Phoenix, Ariz.) narrowed the gap to 50-49 with 5:51 remaining. However, the Aztecs misfired on two three-point shots following a Lobo turnover and never threatened again.
Dodging a proverbial bullet, New Mexico promptly rattled off six straight points, capped by a Chavez layup, to increase its advantage to 56-49 with 2:31 left. SDSU received a quick basket by junior Ahjalee Harvey (Mountain View, Calif.) on its next foray up the court, but could not come up with a necessary stop as Khadijah Shumpert hit a jumper with just 1:30 remaining to all but extinguish the Aztecs' hopes. Then in the final minute, the Lobos added four foul shots to seal the win.
New Mexico's Antiesha Brown led all scorers with 21 points, highlighted by a 9-for-10 performance at the free-throw line, while Beynon reached double figures with 10 points of her own. In addition, Chavez (7 rebounds) and Kianna Keller (4 steals) finished with game-high totals in the victory.
San Diego State will have an open date this weekend before returning to action on Wednesday, Jan. 14, when it plays host to Wyoming at Viejas Arena. Game time is set for 6 p.m. PT