With big plays down the stretch, New Mexico women snap Bulldogs’ winning streak

The New Mexico women’s basketball team had not played in a while, and only three times in January, because of coronavirus.

But the Lobos had won three of their four in Mountain West Conference play and as it turned out had all of their pieces firing despite the missed time, making the biggest plays down the stretch in snapping the Fresno State Bulldogs’ four-game win streak with an 82-80 victory on Thursday at the First United Bank Center in Canyon, Texas.

“We didn’t start the way we wanted to,” coach Jaime White said. “We knew New Mexico liked to start going and running and I didn’t think we were ready for that. We went with a small lineup, which in Kendyll (Kinzer) in the lineup, and I thought she did a great job, was able to knock down threes for us and really did a great job.

“We gave ourselves a chance to win it at the end even though it didn’t feel like we were in it. We had lots of lead changes (20) … Just close enough to win it, and lose it, I guess.”

The Lobos (7-1, 4-1 in the MW) were down by four points with 2:28 to play after Kinzer knocked down a three, her sixth of the game doubling a career-high of three. But the Bulldogs could not stop New Mexico from getting into the paint down the stretch, that lead evaporating as the Lobos closed layup, layup in transition off a steal, two free throws, two free throws and layup.

The last of those came out of a timeout with nine seconds remaining, the score tied. The Lobos got the ball inbounds and to Shaiquel Mcgruder at the top of the key and the 6-foot forward on one bounce drove by Maddi Utti and to the rim for a layup and a lead.

“We were in man-to-man so we just felt like don’t foul and make sure we contest and box out and we got the rebound – we still had 2.5 seconds on the clock to give us an opportunity,” White said.

A costly defensive lapse for Bulldogs

“Not ideal that they went right down the middle and scored over us. I don’t even know that anybody was in front. It was kind of unfortunate. I thought we defended pretty good, but then that kid just swept and drove.”

The Bulldogs had a timeout and a last shot, but their play went awry. New Mexico guard Ahlise Hurst sealed it with a steal.

The Bulldogs (8-6, 6-3) play New Mexico in the final game of the two-game Mountain West series on Saturday on the campus of West Texas A&M, where the Lobos are playing home games during the coronavirus pandemic.

Hanna Cavinder led the Bulldogs with 20 points and four assists with nine rebounds. Kinzer, who was 6 of 8 and 6 of 7 from the 3-point line, scored 18 points while Haley Cavinder had 16 and Utti finished with a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

“We really wanted to get six in a row,” White said. “Clearly, that’s not going to happen now, But, again, it was a close game and we had every opportunity to win that they had. At the end of the day, the ball bounced the other way and we’re going to have to regroup. I think our kids feel that way. We could have beaten them and we’re just going to have to prove it on Saturday.”

Haley Cavinder wins MW award

Haley Cavinder was named Mountain West women’s basketball Player of the Week after scoring 33 points in last week’s sweep of Boise State.

It’s her second straight weekly award and third this season. She’s the first to earn the weekly award three times in a single season since the 2018-19 season.

This story was originally published January 28, 2021 at 8:22 PM.