Box Score LAS VEGAS, N.M. – The Cowgirls led from the start for the fourth time on the season as New Mexico Highlands (8-8) knocked off Northern New Mexico (5-13) 86-62 Tuesday night (Jan. 21) at the John A. Wilson Complex.
The Cowgirls scored the first five points of the game and never led by less than three the rest of the way. Off an offensive rebound, senior
Alyssa Lopez buried a triple 1:31 into the game. Off another miss from beyond the arc by Lopez, senior
China Smith grabbed the offensive board and found junior
Jenny Johnson underneath the hoop.
Lopez led all scorers with 20 points, going 4-9 (44.4 percent) from behind the arc while hitting all three shots from inside the arc. Smith etched her seventh double-double of the season with 16 points and 14 boards. Johnson added 15, including a perfect 7-7 from the charity stripe.
For the game, points in the paint were dead even at 26, but Highlands pushed out to a lead thanks to a 34-11 edge in points off turnovers. The Cowgirls forced 26 Eagles' turnovers while only having 16 of their own.
Later in the first half up 18-12, Highlands scored 15 unanswered points over a three-minute span to blow the game wide open. Junior
Claudia Meneses started the spurt with a fast break jumper before a triple by freshman
Giulia Simioni. Off an Eagles miscue, Johnson was fouled shooting behind the arc and made all three free throws. Lopez added a triple and a pair of free throws by Johnson and Lopez put Highlands up big in a blink of an eye, 33-12 with 8:37 left in the first half.
A jumper by junior
Anngelina Sanchez gave Highlands a 48-25 edge at the break.
The Cowgirls never led by less than 20 in the second half. Up 65-40 with 8:27 left, Sanchez forced a turnover and found Smith inside for the fast break hoop. Sanchez again grabbed the steal and found Smith down low for the hoop and harm. Smith had the double-double and Highlands led by 30, its largest lead of the game.
Myla Woods-Brown paced the visitors with 20. Patrice Marshall came off the bench for 10 while Travana Johnson had eight points and 10 boards.
