ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Interstat) — The New Mexico women’s basketball team defeated Air Force 73-53 on Saturday at The Pit, sweeping the season series. The Lobos used a decisive 24-point fourth quarter to pull away after leading 49-34 through three quarters. New Mexico dominated inside, outscoring Air Force 38-14 in the paint. Jessie Joaquim led New Mexico with 11 points and 13 rebounds. Jayda McNabb paced the Falcons with 7 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. New Mexico improved to 19-9 overall. Air Force fell to 12-15. An announced crowd of 5,505 attended the Mountain West Conference game.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Interstat) — The New Mexico Lobos used a dominant interior performance to pull away from the Air Force Falcons in the second half and secure a 73-53 victory in a Mountain West Conference women’s basketball game Saturday at The Pit. A season-high crowd of 5,505 watched the Lobos improve to 19-9 overall and solidify their position in the conference standings. Air Force fell to 12-15. The most important part of the game was New Mexico’s overwhelming control of the paint, which fueled a decisive 18-6 third quarter that broke open a competitive contest. The Lobos outscored the Falcons 38-14 in the paint for the game, a disparity that proved insurmountable for the visiting team. New Mexico’s Jessie Joaquim, a 6-foot-2 sophomore from Maputo, Mozambique, was the catalyst for that interior dominance. She recorded a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds in just 25 minutes, anchoring the Lobos’ defense and controlling the glass. Her performance marked a significant uptick from her recent outings, where she had been held to single-digit scoring. The game was closely contested early. Air Force, led by Emily Adams’ all-around effort of 10 points, six rebounds and four assists, trailed by just four points after the first quarter and was within 31-28 at halftime. A 3-pointer from Air Force’s Bhret Clay, a Hobbs, New Mexico, native, just before the halftime buzzer kept the Falcons within striking distance. The complexion of the game changed entirely after halftime. New Mexico locked down defensively, holding Air Force to six points in the third quarter on 2-of-15 shooting. Simultaneously, the Lobos attacked the rim relentlessly. Joaquim scored six points in the period, and Cacia Antonio added four as New Mexico built a 49-34 lead entering the final quarter. Air Force never recovered from that drought. The Falcons’ leading scorer, Jayda McNabb, was held to seven points on 3-of-10 shooting, though she contributed seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks. The Falcons shot under 30% from the floor for the game. New Mexico’s depth was on full display as five players scored at least nine points. Alongside Joaquim, Destinee Hooks scored 12 points, Nayli Padilla added 12 points and four assists, Laila Abdurraqib chipped in 11 points, and Antonio finished with nine points and nine rebounds. Alyssa Hargrove directed the offense with five assists. The Lobos also capitalized on their defensive activity, scoring nine points off 14 Air Force turnovers, while the Falcons managed eight points off 13 New Mexico giveaways. With the win, New Mexico completed a regular-season sweep of Air Force, having also won 74-57 in Colorado Springs on Jan. 24. The victory kept the Lobos above the .500 mark in conference play as they head into the final stretch before the Mountain West tournament. Air Force, which has lost three of its last four games, continues to search for consistency on the road, where it has struggled for much of the season. New Mexico will travel to face Utah State on Wednesday. Air Force returns home to host Wyoming on the same night.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Interstat) — The New Mexico Lobos look to complete a regular-season sweep and solidify their Mountain West standing when they host the Air Force Falcons in a women’s basketball matchup Saturday at The Pit. New Mexico (18-9) enters with a clear record advantage over Air Force (12-14) and won the first meeting decisively, 74-57, on Jan. 24 in Colorado Springs. Lobos guard Joana Magalhães dominated that contest, scoring 29 points in just 26 minutes. She remains a focal point coming off a 17-point, 5-assist performance in Wednesday’s 70-68 road win at Grand Canyon. The Lobos have been inconsistent in February, however, sandwiching that win between a 35-63 loss at Boise State and a 46-66 home defeat to Colorado State. Their performance at The Pit, where they are 10-3 this season, will be key for postseason positioning. Air Force relies on guard Jayda McNabb, who posted 7 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists in the loss to New Mexico last month. McNabb is averaging 10.1 points per game and is coming off an 11-point effort in a 70-62 loss at Boise State on Wednesday, where Milahnie Perry led the Falcons with 20 points. The Falcons have shown resilience, winning three of their last five games, including a narrow 65-64 victory over Grand Canyon. Their road record, however, stands at just 4-9. A New Mexico victory would strengthen its case for a high seed in the upcoming Mountain West tournament, while Air Force aims to play spoiler and level the season series. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. MST Saturday.