ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Interstat) — In a game defined by resilience and a frantic final minute, the New Mexico Lobos held off a determined San Jose State Spartans squad 66-61 in a Mountain West women’s basketball contest Wednesday night at The Pit.

A crowd of 4,204 watched as the Lobos, now 17-8 overall, survived a late scare from the Spartans, who fell to 3-22 but delivered their most competitive performance in weeks against a team that had beaten them by 38 points just over a month ago.

The most critical sequence of the game unfolded in the final 20 seconds with New Mexico clinging to a 64-61 lead. After San Jose State’s Katarina Anderson converted a driving layup to cut the deficit to three, the Spartans immediately fouled New Mexico’s Laila Abdurraqib with 17 seconds remaining. Abdurraqib, who finished with a game-high 19 points, missed both free throws, giving San Jose State a chance to tie.

On the ensuing possession, the Spartans worked the ball to Maya Anderson, whose potential game-tying three-point attempt from the wing was off the mark. The rebound was fiercely contested, leading to a held ball and a possession arrow favoring New Mexico with just 3 seconds left. The Lobos inbounded successfully, and Abdurraqib was fouled again, this time sinking both free throws with a fraction of a second remaining to seal the victory.

The game was a stark contrast to the teams’ January meeting, where New Mexico dominated from start to finish. This time, San Jose State weathered an early storm. The Lobos opened the game on a 21-9 run, fueled by three first-quarter three-pointers from Abdurraqib. But the Spartans responded, closing the quarter on a 6-0 spurt and then outscoring New Mexico 19-13 in the second period to tie the game at 34 by halftime.

San Jose State’s offensive efficiency, particularly from beyond the arc, kept them in the fight. The Spartans shot a blistering 47% on three-pointers, making 9 of 19 attempts. Gabriela Pato connected on four of those threes, finishing with 12 points, while Carla Fuster added eight points off the bench on 2-of-3 shooting from deep.

New Mexico countered with volume and second chances. The Lobos attempted 37 three-pointers, making 11, and dominated the glass with 18 offensive rebounds leading to multiple critical extra possessions. That effort helped offset a 34% shooting night from the field.

Maya Anderson led San Jose State with 16 points, three assists and three steals in 37 minutes. Katarina Anderson added 10 points and three assists. For New Mexico, Joana Magalhães joined Abdurraqib in double figures with 12 points, while Destinee Hooks also scored 12 and Cacia Antonio contributed seven points, four assists and a game-high three blocks.

The Lobos built their largest lead of the second half at 57-49 early in the fourth quarter following an Abdurraqib three-pointer. San Jose State chipped away, pulling within a single possession multiple times in the final five minutes but could never draw even or take the lead. A key tip-in by Emma Najjuma with 3:53 to play gave New Mexico a 62-57 cushion, and the Spartans spent the rest of the game chasing that margin.

The statistical battle highlighted the game’s contrasting styles. San Jose State committed 12 turnovers leading to 17 New Mexico points, while the Lobos’ nine turnovers resulted in only 10 points for the Spartans. New Mexico also held a 99.0 to 94.5 advantage in offensive rating.

The victory keeps New Mexico in the upper tier of the Mountain West conference race as it prepares to host Colorado State on Saturday. San Jose State, despite the loss, showed significant improvement and will look to build on the effort when it travels to face Air Force on Saturday.