ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Interstat) — The New Mexico Lobos used a dominant first half and a balanced offensive attack to pull away from the Fresno State Bulldogs for an 86-64 victory in a Mountain West women’s basketball game Tuesday night at The Pit.

A crowd of 4,452 saw the Lobos improve to 22-9 overall and solidify their standing in the conference, while the Bulldogs fell to 13-17.

The game was effectively decided in the opening 20 minutes, as New Mexico built a commanding 44-29 halftime lead. The Lobos set the tone early, opening a 21-12 advantage after the first quarter behind efficient play from Destinee Hooks and Joana Magalhães. The second quarter saw New Mexico extend its lead, shooting effectively from the field and capitalizing on Fresno State turnovers to take a 15-point cushion into the break.

Fresno State, led by a game-high 27 points from guard Danae Powell of Las Vegas, Nevada, showed fight in the third quarter. The Bulldogs outscored the Lobos 19-16 in the period, with Powell scoring 11 points during the stretch to cut the deficit to 60-48 heading into the final quarter. However, any hope of a comeback was swiftly extinguished.

The most important sequence of the game came early in the fourth quarter, as New Mexico delivered a knockout blow. With the lead at 12, the Lobos erupted for a 12-2 run over a three-minute span. The surge was fueled by a 3-pointer from Nayli Padilla of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, a driving layup from Cacia Antonio of Luanda, Angola, and capped by another 3-pointer from Destinee Hooks. That burst pushed the New Mexico lead to 72-50 with 6:48 remaining, effectively sealing the outcome.

New Mexico’s offense was multifaceted and efficient. Hooks, a guard from Indianapolis, finished with 22 points in just 26 minutes. Magalhães, the guard from Lisbon, Portugal, added 19 points, while the forward Antonio contributed a strong 13 points and seven defensive rebounds. The Lobos also benefited from key bench contributions, including eight points from Padilla.

For Fresno State, Powell’s 27-point effort included five assists, but she received limited support. Emilia Long of Port Angeles, Washington, was the only other Bulldog in double figures with 11 points and six assists. The Bulldogs struggled to find consistent scoring outside of Powell and were hampered by 16 turnovers, which New Mexico converted into 19 points.

The Lobos controlled the interior, outscoring Fresno State 42-26 in the paint and outrebounding them 38-30. New Mexico’s defensive pressure also limited the Bulldogs to just 38% shooting from the field for the game.

Entering the contest, statistical models gave New Mexico an 85.8% probability to win, and the Lobos covered the pregame spread of 7.5 points with ease. The total score of 150 points sailed over the posted over/under line of 123.5.

The victory gives New Mexico momentum as it heads into the postseason, having won four of its last five games. Fresno State, meanwhile, has now dropped three consecutive contests and will look to regroup in its regular-season finale.