FRESNO (Interstat) — Fresno State used a balanced offense and a decisive edge on the offensive glass to defeat visiting New Mexico 74-56 in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game Wednesday at Save Mart Center. The Bulldogs improved to 2-1, while the Lobos fell to 1-2. Attendance was 1,109. New Mexico entered after a win over N.M. Highlands and a loss to Seattle. Fresno State had beaten UC Merced and lost at Colorado.

Fresno State opened the scoring when Lola Donez made a driving layup. New Mexico answered with Gracie Kelsey’s layup, but the Bulldogs soon moved ahead as Ashlyn Rean hit a jump shot and Donez added a pullup. Ava Marr’s layup pushed Fresno State’s lead to 8-3, and after Kelsey made a 3-point jump shot, Zawadi Ogot answered with a jumper. New Mexico stayed close briefly on Brynn Eshoo’s jump shot, but Fresno State closed the first quarter with a run. Ivy Brown made consecutive layups, Jada Hunter made a free throw and Donez added another pullup. Marr capped the quarter with a 3-point jump shot, and Fresno State led 20-10 after one quarter. New Mexico’s Drew Jordon made a layup late in the period.

The Bulldogs stretched their advantage in the second quarter. Mekhia Chase made free throws, Rean made a layup and a jump shot, and Marr added a pullup. Ogot made a layup to give Fresno State a 30-12 lead. New Mexico tried to respond as Jordon made two driving layups and a free throw, Leonor Peixinho made a layup and a free throw, Kate Wernli made a 3-point jump shot and Laila Abdurraqib made a layup and a free throw. Fresno State still held a 37-26 lead at halftime after Rean made two free throws and Abdurraqib closed the half with a three-point play.

New Mexico opened the third quarter with layups from Valerie Norwood and Abdurraqib to cut the margin to 37-30. Fresno State answered through Ogot, Chase and Rubi Gray. Gray made two 3-point field goals, and Ivy Brown made a layup and a free throw. Hunter added a layup and a jump shot as the Bulldogs rebuilt their lead. Abdurraqib made a 3-point field goal and a layup for New Mexico, and Kelsey made a layup late in the quarter, but Fresno State led 58-42 going into the fourth.

In the fourth, Donez made a 3-point field goal, Chase made a layup and Rean made a driving layup as Fresno State kept control. New Mexico got free throws from Abdurraqib, Katie Duncan and Wernli, and Norwood made several layups. Ogot made a driving layup, Ivy Brown made a layup and Marr made a 3-point field goal for the Bulldogs. Hunter added a pullup jump shot. New Mexico closed the scoring on Abdurraqib’s free throw and Duncan’s layup.

Abdurraqib, a 5-foot-6 guard from Fishers, Ind., who previously played at Lawrence Central High School, led New Mexico with 17 points, six rebounds and two assists. Chase, a 5-foot-7 guard who previously played at Saint Marys Ryken High School, had six points, eight rebounds and two assists for Fresno State. Donez, a 5-foot-11 guard from Lahainaluna High School, added 11 points, two rebounds and one assist. Hunter, a 5-foot-10 guard from Christian Brothers High School, had 10 points, five rebounds and one assist. Ogot, a 5-foot-11 guard from Santiago High School, had nine points, four rebounds and four assists. Rean, a 6-foot-2 forward from Rangiora, had 10 points, four rebounds and three blocks. Gray, a 5-foot-10 guard from St. Brendan Shaw College, had nine points and five rebounds. Ivy Brown, a 6-foot forward from St. Margaret’s College, had nine points and four rebounds. Kelsey, a 6-foot-2 forward from East Buchanan, had seven points and four rebounds for New Mexico. Marr, a 5-foot-10 guard from Archbishop Murphy High School, had 10 points and one rebound for Fresno State.

Fresno State scored 74 points from 67 possessions for an offensive rating of 110.2. New Mexico scored 56 points from 68 possessions for an offensive rating of 82.4. The Bulldogs shot 29 of 62 from the floor, 6 of 24 from three-point range and 10 of 15 from the free-throw line. The Lobos shot 20 of 42 from the floor, 3 of 12 from three-point range and 13 of 21 from the free-throw line. Fresno State had 15 offensive rebounds, 14 assists, three blocks and 13 turnovers. New Mexico had five offensive rebounds, six assists, two blocks and 21 turnovers.

Fresno State’s next game is against Northern Arizona. New Mexico next plays at BYU. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Fresno State 64, New Mexico 63. Interstat’s ELO system had projected New Mexico with a 62.9 percent probability to win. Fresno State had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -5.5. The total score of 130 went under the over/under line of 127.5.