Slow Start Hurts Cougars on the Road

ALBEQUERQUE, New Mexico (Feb. 17, 2009) – A season-low 11 points in the first half prevented BYU from overtaking New Mexico on the road, as the Cougars fell to the Lobos 52-37 in Albuquerque on Tuesday.

Neither team did well offensively in the first twenty minutes. New Mexico was held to only 18 points, the third lowest for a BYU opponent this year and the second lowest in MWC play. The Cougars closed to within three, 10-7, at the 8:27 mark in the first half, but the team would get no closer than four points the rest of the way.

The Lobos took a seven point, 18-11, lead into the break. BYU did recover to shoot 45 percent (10-of-22) from the field in the second half, but was unable to catch the Lobos, who scored their last 12 points from the free-throw line.

New Mexico’s Angela Hartill led all scorers in the game with 18 points, and Lobo Amanda Best‘s game-high rebounding effort netted 11 boards. Jazmine Foreman and Mindy Nielson both had nine points for BYU, and Foreman, Kristen Riley and Coriann Wood each had six rebounds.

New Mexico scored 17 points off Cougar turnovers, and had five blocks in the game. Both teams shot poorly throughout the game. BYU finished shooting 14-of-15 (28 percent), and the Lobos shot 15-of-48 (31 percent)

In the winning effort, New Mexico’s record improves to 18-6, (7-4, MWC), while BYU falls to 16-7 (6-5, MWC). The Cougars’ 37 points were the second lowest point total this season.

The UNLV Rebels visit Provo on Saturday, Feb. 21, to face BYU in a game at the Marriott Center that will tip off at 2:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on CBS College Sports and live stat and audio feeds can be found at www.byucougars.com/basketball_w/. The game will feature the ‘WBCA Pink Zone’ promotion, and all fans who wear pink to the game will receive free admission. Breast cancer survivors will be honored at halftime.

BYU faces San Diego State in the Marriott Center on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 7:00 p.m.

Official Basketball Box Score
Brigham Young vs New Mexico
02/17/09 6:05 PM MST at The Pit, Albuquerque, N.M.
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VISITORS: Brigham Young 16-7, 6-5 MWC
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
32 SLADE, Shawnee...... f  1-5    1-1    1-2    1  3  4   1   4  0  2  0  0  27
45 MOEAKI, Keilani..... f  1-1    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   2   2  0  3  0  0  22
54 KING, Cassie........ c  2-5    0-0    1-3    1  3  4   5   5  2  0  0  2  23
03 FOREMAN, Jazmine.... g  3-9    1-2    2-2    2  4  6   4   9  4  4  0  1  35
22 NIELSON, Mindy...... g  4-13   1-3    0-0    0  5  5   4   9  4  2  0  2  39
13 JUDKINS, Jaime......    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   6
14 HOSTETTER, Sarah R..    1-5    1-4    0-0    0  1  1   0   3  1  1  0  0  10
21 BUHLER, Stephanie...    0-2    0-2    0-0    0  0  0   1   0  0  1  0  0   4
23 WOOD, Coriann.......    1-8    0-4    0-0    1  5  6   2   2  0  3  0  0  21
35 RILEY, Kristen......    1-2    1-1    0-0    2  4  6   1   3  0  2  0  2  13
   TEAM................                         3  1  4
   Totals..............   14-50   5-17   4-7   10 26 36  20  37 11 18  0  7 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half:  4-28 14.3%   2nd Half: 10-22 45.5%   Game: 28.0%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  1-8  12.5%   2nd Half:  4-9  44.4%   Game: 29.4%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  2-5  40.0%   2nd Half:  2-2  100 %   Game: 57.1%    2
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HOME TEAM: New Mexico 18-6, 7-4 MWC
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
03 WEISSMANN........... f  2-3    2-3    2-2    3  4  7   1   8  1  1  1  1  25
32 BEST, Amanda........ f  2-6    0-1    1-2    2  8 10   0   5  2  2  0  0  28
44 HARTILL, Angela..... c  5-12   1-3    7-9    0  1  1   0  18  2  3  1  1  36
10 BEGGIN, Amy......... g  5-13   3-9    4-4    0  6  6   0  17  5  3  0  1  37
20 HALASZ, Sara........ g  0-2    0-1    0-0    2  1  3   1   0  1  2  0  0  18
11 TAYLOR, Lauren......    0-4    0-2    0-0    0  1  1   2   0  0  0  1  0   6
12 NELSON, Nikki.......    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   1   0  1  0  0  0   6
15 ADAMSON, Amanda.....    0-3    0-0    0-0    1  2  3   1   0  0  0  2  0  22
22 JACKSON, Georonika..    1-4    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   2  0  0  0  0  11
34 KAST, Valerie.......    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   1
52 KIELPINSKI, Jessica.    0-1    0-0    2-2    0  2  2   3   2  0  1  0  1  10
   TEAM................                         1  2  3             1
   Totals..............   15-48   6-19  16-19   9 27 36   9  52 12 13  5  4 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half:  6-23 26.1%   2nd Half:  9-25 36.0%   Game: 31.3%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  3-11 27.3%   2nd Half:  3-8  37.5%   Game: 31.6%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  3-4  75.0%   2nd Half: 13-15 86.7%   Game: 84.2%    1
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Officials: Clarke Stevens, Melissa Barlow, Chuck Gonzalez
Technical fouls: Brigham Young-None. New Mexico-None.
Attendance: 8580
Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total
Brigham Young.................   11   26  -   37
New Mexico....................   18   34  -   52
Points in the paint-BY 14,NM 12. Points off turnovers-BY 3,NM 20.
2nd chance points-BY 0,NM 9. Fast break points-BY 6,NM 0.
Bench points-BY 8,NM 4. Score tied-0 times. Lead changed-0 times.
Last FG-BY 2nd-02:57, NM 2nd-02:21.
Largest lead-BY None, NM by 15 2nd-00:27.