The Fresno State women’s basketball team (17-13) fell 65-61 to the University of New Mexico on Saturday, March 1, at the Save Mart Center.

After finishing the first quarter with a 25-7 advantage, the Bulldogs eventually blew their 18 point lead.

Following the first quarter, the Bulldogs were outscored  58-36 for the rest of the game. Most of the Lobos’ points came from the paint as they often found open lanes to the basket to add to their 30 total points in the paint.

The Lobos also got strong contributions from their bench, scoring 35 bench points as opposed to the Bulldogs’ 16.

The Bulldogs were led by forward Mia Jacobs, who recorded her 17th double double with 21 points and 11 rebounds, both team-highs. To go along with her double double, Jacobs also logged in two assists, two blocks and two steals in 37 minutes of action.

This game marked Jacobs’ 1,000th point scored. Jacobs is just the third Bulldog to ever reach 1,000 career points.

What happened?

The Bulldogs’ 25-7 first quarter was sparked by the hot offense of Jacobs and forward Maria Konstantinidou. The two combined for 15 points, going 6-for-10 from the field and 2-for-4 from beyond the arc.

They also got contributions from forward Kylee Fox and guard Saga Ukkonen, who both scored five points on a combined 4-for-5 performance from the field and 2-for-2 from 3-point range.

The Bulldogs also brought energy on the defensive end as they were active in the passing lanes and staying disciplined when the ball came into the paint. As a result, the Lobos were held to 3-for-13 (23%) from the field and 0-for-6 from 3-point range to close out the first quarter.

The Bulldogs carried their momentum into the second quarter as sophomore guard Taija Sta. Maria looked to push the pace on the fast break, leading to easy baskets.

However, that momentum wouldn’t last long, as the Lobos’ defense forced the Bulldogs to turn the ball over. The Lobos would capitalize and trim the lead down to single digits.

But with the ball movement from the Bulldogs, they were able to find open players and keep the Lobos at bay, heading into halftime up 37-26.

After two quarters, Jacobs led all scorers with 12 points as the Bulldogs were shooting 14-for-32 (44%) from the field and 7-for-15 (47%) from 3-point range. The ‘Dogs were also winning the rebounding battle 20-15.

The Lobos went 11-for-28 (39%) from the field and 2-for-12 (17%) from the 3-point line.

In the third quarter, the Lobos made their presence known in the paint and took advantage of the Bulldogs’ size in the front court, scoring 10 of their 20 third quarter points in the paint. The Lobos also got help from the bench, as they contributed 13 points to the Bulldogs’ zero bench points.

The Bulldogs went on to be outscored 20-9 in the third quarter, but the game was still tied 46-46.

In the final quarter, the Lobos continued to pound the paint and knock down their threes, but the efforts from Jacobs and Sta. Maria kept the Bulldogs in the game.

However, after missing crucial free-throws in crunch time, the Lobos would pull away with the 65-61 win.

What’s next?

The Bulldogs play their final game of the season at San Diego State University against the Aztecs on March 4, at 6 p.m.

Afterward, the ‘Dogs open Mountain West Tournament play on March 9 in Las Vegas at the Thomas & Mack Center.