The Lobos suffered two long droughts and couldn't contain Oklahoma center Courtney Paris, falling 63-74 the Sooners in The Pit Wednesday night.
New Mexico (2-1) was down 14 points in the first half, then rallied to go into the locker room trailing by one point.
"Halftime came at the perfect time because it really cut off their momentum," Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said.
The Sooners (3-0) relied on perimeter play in the first half to build a quick lead, then lobbed the ball inside to Paris at will during the second half to seal a win.
Paris finished with 26 points and 18 rebounds.
Versatile junior forward Leah Rush paced the Sooners with 14 points and two rebounds.
Lobos' sophomore forward Dionne Marsh countered with 23 points and five rebounds, but it wasn't enough to overcome Oklahoma's balanced attack.
"They're dangerous everywhere," New Mexico senior guard Abbie Letz said. "They don't just have one good player. You can't let up on them at all."
Letz said she isn't sure why New Mexico suffered a pair of painful slumps, trailing by 14 in the first half and 17 in the second half before trying to claw it's way back into the game.
"If we had an answer, it wouldn't of happened," she said.
Coale complimented the Lobos poise rallying from an early deficit and the raucous atmosphere of The Pit. The game drew 6,103 fans, well below the team's typical average around 8,500, but the crowd made up for it by being loud.
"Your crowd is pretty smart," Coale said. "They understand when to be loud and when to be quiet."
The Lobos don't have much time to linger on the loss, leaving Thursday morning for Austin, Texas. They will face No. 12 Texas Friday.
Check out Thursday's Tribune for a bonanza of New Mexico women's basketball coverage, including a Richard Stevens' take on the Lobos.

Posted by ilimon at 09:48 PM | Permalink