Seattle opened the season with a 63-62 win over New Mexico on Monday morning in Albuquerque N.M., erasing an 11-point deficit in the final minutes and taking the lead for good with 1:31 left. New Mexico led for most of the game and had the ballgame in hand at 62-51 with 7:36 remaining before the finish unraveled.
The result hinged on a closing stretch that flipped the game after New Mexico had controlled 34:41 of play. SU cut the margin to 62-61 with 2:12 left, then moved in front at 1:31 and survived the last possession after missing both free throws with five seconds left. New Mexico then missed a turnaround jumper as time expired, a bitter end to a game it led 20-15 after one quarter, 37-30 at halftime and 55-50 after three.
Laila Abdurraqib was the central figure for UNM anyway, posting 20 points and 10 rebounds for her first career double-double. She added three assists and two steals while Gracie Kelsey, Mila Rynolds and Kate Wernli each scored 10 points. Kelsey also had seven rebounds and a game-high three blocks, while Savannah Stricker finished with a game-high five assists.
What New Mexico could not finish was the part that mattered most. It did not score in the final minutes, and that left a one-point season-opener loss that will follow the Lobos into the rest of the week more than any stat line will. The numbers say UNM led nearly the whole way; the finish says Seattle basketball still belongs to the team that makes the last clean play.
