Lobos Selected for WNIT, Host Saint Mary’s on Thursday
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team will continue its 2017-18 season in the WNIT, as the team earned its 16th postseason berth, and sixth WNIT bid. The Lobos (23-10) will take on the Saint Mary’s Gaels on Thursday night at 7 p.m. at Johnson Center. Dreamstyle Arena is not available due to the Ty Murray Professional Bull Riding event, which is in the arena through Sunday.
Ticket information along with parking will be announced on GoLobos and on social media channels on Tuesday afternoon.
The selection is the first WNIT berth for the Lobos since the 2009-10 season, when the Lobos defeated SMU 66-51 before losing in the second round at Oregon. Overall, the Lobos have played in eight NCAA Tournaments, six WNITs and twice in the WBI. UNM has an overall postseason tournament record of 14-15, and UNM is 10-5 in its five previous WNIT appearances, including a championship game appearance in 2001 and a quarterfinal appearance in 2009.
For Lobo head coach Mike Bradbury, it marks his sixth postseason appearance in the last seven seasons, and his fourth NCAA or WNIT appearance in the last five.
The two teams have only met once before, and that was on November 3, 1996, a 71-60 overtime win in Moraga for the Lobos in Don Flanagan’s second season.
The Lobos and Saint Mary’s played just one common opponent, and that was Boise State. UNM split with the Broncos, winning 100-83 in Albuquerque and losing 91-85 in Boise, while Saint Mary’s beat Boise State early in the season 74-72 in Boise.
The Gaels finished 20-10 on the season, and the finished second in the West Coast Conference at 13-5, but they were upset in the quarterfinals by the No. 7 seed Pacific 77-73.
The matchup will see six 400+ point scorers on the floor. Jaisa Nunn (537), Cherise Beynon (534) and Tesha Buck (473) will hit the court for UNM, while Saint Mary’s features Stella Beck (462), Megan McKay (447) and Sydney Raggio (426). All three for Saint Mary’s have broken the 1,000-point marks in their careers, while Beynon and Buck have done so for UNM (with Buck’s split between UNM and UWGB).