Stevens: Lobos Eye 2-Game Win Streak vs. Cal Poly

December 17, 2014

Stevens: Hot-Shooting UNM Lobos Bury Miners 72-57

New Mexico Lobos Women’s Basketball – in WisePies Arena/The Pit

When/Who: 7 p.m. (MT), Thursday – Cal Poly (4-5) at New Mexico (2-7)

Lobos On The Air: 610-AM with Joe Behrend

GoLobos.com: Game Story, LoboTV, Stats, Quotes

By Richard Stevens – Senior Writer/GoLobos.com

For the second time this season, Yvonne Sanchez’s Lobos have the chance to scratch out a two-game win streak and begin the all-important momentum building the Lobos want to take into the Mountain West wars.

The Cal Poly Mustangs do not plan on being polite guests and surely are looking to reverse the score they found Tuesday night in a 79-65 loss at New Mexico State.

The Lobos’ motivation is to go 2-0 in a week for the first time this season. The Mustangs’ motivation is to not go 0-and-2 in the state of New Mexico.

Sanchez said her Lobos are coming off their “most complete” game of the season in the 72-57 roll of the UTEP Miners. “It was a team win,” said Sanchez. “It gave us a lot of confidence.”

Confidence and momentum are huge at this point of the season. The Mountain West wars begin for the Lobos Dec. 31 at Fresno State. UNM has one more non-conference game prior to the Lobos’ visit to Fresno. UNM will host Northern Arizona Dec. 21 in WisePies Arena.

The Bulldogs of Fresno are throwing out a solid season. They are 6-3 and 5-0 at home. Boise State and Colorado State carry the league’s best records into action this week – both at 7-3. San Jose State and Wyoming are 5-4.

The road has not been kind to MW teams so far in 2014-15 as MW teams have six road wins and 35 losses. UNM’s league opener at Fresno is one of five MW games on Dec. 31 (Wednesday).

The Lobos are one of five MW teams who have yet to win a road game this season and no MW team has one more than one true road game. The Lobos are the only team in the league which has played more than two Top 25 teams. UNM has played four.

Sanchez said a key for her Lobos Thursday in The Pit vs. Cal Poly is to “keep shooting well.”

“We have some shooters,” said Sanchez. “We will continue to push the ball inside because we can score there, but we need to keep hitting perimeter shots.”

The Lobos are led in scoring by Antiesha Brown at 14.9 points per game. Khadijah Shumpert is UNM’s only other double-digit scorer with an 11.9 average. Shumpert brings down 7.0 rebounds per game. Brown has reached double figures in 20 of her past 22 games – and in seven straight.

Against Cal Poly, the Lobos have a main defensive target in 5-6 guard Ariana Elegado, who averages 15 points and 34 minutes. She is the straw that stirs the Mustangs’ offense.

“She is good,” said Sanchez. “She can do a little bit of everything.”

The Mustangs also get double-digit scoring from Kristen Ale, a 5-7 senior guard, who averages 10.2 points per game. Sanchez said the Mustangs’ offense leans to perimeter damage, but the Mustangs have a capable inside game.

The 6-3 Hannah Gilbert is the main threat in the paint with her 8.4 scoring average. The 6-foot Taryn Garza adds 7.7 points per game. Cal Poly had a 51-50 lead over NMSU in Cruces before the Aggies used a 14-0 run to seize control of the scoreboard. Elegado had 17 points at NMSU and Garza added 15 points.

“The big thing for us is we just have to keep getting better,” said Sanchez.

Thursday’s game is the first ever for the two programs. UNM is 2-2 in The Pit and against UTEP the Lobos had had season highs in points (72), shooting percentage (47.3 percent), 3-point shooting (45.5 percent) and assists (15).

New Mexico Lobos’ 2014-15 Season Roster

No.

Name

Pos.

Ht.

Yr.

Exp.

Hometown (Prev School)

Cherise Beynon

5-10

Fr.

Las Vegas, Nev. (Canyon Springs HS)