New Mexico Lobos Women’s Basketball – On the Mountain West Road
Who/When: 3 p.m. (MT), Saturday – New Mexico (15-10, 11-3) at UNLV (11-13, 8-5 MW)
On The Air: 610-AM with Joe Behrend
GoLobos.com: Game Story, Game Notes, Final Box Score
By Richard Stevens – Senior Writer/GoLobos.com.
The UNLV Rebels appear to be getting their basketball act together. They have won five of six Mountain West games.
However, the Rebels will be facing the hottest team in the Mountain West on Saturday when the New Mexico Lobos visit Cox Pavilion. The Lobos have won eight straight games and 11 of 12.
This is sizzling meets hot. The only real advantage hot (UNLV) has is the Rebels will be trying to cool down the Lobos on UNLV turf.
“UNLV is very good and they are very good at home,” said Sanchez. “Our defense will be tested on Saturday.”
The Lobos and the Rebels are two teams that are winning because they have improved their play on both sides of the court. The UNM offense is rocking. Ditto for Vegas.
But these also are teams who lean heavily on defense. The Rebels usually use an attacking man-to-man and their defense was a huge key why they are coming off a 76-60 shocker over Boise State in the Broncos’ Taco Bell Arena. Boise State was 11-1 at home until UNLV’s visit.
You also have to take notice of the Rebels’ shooting percentage in that game – 54.5 percent; on the road. UNLV also posted a 73-70 overtime upset at then first place Fresno State. UNLV has won three straight on the road.
Still, coming back to Cox to play the Lobos probably is a good thing for the Rebels.
“I thought at the beginning of the year that they were one of the best teams in our conference and they are showing that,” said Sanchez.
The Lobos also are showing that they are one of the top teams in the conference, but at the end of the regular-season dash the Lobos would like to say they are No. 1. They go into Saturday’s games tied with Colorado State at 11-3. Fresno State sits at 9-4 and Boise State and UNLV are knotted at 8-5.
Which means Saturday’s game is huge for both Lobos and Rebels.
UNM is chasing a title and the Rebels are looking for better seeding for the upcoming Mountain West Tournament to be played in Vegas’ Thomas & Mack Center. UNLV has an outside shot at the regular-season crown, but those hopes would plummet with a loss to UNM.
The Vegas women are athletic and quick and use those qualities on both ends of the court. They can pressure a team into quick shots, mental mistakes and turnovers. They have scorers.
In the win at Boise State, UNLV had four players in double figures with Alana Cesarz knocking down 27 points. Cesarz is averaging 15.7 points a game with Danielle Miller carrying an 18.3 average. Aley Rohde averages 8.8 points.
The Rebels prefer a faster tempo than the Lobos. They average 70.4 points per game and give up 70 points. They don’t always shoot a high percentage and don’t always need a high percentage in order to win.
They like to attack with their quickness and athleticism and use the free-throw line to help pad the scoreboard. They can be a very good rebounding team.
The Rebels like a broken court, like transition, like second-chance points. The Lobos average 61 points per game and allow 59.8 points.
The Lobos are led in scoring by senior Antiesha Brown, who is throwing out an All-Mountain West season. She averages 13.8 points followed by Khadijah Shumpert with an 11.0 average. This is pretty much an inside-outside combination for UNM with Brown having the quickness to drive and finish at the rim.
The Lobos won the first meeting 63-60 in The Pit with Bryce Owens scoring 15 points vs. UNLV. That score was to UNM’s liking (in the 60s). UNLV would like to reach the 70s in Cox Pavilion.
“We have a good group of girls and we’re just having fun,” said Brown. “We are taking it game by game and we are not looking at the bigger scope of things.”