New Mexico Lobos Women – Women’s Basketball Invitational
West Region – Second Round – Johnson Center
Monday: 7 p.m., Oral Roberts (17-15) at New Mexico 21-12)
On The Air: 610-AM with Joe Behrend and Nikki Heckroth-Lovato
By Richard Stevens – Senior Writer/GoLobos.com
If you go by the seeding in the Women’s Basketball Invitational, it only gets tougher for the New Mexico Lobos Monday night when the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles invade Johnson Center.
The Lobos got past No. 8 seed North Dakota 54-51 in first-round action and the Golden Eagles come into Albuquerque as the No. 5 seed in the West.
Of course, Oral Roberts is looking at the West’s No. 1 seed in New Mexico and the Lobos not only are red hot in general, they have never lost a game on the Johnson Center floor.
Just don’t tell the high-flying Golden Eagles that that career mark is 1-0.
“It was a fun atmosphere,” said Lobo Alexa Chavez of playing on the floor more known for New Mexico volleyball.
Said senior Antiesha Brown: “We’ve played everywhere in the nation at this point, so we can’t let the gym or the atmosphere get into our heads.
“We just hope the fans are there.”
The crowd for the Lobos’ first game in the WBI was not huge but Oral Roberts presents an interesting challenge. The Golden Eagles come out of the Summit league and have won seven of their past 10 games.
The Lobos have won 17 of their last 20 games.
These are two teams that know how to win, but there will be no tie Monday night in Johnson Center.
“We have to do better on the boards, “was a comment by Lobo Coach Yvonne Sanchez following the three-point win over North Dakota and that might be even truer with Oral Roberts’ Vicky McIntyre taking the court on Monday.
McIntyre stands 6-foot-7.
McIntyre pulls down 15.9 boards a game.
McIntyre averages 15.7 points per game.
So which Lobo is going to guard McIntyre?
UNM’s Kianna Keller stands 6-foot-4 and might come off the bench quickly if UNM’s 6-foot Khadijah Shumpert has problems with McIntyre – or gets into foul trouble, which Shumpert is prone to do.
Oral Roberts naturally likes to get the ball inside to McIntyre. The Golden Eagles’ top threat on the perimeter is 5-9 guard Ate Jackson with a 9.3 average and 6-1 forward Dorottya Balla, who averages 8.8 points per game.
Like the Lobos, the production off the bench is spotty. UNM is led by Antiesha Brown at 14.9 points per game and Khadijah Shumpert at 10.7 points per game.
Oral Roberts advanced with a 57-57 win over Texas State in San Marcos, Texas. The Golden Eagles held Texas State without a field goal in the final 5:21 to grab the win and advance to play New Mexico. McIntyre had 16 points and 22 rebounds in that win.
McIntyre is the ninth player in NCAA history to record 500 rebounds in a season, and she needs 32 more to break the single-season record held by Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris in 2006.
The Lobos are just hoping she doesn’t break that record Monday in Johnson Center.
The winner of the Oral Roberts/New Mexico game advances to play Louisiana Lafayette, which defeated McNeese State 63-58 in their quarterfinal, on March 26.