It’s a new season, new team and new identity for Lobo women’s basketball and it’s time to battle for that top spot in the Mountain West as the 2015-16 season begins this week.
Lobos head coach Yvonne Sanchez begins her fifth season, and 16th overall as a member of the Lobo women’s basketball staff.
The excitement of the season’s journey takes many forms with arguably one of the deepest and most experienced teams in Sanchez’s era and potentially one of the best freshmen class in the history of the program.
“They are ready to ride their own moments for this season,” said Sanchez. “They are ready to create their own identity. We want to be the hunted, not the hunter.”
The Lobos return four of the five starters from last year season’s team that finished 21-13 (including 20 wins in its last 26 games), 14-4 mark in the MW (the 14 conference wins is the most ever by a Lobo team) for second place and a postseason appearance in the Women’s Basketball Invitational.
Bryce Owens, Khadijah Shumpert and Alexa Chavez all return for their final season and 2014-15 MW Freshman of the Year Cherise Beynon returns with a year of starting experience under her belt.
“Our front line and our post play are going to be really significant,” Sanchez said. “I think we are going to be able to really wear teams down.”
Owens and Beynon will be the go-to guards again this season. Owens shot 30.3 percent from the field and averaged 8.0 points and nearly three assists per game while Beynon was the third highest scorer on the team at 8.9 ppg, shooting 40 percent from the field.
Shumpert was second on the team in points scored last year, averaging 10.8 per game to go along with 5.8 rebounds per game. Chavez finished 2014-15 averaging 5.7 ppg and 5.3 rpg. Chavez is currently recovering from foot surgery and did not play in either exhibition but will be ready to go in the coming weeks.
“Shumpert is really going to take off from last year,” said Sanchez. “I think she is an all-conference player and can lead the league in rebounds. She has done a nice job scoring around the basket.”
The Lobos add three freshmen to the mix in Jaisa Nunn, Jannon Otto and Emily Lines. The three arrive with a lot of basketball experience in their high school careers and were rated the top recruiting class in the Mountain West. They have already shown in the exhibition games that they will compete hard and be a huge asset for the Lobos.
“I think this class is well ahead of any freshmen group that we have brought in since I have been here,” said Sanchez. “Jaisa, Jannon and Emily are all going to play. They are all going to get on the floor and their basketball IQ is very, very good.”
Nunn was the top scorer for the Lobos in both exhibitions, combining for 32 total points and 14 rebounds. Otto’s 12 points in the 78-41 win over Western New Mexico were second on the team, and Lines was able to get her feet wet on Bob King Court, showing she can shoot the three.
In addition to the returning starters and the freshmen class, the Lobos welcome back Whitney Johnson, who returns from her church mission in Mexico and will add depth down low. The Lobo had not played a game in two years until starting in the first exhibition match-up vs. Western New Mexico. She also comes back healthy after sitting out her freshman and redshirt sophomore seasons due to injury.
Along with Johnson, juniors Kianna Keller and Josie Greenwood will also see time at the post/forward positions. Keller led the Lobos with 49 blocks last season and picked up 3.3 rebounds per game. Greenwood averaged 2.5 ppg and 1.8 rebounds while averaging 11.5 minutes per game.
Sophomores Jayda Bovero, Laneah Bryan, Kenya Pye and Alex Lapeyrolerie (who returns after medical redshirt season in 2014-15) round out the depth for the Lobos in the guard position. All have seen time on the floor in the first two exhibitions games.
“We’re just so deep,” said Sanchez. “And we’re more talented than we’ve been in a long time. We’ve got a good low-post presence and better shooters.
The Lobos were picked to finish second in the Mountain West this season as announced on Oct.28. Shumpert earned Preseason Mountain West All-Conference while Otto picked up Freshman of the Year honors.
Coach Sanchez and her staff have mapped out a schedule to help the Lobos prepare for conference play. The schedule is highlighted by a home-and-home series with New Mexico State with road trips to Minnesota, SMU and UTEP before conference season opens at Nevada on Dec. 30. The Lobos host Sacramento State, Nicholls State and Pepperdine, plus a tough field for the annual UNM Thanksgiving Tournament that includes Southern Utah, North Carolina A&T and Duquesne.
The 2016 Mountain West Conference Tournament will run from March 7-11 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev. The Lobos will be fighting for the conference title and berth to the NCAA Tournament.
The 2015-16 journey begins Friday against Houston Baptist in WisePies Arena aka “The Pit”. For ticket information and a schedule of promotions, visit GoLobos.com’s ticket page here or by calling (505) 925-LOBO. Be sure to follow @LoboWBB on Twitter for all updates throughout the season.