COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team has been tabbed to finish sixth in the Mountain West while junior Cherise Beynon and freshman Mykiel Burleson have earned preseason honors, the league announced Wednesday.
OFFICIAL MOUNTAIN WEST RELEASE
The voting panel consisted of the league’s 11 head coaches and select women’s basketball media from around the conference. UNM collected a total of 176 votes including one first-place vote.
Colorado State claimed the top spot for the third-straight season with 283 points including 17 first-place votes, followed by Boise State (271, 11) and Fresno State (225).
Junior guard Cherise Beynon is one of just five student-athletes to be selected to 2016-17 Mountain West Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team. Beynon is coming off of her 2015-16 All-Mountain West First Team selection as a sophomore.
Last season, Beynon led the Mountain West in steals with 1.97 per game and also ranked in the top 10 in five categories including assists, steals, three-point percentage, three-point field goals made and assist/turnover ratio. Beynon also registered 12.3 points per game in 2015-16 and is the top returning scorer for the Lobos.
“I think Cherise has had a good career up to this point,” head coach Mike Bradbury said. “With her athletic ability and ability to shoot the ball, I think she has a chance to be a great player and have another good season.”
Beynon is joined on the Preseason All-Conference Team by Brooke Pahukoa (Boise State), Ellen Nystrom (Colorado State), Bego Faz Davalos (Fresno State) and Dezz Ramos (San Jose State).
Freshman Mykiel Burleson was named Preseason Freshman of the Year in the poll. Burleson comes to the Lobos from Pflugerville, Texas where she helped her high school team to the 2012 State Semifinals. A First-Team All-District selection and 2016 McDonald’s All-American nominee, Burleson was ranked No. 25 at the wing position prior to her signing with the Lobos.
“Mykiel is very talented,” Bradbury said. “I think she has a chance to be a really good player at the college level. I am expecting her to play significant minutes for us and be a key contributor.”
The Lobos, who finished fifth in the Mountain West standings last season, will be led by Bradbury in his first season with UNM this year. Bradbury looks to lead the Lobos to reaching their full potential in 2016-17.
“I think I’m like most coaches in that I don’t pay a whole lot of attention to preseason rankings,” Bradbury said. “We’re going to try to be the best team that we can be this season.”
The Lobos will host their first exhibition game on Tuesday, Nov. 1 against Fort Lewis at 7 p.m. in WisePies Arena – The Pit. UNM will host one more exhibition contest on Nov. 6 against Eastern New Mexico before kicking off the 2016-17 season on Nov. 12 against Fairleigh Dickinson at 2 p.m. UNM will host its first four games before traveling to Texas Tech on Nov. 20.