New Mexico vs. Western Michigan
7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10, 2017
Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit
UNM NOTES | WMU NOTES | WATCH | LISTEN | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The much-anticipated beginning of The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team’s season is here as the Lobos open the 2017-18 campaign 7 p.m. Friday against Western Michigan at Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit.
UNM is coming off a 15-15 season in coach Mike Bradbury’s first year at the helm and returns a strong core to go along with a talented group of newcomers that has the Lobos picked to finish fourth in the conference.
UNM returns All-Mountain West guard and MW Preseason Player of the Year Cherise Beynon and her 15.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.6 assists as well as fellow senior Alex Lapeyrolerie (11.4 ppg), junior post Jaisa Nunn (10.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg), senior guard Laneah Bryan (4.0 ppg), junior guard Emily Lines (2.9 ppg) and 2016-17 Mountain West All-Freshman guard Mykiel Burleson (9.7 ppg).
As for the newcomers, the Lobos have a pair of transfers who sat out last season in senior guard and MW Preseason Newcomer of the Year Tesha Buck and junior post Erica Moore. Buck will be one to watch as she comes from Wisconsin-Green Bay where she scored more than 1,000 points in her three seasons (10.3 ppg) and hit 57 or more 3-pointers in each of her three seasons.
UNM also has five freshmen hitting the court this season in MW Preseason Freshman of the Year N’Dea Flye (5-7, Oregon City, Ore.), Jasmine Smith (5-7, Houston, Texas), Jaedyn De La Cerda (5-6, Roswell, N.M.), Antonia Anderson (6-2, Cibolo, Texas) and Madi Washington (5-9, Red Oak, Texas).
The Lobos won a pair of exhibitions heading into Friday’s opener, beating Eastern New Mexico 80-66 on Nov. 1 and defeating NCAA Division II No. 22 Fort Lewis 84-68 on Sunday. Buck and Beynon paced UNM in the win over ENMU with 17 points apiece with Beynon adding eight rebounds and eight assists. It was Buck and Flye leading the scoring effort in the win over Fort Lewis with each scoring 14 points.
Western Michigan won its lone exhibition, beating Lake Superior State 72-59. Jasmyn Walker paced the Broncos with 17 points with Breanna Mobley adding 14 and Marley Hill tacking on 11.
SERIES HISTORY
The Lobos are 1-0 all-time against the Broncos with their lone meeting coming Nov. 9, 2007 – an 85-62 UNM victory in Albuquerque. Brandi Kimble led the Lobos with 22 points and 20 rebounds (both career highs at the time) while Amy Beggin added 19 points and six assists.
THE COACHES
The Lobos are led by head coach Mike Bradbury in his second season with UNM, his 11th season overall. Bradbury posts a career record of 193-130 and is 15-15 at the helm of the Lobos.
WMU is led by Shane Clipfell who is in his sixth season with the Broncos and seventh overall as a head coach. Clipfell has led WMU to an 80-79 mark in his tenure and is 93-90 overall as a head coach.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Friday’s game will be available to watch live on the Mountain West Network. Fans can also follow live via live stats (click here) or fans can also listen in on the radio. Josh Suchon and Lobo basketball alum Nikki Lobato will be on the call on 610 AM (click here to listen).