I wrote two stories for Lobo Zone and today's paper about Lauren Taylor orally committing to the Lobos. I always end my interviews asking if the person has anything else they'd like to add. Sometimes people respond as though they think I'm retarded since I'm the one who called them and should have all the questions. But every once in awhile my curiosity is rewarded enough that I keep asking the dopey question. Taylor was one of the rewards. I asked if she had anything else she'd like to add and she paused, giggled and said "Woo-hoo! I'm going to be a Lobo." I can't convey her excitement about coming to UNM any better than that remark.

In other news, I saw Valerie Kast on her way to the training room Tuesday, and she had good news. She's off her crutches and continues to improve. She was all smiles and really happy to be off those crutches and walking normally. I don't know what kind of magic mojo they have in the UNM training room, but every athlete who suffers an injury always seems to recover ahead of schedule.

Posted by at 3:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I wrote a story for today's Tribune about the injury bug that bit the UNM women's basketball team. In addition to Dionne Marsh, who is recovering to back surgery, the Lobos lost Nikki Nelson for the season to a severe knee injury. Valerie Kast also suffered torn ligaments in her right leg and will miss the next few months of workouts.

The good news for fans is Dionne Marsh is healing quickly. I got a chance to see Marsh shooting in the practice facility while talking with the men's and women's basketball coaches. It's really nice their offices are so close together. Anyway, Dionne looked great for someone who just had back surgery. UNM coach Don Flanagan said she had just been cleared to jog, but she looked pretty fluid in her movement. She wasn't sprinting or doing anything too challenging. She was just shooting at a basket with Amy Beggin. Her release doesn't seem to have been impacted by any lingering pain.

I also think getting Georonika Jackson some playing time at point guard is good for the Lobos. There were a few times late last season when Flanagan threw her in the bring the ball up under pressure. Katie Montgomery was beat up with a ga-jillion injuries and Amy Beggin was taking a beating physically too. Jackson has a strong enough build and speed that she was able to take care of the ball nicely. If she spends more time at the point, she'll get more comfortable and become a nice option for the Lobos when teams like UNLV decide to roll out a vicious full-court press.

Nelson's injury is tough, but I think the Lobos will be able to compensate well with Jackson. Kast's injury is much worse even though she'll be back for most of the season. The only thing stopping Kast from getting a lot more playing time has been mediocre conditioning and a few habits she picked up playing European ball that Flanagan hates. Those problems are easily corrected with more practice time. The problem is she missed all that time with the injury.

And for the record, this is Exhibit A in my argument we aren't going to be ignoring women's basketball this year.

Posted by at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The UNM Alumni Letterman's Association announced 19 former Lobo athletes will receive fifth year scholarships, allowing them to complete work toward degrees after their UNM athletic scholarships expired. This year the group renamed the award in honor of George Brooks, who ran the ski program at UNM for 37 years and led the Lobos to their sole national championship. Brooks retired this year.

Here's the list of athletes who received scholarships:
Alanna Abeyta, women’s soccer; Charlie Beljan, men’s golf; Julie Briody, women’s basketball; Becky Dover, softball; Matt Foote, baseball; Kaela Kelly, women’s soccer; Lars Loseth, men’s skiing/men’s soccer; Alex Mach, men’s skiing; Nora Quintal, women’s tennis; Amy Ray, softball; Petter Roering, men’s skiing; Jay Russell, baseball; Bridgette Sanchez, women’s soccer; Jackie Smith, baseball; Kelly Soldow, swimming; Daniel Stovall, baseball; Kristine Sweat, women’s soccer; Jenna Syverson, swimming; and Jedd Young, men’s skiing.

Posted by at 4:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The mystery is over. UNM forward Dionne Marsh's surgery was to repair two dislocated discs in her back, an injury she dealt with all of last season.

It's pretty crazy to think that she dealt with such a severe injury during the basketball season, especially considering the beating she always took in the paint.

Marsh and UNM coach Don Flanagan were optimistic about her making a 100 percent recovery. If she is able to make the physical transition smoothly, she still could face a few mental challenges. It's tough to be vulnerable and take a beating again when you've suffered such a severe injury.

Posted by at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A story I had been working on for quite awhile made it in to the Fourth of July edition to the Tribune. It turns out that the Lobos' poor academic progress rates in men's basketball and baseball will likely cost both programs scholarships next year. The first-year coaches of both teams are working to improve the numbers, but it appears they have too much to overcome to avoid sanctions. The football team is close to the line, but it appears the program will avoid losing scholarships.

The APR is a very complicated topic, so feel free to post any questions you have about it. I'll do my best to answer the questions.

Posted by at 6:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

As most of us enjoy this lazy day, celebrating our independence, a whole lot of coaches are on the road. July may mean sizzling summer for the rest of us, but it's recruiting, recruiting, recruiting for college coaches. The UNM women's basketball coaches have scattered throughout the country now that all but one of their summer camps are over. (There's one more right before school starts in August). At least one recruit was expecting to see the coaches later this month in Memphis. And when I caught up with UNM coach Don Flanagan Monday, he was driving to Oregon for the End of the Mountain Trail tournament, a pretty big AAU tournament widely known out west.

These tournaments are not just about looking at next years recruiting class, but scoping talent for the next two or three years. It's important for programs like UNM, looking to move up from strong to elite program, to forge these relationships early.

Enjoy the rest of the holiday and a short rest of the work week.

Posted by at 4:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm doing a three-week rotation working as the morning sports editor, so I'm a little behind on my blog updates. My temporary responsibility means I have to be at work at 4 a.m., which means I get up at 3 a.m. It's not natural. At all.

So here are some women's basketball notes I have been meaning to post but hadn't gotten around to yet:

A few people asked me which player at the scrimmage was Deeva Vaughn. Just to clarify, she was not at the scrimmage. She is taking summer school, so she only attended the camp's night sessions.

No one got to see Duncanville standout Veronica Mergersen because she couldn't play in the scrimmage due to her ankle injury, but I got to see her do some drills. She is a good shooter and has the athleticism you need to play at this level.

Everyone who saw the scrimmage loves Talisha Joe. And I think she's great. She has tremendous ball-handling and passing skills. But she must improve her shot. She shoots, literally, from the hip. She also has pretty slow delivery. If she doesn't adjust that shot, it will get blocked an awful lot in college and will be a turnoff for coaches. I think she will make the changes needed to land a Division I scholarship, but I don't think she's a good fit for the Lobos, who already have three solid young point guards -- Amy Beggin, Georonika Jackson and Nikki Nelson. Yes, Jackson could play the two, but she also looks really good at the point. To be fair to Joe, she deserves to go somewhere where she will get more attention and playing time.

You have to keep in mind who the Lobos are looking to replace with this class -- Dionne Marsh, Brandi Kimble and Morgan Saso. That means you need size, scoring ability and athleticism.

Feel free to post any other questions about players attending the position camp in the comments section of the blog.

Posted by at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)

The University of New Mexico's position camp began tonight, with about 40 athletes participating.

I'll have more details about the campers in Monday's Tribune, but I just wanted to post a quick note about new times for the big end-of-camp scrimmages Tuesday morning. The first scrimmage will be at 8 a.m. and the second one, with the top-shelf talent, will be at 9:30 a.m. Both games will be played in The Pit. They are free and open to the public.

Based on the workouts I watched Sunday night, I think the games should be pretty entertaining.

Posted by at 10:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I know the rabid UNM women's basketball fans already have the date marked on their calendars, but here's a quick reminder for everyone else about the Lobos' position camp. The camp draws top high school students, including UNM recruits. It runs Sunday through Tuesday, with a big scrimmage featuring the top talent at 10 a.m. Tuesday in The Pit. As always, it's free and open to the public.

Posted by at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt was hospitalized after having a dizzy spell and passing out at her home Thursday. School officials said they just think it is a bad case of dehydration. Thompson-Bowling Arena is under renovation, so Summitt was running a busy slate of summer camps at other gyms on campus that do not have air conditioning. So Tennessee has a lot on the University of New Mexico, but at least the Lobos can count on air conditioning.

Posted by at 7:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

For some reason, UNM women's basketball coach Don Flanagan is keeping the complete nonconference schedule for the 2007-08 season to himself. We do know the Lobos will be playing Stanford and the Women's Sports Foundation Challenge. We also know Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona State and Texas Tech aren't on the schedule.

It's hard to talk much about next season, but was it good to trade the relatively strong teams likely on the Women's Sports Foundation Challenge slate for the powerhouses Arizona State and Oklahoma? Does adding Stanford offset losing the Sun Devils and Sooners? If UNM upsets the Cardinal in The Pit, will people dismiss the victory because it came before rabid Lobo fans?

Posted by at 8:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It's like being a diehard Red Sox fan (which I am) and finding out the Red Sox-Yankees series is over. Baseball has decided these two teams shall never meet again. It's ridiculous. Both teams can say if we win the series this season and don't win the championship, then it's OK.

Alas, it appears college women's basketball's best rivalry is toast. The Tennessee-UConn series is over, with the Lady Vols refusing to sign on for two more years. This hurts the entire sport because it was the one time you were guaranteed to see stories on women's basketball in major papers throughout the country before the Final Four. It was a big, sexy rivalry that was easy to love. It had all the dirty jabs you could ask for and tons of competitive play.

When I heard the news yesterday, I assumed Tennessee coach Pat Summitt got fed up with UConn's brash coach Geno Auriemma. I guess she doesn't like her team being referred to as the Evil Empire. A lot of other people felt the same way and have roasted Summitt for taking her toys and going home.

But ESPN.com columnist Mechelle Voepel offers a different and rather interesting take, highlighting how much Summitt has done for women's basketball. She notes Summitt's Vols always play the toughest schedule of any team in the country and are always willing play anyone, anywhere. That's usually a tactic reserved for up-and-coming programs desperate to make a name for themselves, not the best women's basketball program in the country. She hated how Auriemma's quips made the rivalry game more about the coaches than the teams.

Still, can't they find some way to make amends? Women's college basketball just isn't the same without this rivalry.

Posted by at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Dionne Marsh had surgery to repair an undisclosed injury at the end the spring semester, according to UNM coach Don Flanagan. Here is the story I wrote about Marsh's injury from today's Tribune.

It is supposed to take about three months for her recover, putting her back at full strength in August. Flanagan said Marsh is at home with her family this month, but will be on campus in July.

Flanagan said it is Marsh's choice whether she wants to disclose the nature of the injury, and I have not been able to reach her for comment.

Posted by at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Alright UNM women's basketball fans, summer school is under way today and your favorite players are back in town.

I ran into Angela Hartill working out at the Tow Diehm complex last week, and she seems to be logging the extra hours she did last summer with the hopes of making major improvements before next season. And I saw Amy Beggin at mass Sunday at the Newman Center, the Catholic church on campus.

The first day camp began today and we're not too far away from the big position camp designed to showcase the best talent. So stay tuned for updates and feel free to send your story ideas my way.

Posted by at 6:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

OK sports fans, I have been asked to point out a poll running on CBS Sportsline to name the Most Dominant College Mascot on Earth. The Web site is doing the showdowns NCAA tourney style with seedings brackets. The No. 7 New Mexico Lobos have rolled to the regional finals but are losing a grudge match against No. 8 BYU Cougars.

How can you, as New Mexicans who naturally loathe all things BYU, correct this problem? Vote for the Lobos at this Web site. You UTEP fans who read my blog, because you know me, feel free to vote as well. Aggies feel free to join in as well. You know you don't like Lobos or Cougars, but you truly hate Cougars a lot more than anyone else out there.

The deadline is Friday, so get to work. There isn't much time to catch and pass pesky BYU.

And to any BYU fans who read this blog, ummm ... sorry. I grew up in El Paso and attended UNM. Just chalk it up to a friendly rivalry and know I have nothing respect for your teams during the football and women's basketball seasons.

Posted by at 2:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

It's been interesting watching the debate on the last blog entry, but it's well past time for me to change the subject.

As of late today, the UNM women's basketball program was not expecting to receive a letter of intent to fill the void left by center Morgan Saso, who would have been a junior next season. UNM coach Don Flanagan said the Lobos were targeting one player but it was pretty late in the process to go back and offer a scholarship to the player. Aztec guard Patricia Malouff, who was rumored to be a walk-on candidate, signed a letter of intent to play for Eastern New Mexico. Her high school coach told me nothing has changed and Malouff has not made any moves to get out of her letter of intent with Eastern to join the Lobos.

So the game plan appears to hang on to that scholarship and have three available to replace a very small but potent senior class -- Brandi Kimble and Dionne Marsh. That's gotta be a fun recruiting assignment. Go find two replacements for Kimble and Marsh. If the coaches are courting explosive scorers and trying to step up a level in terms of recruiting stars, it should be no surprise the Lobos don't have any early commitments yet.

Posted by at 3:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

As Andrew Leo Lopez so kindly pointed out, I did miss breaking the story on Morgan Saso's departure from the Lobos. I tip my hat to the Journal for catching it. Here is a link to follow-up story I wrote for today's Trib.

I have to say that Saso's departure didn't exactly come as a surprise. I think she was a very strong high school player, but a ton of time with Aaron Day didn't help her develop the kind of speed she needs to compete at UNM. I know Lobos fans love every player who joins the team, but you also pine for big wins in March. Saso's departure makes room someone who can step up the talent level and help make that happen. In exchange, she gets a chance to play in her hometown on a team that will showcase her skills.

Saso once told me she spoke to her parents and brothers easily three times a day. That's three calls to each person, illustrating just how close they are to each other. She took her redshirt year very well, but the fact that she had mastered the physical skills in the offense but still was being passed up by younger players obviously was taking its toll. University of California-Bakersfield, her new school, is an independent school transitioning to Division I basketball. The team will play its first all-Division I schedule next season. The UNM coaches helped her find a good school and arrange the transfer. It seems like a really good fit for her, and I know we all wish her the best.

Now, how are the Lobos going to use that nice extra scholarship?

UNM coach Don Flanagan said he has his eyes on one high school player who could step up and make an immediate impact. He sounds almost as confident in her skills as he did in Amy Beggin, but I'm only getting tiny hints because NCAA rules preclude him talking about a specific recruit and definitely bans naming names. He also said he is more than comfortable just using the scholarship next year. We won't have to wait very long to figure out who he is looking at because signing day is next week.

In other news, Flanagan said he's excited to see all of next year's players in summer school come June. The current Lobos are heading home or are already there enjoying a brief post-finals break. The school year runs a little later for Washington recruits Amanda Best and Nikki Nelson, overlapping with the start of UNM summer school. Flanagan said they are making arrangements to leave high school early and jump right into the college ranks.

That's all for now. Post any thoughts about Saso's transfer or questions in the comments section.

Posted by at 8:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)

UNM women's basketball players Timi E-Nunu and Brandi Kimble were among six athletes recognized as Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars. Athletes haveto compete in an intercollegiate sport, maintain at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA and be active on their campuses or in their communities. Here's the list of UNM athletes honored:

Women's Basketball
Timi E-Nunu, 3rd Team
Brandi Kimble, 4th Team

Women's Soccer
Terryn Granados, 1st Team
Alanna Abeyta, 2nd Team

Women's Tennis
Nora Quintal, 4th Team

Women's Track & Field
Kristan Matison, 1st Team

Posted by at 1:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

For those of you who could not make it to the UNM women's basketball awards banquet, here 's a run down of the award winners:

Best Attitude - Amy Beggin

Most Improved - Christian Shelter

Best Defensive - Brandi Kimble

Community Lobo - Katie Montgomery

Reaching for the Stars - Julie Briody

I did not attend the banquet because I had other work, but I must be the only one in town who wasn't there. The event at Hotel Albuquerque in Old Town was supposed to draw more than 900 people.

Posted by at 9:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The NCAA has banned coaches from text messaging recruits in all sports beginning in August. Coaches around the country pleaded to have restrictions made on text messaging instead of an all-out ban, but Thursday the NCAA's board of directors shot down their compromises. The NCAA did leave open the possibility of revisiting that legislation as early as 2008.

We've done some text messaging stories in the past and know a lot of UNM programs take advantage of the option. It's mostly done by assistant coaches who are younger and more adept at using the technology during the recruiting season.

Here's a complete story on the ban that was posted on ESPN.com.

I'm not surprised the NCAA made this decision because it always reacts strongly when it hears athletes are being pressured or adversely affected by anything coaches do during the recruiting process. Some athletes were bombarded by text messages, which rolled in during classes and all hours of the day and night. They also sometimes paid high fees when the text messages weren't part of their cell phone plan. And many said they felt pressure to reply or call the coach when they got the message, adding more stress.

I also think the rule may be amended in 2008 because the call for a compromise came a little too late. The coaches didn't really articulate their argument formally until this week, long after piles and piles of testimonials from athletes and their parents already had made a disturbing impression on the NCAA. A better case can be made next year and texting could make a comeback. With lots of rules and restrictions, of course. It's the NCAA ... you gotta have the rules and restrictions.

Posted by at 7:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Three athletes who saw significant playing time are leaving the Utah women's basketball program, according to the Deseret News. Sophomore forward Joh-Teena Filipe, junior forward Marie Warner and freshman guard Brette Ulsaker have all left the Utes program. The Deseret News reported they were released from their scholarships but did not indicate whether the players were planning to transfer to other Division-I programs.

I think this is a pretty significant blow for Utah. While these players probably weren't happy and are better playing elsewhere, they represented a huge chunk of Utah's talent and experience. Filipe got tremendous experience during the Utes' Elite Eight run two years ago and was a great force opposite Jessica Perry inside. Marie Warner easily was the Utes' most athletic player, often coming off the bench and giving Utah a strong inside-out presence. And Ulsaker had a lot of potential and picked up experience this season when Utah was forced to go with a very young rotation of players.

Obviously Utah still has a strong program and sophomore point guard Morgan Warburton will be the team's leader for the next two seasons, but this is still quite a blow. With Wyoming surging and BYU and New Mexico constantly reloading, you can't afford to take a step back to replace this many talented players.

Posted by at 2:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Wyoming officially put the Mountain West Conference on notice. You can't look at the Cowgirls as a strong middle of the pack team. Joe Legerski can't convince me he's still building his program anymore. TThe Cowgirls passed UNLV as more than just a thorn in everyone's side, capable of upsets here and there. Wyoming has to mentioned in the same breath as powerhouses New Mexico, Utah, TCU and BYU.

The Cowgirls rolled to a 72-56 win over Wisconsin Saturday, claiming the WNIT championship. It was a sweet ending to a breathless tournament run that saw record crowds turn out in Laramie, Wyo., to support the best basketball team in town. It sounds an awful lot like the Lobos' run to the WNIT championship, which came right before they rattled off six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

Wyoming has done it all without a senior in the starting lineup and a seven-player rotation. The Cowgirls have a solid recruiting class and should develop more reserves to make them an even stronger team next year. And you can't underestimate how extended postseason play and a championship can propel a team to greater heights.

This is really great news for the Mountain West Conference. It will be a challenge to keep up with this flourishing program, but that's a wonderful headache.

Now all I ask is that Wyoming toughens up its schedule. The Cowgirls mowed down some pretty big name teams in the WNIT, so it's clear they can compete at the highest level. The reason they didn't get an NCAA Tournament invite and TCU did was because the Frogs played a ton of Top 25 teams before Mountain West play began. TCU didn't even have to beat those teams, the Frogs were just be smart enough to schedule them. I'm not saying Wyoming should bite off more than it can chew, but the Cowgirls' biggest non-conference game can't be Montana State anymore. This championship should get Wyoming an invite to the pre-season WNIT. Wyoming needs to be in that tournament and stay on the national radar. It's the natural next step for a program that is growing by leaps and bounds.

Posted by at 6:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Wyoming women's basketball team has made an impressive postseason run after getting snubbed by the NCAA Tournament. The Cowgirls just survived a thriller, knocking off defending Women's NIT champs Kansas State 89-79 in triple overtime. Here's a recap of the big game. Wyoming will face Wisconsin in Laramie, Wyo., Saturday for WNIT championship. This is definitely huge for the Cowgirls' program, which really hasn't seen this kind of success before. It's also really cool that the team has been drawing crowds on par with the Lobos throughout its WNIT run.

This, of course, makes Wyoming a mighty dangerous team next season. The Cowgirls don't have any seniors and should develop more depth beyond their seven player rotation that made them pretty tough to beat this year. And they'll have all that postseason experience and confidence to boot.

Posted by at 10:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Porche Torrance, a Fort Worth-area athlete who will be a freshman on the UNM women's basketball team next season, is catching women's NCAA Tournament regional games in Dallas. Tonight she'll see North Carolina take on Purdue live. "It's been great seeing all the games so far," Torrance said when I reached her at home Tuesday afternoon. "I got to see Lisa Leslie in person for the first time. She's an amazing player and it was cool to see her in person instead of just on TV."

While she has been impressed by the players she has seen, Torrance said her favorite current college athlete is Tennessee's Candace Parker. Parker and the Lady Vols are playing in the Dayton regional. "She's just an amazing player," Torrance said. "She just does it all."

Parker has been especially impressive in this year's NCAA Tournament, dominating every matchup. I wouldn't be surprised if she led the Lady Vols to their first national title since 1998.

Posted by at 5:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

Sorry for the lag in blog updates. I've been suffering from my annual end of the football and women's basketball season illness. My job's great, but it's no picnic going nine months straight without a real day off. I'm on the mend and should be back on track soon with more UNM sports news.

Here are the dates for the UNM women's basketball team:

Day Camp
June 4-7

Individual Camp
June 11-14

Team Camp
June 15-17

Position Camp
June 24-26

If you want to sign up, contact the UNM women's basketball office at 505-925-5770. This year's brochure isn't up yet at golobos.com, but it should be there soon. You can find camp info for all UNM sports at this link.

I'm sure camp events will be spread around at Johnson Center, the practice facility and The Pit, but the scrimmages you want to see likely will be in The Pit again this year. I'll post more updates when we get much closer to the camps.

Posted by at 1:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I think it's safe to say everyone who made this trip to Hartford is pretty disappointed. A lot of fans and members of the media couldn't get a Southwest flight out yesterday, so we're heading home today.

This one has to sting for everyone because it really is the one that got away. The team overcame so many obstacles, but nothing seemed to click Sunday.

Rather than rehash the loss, which really isn't going to make anyone feel better, I wrote a story for today's paper looking at next year's team. I think it's going to be a very interesting group. Lots of talent, lots of youth. UNM coach Don Flanagan said the lineup is going to force him to experiment a lot more. If experimenting means substituting, and I think it does, I think it will be very good for the group. Flanagan admits he has had too quick a hook with younger players. It''s something fans have been lamenting for a long time.

So let me know what you think of next year's lineup? Who should be the starters? Do you think any of the incoming freshmen will crack the top five spots?

Posted by at 8:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

The Lobos chose one of the worst times to play its worst game of the season. UNM couldn't run its offense and lack the fire that propelled it to a Mountain West Conference tournament championship.

Check out Lobo Zone soon for complete postgame coverage.

Posted by at 6:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

UNM has had its chances to get back in this game but has never been able to run its offense or score consistently. This is the Lobos' last chance to make something happen.

Posted by at 6:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Julie Briody banked a 3-pointer to help the Lobos chip a little bit into Wisconsin-Green Bay's team. After an early burst of energy by the Phoenix, both teams have settled in to a bit of a stalemate. The Lobos fouled Wisconsin-Green Bay, prompting the official timeout. It's time for seniors Katie Montgomery and Briody to step up the scoring.

Posted by at 6:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos have to wake up now. They are still playing pretty sloppy basketball and it's going to cost them a very winnable game. Wisconsin-Green Bay got five offensive rebounds in a row and before UNM finally got a steal. The team has to either settle down or pack up to go home.

Posted by at 6:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, I guess the chat went OK. Angela Hartill took the ball strong inside, but then Nicole Soulis scored in the low post on the other side. Timi E-Nunu isn't finishing around the basket like she did in Vegas, and it hurts having Dionne Marsh on the bench. We'll see how she responds whenever UNM coach Don Flanagan throws her back in the game. She's likely sitting for some pretty weak defense and rebounding.

Posted by at 6:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM coach Don Flanagan called a timeout after the Phoenix went on a 11-2 run to open the second half. The Lobos came out flat, while Wisconsin-Green Bay came out pretty hungry for some buckets. We'll see how they respond to his chat.

Posted by at 6:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, that was just an ugly first half of basketball. Neither team played especially well, but UNM climbed out of the cellar to take a 29-26 halftime.

The Lobos haven't been sharp by any stretch of the imagination, and I'm sure they're hearing an earful right now from UNM coach Don Flanagan after getting our-rebounded 21-13 by a much shorter team.

The brightest spot for UNM has to be Brandi Kimble, who seems to be the only Lobo who remembers what happened in Vegas. She has a game-high seven points, four steals and three boards. She also is the only player on either squad to log a full 20 minutes in the first half.

Wisconsin-Green Bay wasn't exactly lighting it up either. The Phoenix's leading scorer is guard Kayla Grohl with six points. Senior forward Nicole Soulis, the team's leading scorer this season, only has two points.

It will be very interesting to see how UNM opens the second half. This is very much a winnable game for the Lobos. They just have to figure out how to play up their potential.

Posted by at 5:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM has rallied from a particularly ugly start to claim a 25-21 lead over Wisconsin-Green Bay. The Lobos' guards have knocked down mid-range jumpers. Brandi Kimble has been all over the court, giving UNM a big lift on both sides of the ball. The only trouble is Katie Montgomery, Julie Briody and Timi E-Nunu all have two fouls apiece.

Posted by at 5:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM is playing some mean defense and Katie Montgomery knocked down a few shots to help the Lobos claw back into this game. Brandi Kimble is having another strong game, but the rest of the team has yet to show the form it flashed during the Mountain West Conference tournament in Vegas. Of course, this isn't exactly abnormal behavior for a UNM team. If you're going to start a half poorly, better the first half than the second.

Posted by at 5:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Brandi Kimble has five points, keeping UNM in the game with Wisconsin-Green Bay. UNM just started in a funk and is trailing the Phoenix 15-7 with 11:24 left in the first half. Kimble and Marsh have the Lobos only points so far.

Posted by at 5:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM is off to a sluggish start, going 1-of-8 from the field. Dionne Marsh hit the only basket for UNM. Senior forward Timi E-Nunu also picked up two quick fouls. The only good news is UNM's defense is giving Wisconsin-Green Bay just as much grief, forcing three steals already.

Sloppy so far. Let's see what happens as both teams settle down a bit.

Posted by at 4:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Both teams are warming up and coach Don Flanagan's cheering section is really filling in behind UNM's bench. The Flanagan family made special T-shirts for the event and are all fired up. A friend of his handed me copies of some great yearbook photos of Don from high school. If it weren't for the massive snowstorm, we would have had them in the paper Saturday. I'll see if I can find a way to get them scanned and uploaded soon enough. Trust me, they're pretty funny.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Posted by at 4:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ole Miss was just too much for TCU, leaving the Lobos the only Mountain West Conference team still standing in this year's NCAA Tournament. The Frogs had a lot of turnovers early. They also were out-rebounded 46-37 overall and 25-16 on the offensive glass. And it's tough for TCU to win Hobbs High standout Adrianne Ross only scores nine points. I thought she had some strong passing moments but seemed pretty tentative. BYU fell to Louisville yesterday, so it's all about the Lobos now.

Posted by at 3:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

No. 13 seed Marist, a team the Lobos beat in The Pit last year, upset No. 4 seed Ohio State 67-63. It was the first NCAA Tournament win for any team from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Marist looked a lot like last year's team that faced UNM, with several of the star players from this game in the starting lineup last season. The Red Foxes' coach, Brian Giorgis, is one of the winningest coaches in New York high school hoops history.

Elsewhere, No. 3 Arizona State narrowly dodged an upset by No. 14 UC-Riverside, winning 57-50. The Highlanders had a 10-point lead with eight minutes left before going on a 19-2 run to close out the game.

No. 11 BYU lost to No. 6 Louisville 80-54, giving the Mountain West Conference an 0-1 record so far in the tournament. The Cougars went ice cold from long range and fell to the Cardinals, led by former Colorado State coach Tom Collen.

Posted by at 8:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm glad I finally got a chance to see Wisconsin-Green Bay in action. If I were a betting person, which I really shouldn't be considering my pathetic men's NCAA Tournament bracket, I would pick the Lobos to win this matchup. I think it will be a good game, but UNM has more explosive scoring threats, including Dionne Marsh, Brandi Kimble and Julie Briody.

Here's are some of the things from the Phoenix's practiceI I thought were noteworthy:

-- The team is, in fact, quite short. Yes, you can tell from the roster, but they look as short as advertised and I can see UNM's perimeter size being a problem for them.

-- The starting five all can hit 3-pointers as well as advertised. They also have quick releases on their shots. The team practiced skip passes, catching and shooting. They are very comfortable reversing the ball and taking quick advantage of open looks.

-- Players coming off the bench don't have as smooth or natural 3-point shots. You can definitely tell the trey is preached in this program, but the starters certainly have better form and more confidence.

-- Nicole Soulis has good post moves and a nice shooting touch, much like we've been hearing all week. It was a light workout, so it was very hard to tell whether she is especially hard-nosed or a tough player. I think she is really comparable to Wyoming's Justyna Podzienska.

-- The guards post up well. They practiced making post moves on post players, and did a remarkably good job using an array of head fakes and drop steps to get open looks. Several of them also have strong mid-range and fall-away jumpers. These are all good weapons to counter their size.

-- They can quickly advance the ball up the court, but they lack explosive speed. This team has strong transition game instincts, but it's not as though they have dramatically overpowering speed.

That's all for now. Check back soon for some great stuff that didn't make it into my story about UNM coach Don Flanagan's old stomping grounds in East Hartford.

Posted by at 3:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

UNM practiced this morning at a college in the area, then the Lobos made their way to the Hartford Civic Center for the 50-minute open workout session. The team did not practice last night as previously planned because of the snow storm.

It's sunny out today, but the weather is still causing a few problems. UNM was one of the more fortunate teams here that hasn't had any major trouble yet.

TCU, Ole Miss and Harvard all had their buses get stuck in the snow around the Hartford Civic Center. Wisconsin-Green Bay's bus also ran late navigating the area.

Check out Lobo Zone soon for a Web exclusive story. I'll also update the blog with my thoughts on Wisconsin-Green Bay's practice, which is under way right now.

Posted by at 1:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The University of New Mexico women's basketball arrived in Hartford, Conn., safely and on time this afternoon despite a heavy winter storm blanketing the state and much of the Northeast. The team had planned a short practice tonight, but it is unclear whether slick roads will keep the team from working out.

Posted by at 2:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ESPN.com analyst Nancy Lieberman picked New Mexico to beat Wisconsin-Green Bay. Here's her assessment of the game. It sounds a little stat heavy and some of her analysis of the Lobos' speed is likely based on previous UNM squads. This year's Lobos lack the power post player but have better wheels. Of course, the defensive pressure never changes.

Posted by at 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Sorry for the lag in blog updates. It's been really crazy trying to get everything planned for cross country travel and taking care of all my interviews.

If you've been reading the Trib, as I trust you have if you're reading this blog, then you've seen my stories mostly focused on Wisconsin-Green Bay. I wanted to dive right in and learn as much as possible about the team since most of us have never seen them play.

It sounds like it's going to be a great matchup. The more I learn about the Phoenix, the more they sound like Wyoming with better 3-point shooters. All five of their starters can knock down 3-pointers and drive if you fly at them to contest a shot. Then you've got a great post player, who sounds more like Wyoming's Justyna Podziemska than BYU's Dani Wright. Podziemska has the big body but smooth moves and a great 3-point shot. Wright is all brawn and head fakes. I think the Lobos will be slightly more athletic and perhaps a little more hard-nosed after facing tougher competition. But it's really to judge Wisconsin-Green Bay because the Horizon League was down this year. They scored a ton this season but didn't really get tested.

The Lobos seemed loose and focused in practice. UNM coach Don Flanagan said he was happy with the way the team has recovered from the Mountain West Conference tournament. I wrote about Katie Montgomery wearing knee pads during practice because players are flying all over the court for the ball. Timi E-Nunu said her nose is feeling better after she got clocked by Brandi Kimble during the BYU game. The swelling is down, but she got elbowed in the mouth during Tuesday's practice. "I've just gotten used to getting hit in the face," E-Nunu said. "If it gets us ready to win, it's worth it."

That's all for now, but check back for tons more blog updates. I will be doing loads of entries all this week. Saturday also will be a big blog and Web update day. The Trib doesn''t have a Sunday paper, but I'll be providing live updates following press conferences and practices.

Posted by at 2:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobo Club and Classic Travel have put together a package for fans who want to cheer on the UNM women's basketball team during the NCAA Tournament. The Lobos face Wisconsin-Green Bay Sunday in Hartford, Conn. If they win, the Lobos would likely play Connecticut on the Huskies home floor Tuesday.

The five-day, four-night package includes:

Roundtrip air transportation from Albuquerque to Hartford, departing
Saturday, March 17 and returning Wednesday, March 21.

Game tickets (all session passes include four games on Sunday and two
on Tuesday)

Four nights at the team hotel, the Crowne Plaza, which is two blocks
from the Hartford Civic Center

Transfers to and from the Hartford airport

For more information or to reserve your spot, call Classic Travel at (505) 888-4454. For reservations at the Crowne Plaza, call 860-549-2400 or toll free at 877-227-6963.

Posted by at 1:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The UNM Ticket Office has a limited number of tickets available for the Lobos' game in the NCAA Tournament. There may be an option to only attend the Lobos' session with these tickets, making them cheaper than the $75 all session pass available through the University of Connecticut. For more information, call the ticket office at 925-LOBO.

Posted by at 8:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We've a got a short video on the Trib's Web site with some footage of the Lobos' winning the Mountain West Conference tournament and collecting the big championship trophy. You can visit our Trib Vid section to see the video. And you can check the same site again Tuesday for the Lobos' reaction to their seeding in the NCAA Tournament.

We plan to do a whole lot more video from the NCAA Tournament, so keep checking the TribVid site all this week and next week to see more footage of the Lobos.

Posted by at 8:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM was seeded No. 8 and will face No. 9 Wisconsin-Green Bay Sunday in Hartford, Conn. If the Lobos win, they will likely face No. 1 UConn.

OK, some people are really upset about the seeding. It is both a compliment to the Lobos' strong finish and horrible bounce with UNM getting the privilege of facing in the second round if it wins round one..

Here's the Trib's Web story, with reaction from the team at coach Don Flanagan's house.

The players seemed surprised, but they really just are used to getting tough assignments in the tournament. Last year was the friendliest matchup they have had outside of The Pit. They seem optimistic about their chances and several said at least they wouldn't be facing No. 1 seeds like Tennessee or Duke. They consider those much tougher matchups, although no one will call UConn a picnic.

The team will be traveling to Hartford Friday and practicing the remainder of this week.

We all knew the Lobos could get stuck in eight-nine game, so this shouldn't be a surprise. The real shocker was BYU as an 11 seed and TCU as a 10 seed. That's just wrong, considering BYU won the regular season Mountain West title and owns a much bigger overall win -- upsetting Stanford on the road.

Of course you can count on the Trib for complete NCAA Tournament coverage. Look for more in tomorrow's and more updates on the blog as soon as I can crank out the story for tomorrow's paper.

Posted by at 7:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

All that's left to do is wait on the Lobos' NCAA Tournament seeding. The selection show is at 6 p.m. tonight on ESPN.

I hope the Lobos go to Austin because I have family there and love the city. And of course it would be a fun atmosphere for the team and an easy place for UNM fans to follow the team.

I have no idea where they'll end up geographically, but I would guess the Lobos would be a 10 seed. And I think that's a really good spot for the team and obviously a lot better than the eight or nine seed that ends up slamming into the No. 1 seed immediately.

It's all speculation now. I wish the selection show was still on Sunday, but there's not much we can do but wait.

Check out Lobo Zone after the selection show for a story with the Lobos' reaction to their seeding and opponent.

Posted by at 1:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was on the same plane as the Lobos heading back from Vegas this morning. They were treated really well on the road back.

Southwest Airlines crews congratulated the team before they boarded the plane and all the Lobo fans on the same flight cheered. The flight attendants congratulated the team again once the players were seated and one more time when they landed in Albuquerque, drawing more cheers. Then people cheered as the team walked through the airport and again once they were on the other side of security. And they took a lot of pictures with fans in the baggage claim area.

The seniors carried the championship trophy yesterday, but they had Valerie Kast lugging it through the airport today. Seniority must be nice.

They were all smiles as they headed home to sleep.

Posted by at 2:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was really tough settling on the all-tournament team ballot. We really could have put five Lobos on there. At halftime, Brandi Kimble was my MVP. Then when Julie Briody kept the team in the game early in the second half, she was my MVP. But when Dionne Marsh unloaded on BYU in the final five minutes, she took the honors. The Lobos had a tremendous tournament and their reward was the trophy, which I'm sure the two BYU players and Wyoming player on the all-tournament team would have taken any day.

I actually had Mallary Gillespie of BYU, Lauren Riley of BYU, Kalee Whipple of Utah, Marsh and Briody on my ballot. Gillespie was huge for BYU and until the final five minutes had the Cougars in position to win. Riley played big in place of Dani Wright, an effort not necessarily just recognized by her point total. Whipple scored a ton in both games, including the bucket that advanced Utah to the second round. And Briody and Marsh played big in both games.

I struggled with leaving Kimble and Katie Montgomery off my list, along with a whole lot of other Lobos. But that's what happens when the entire team plays really well.

Posted by at 2:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Welcome to the Dionne Marsh show.

Marsh just took over this game and got my vote for tournament MVP. It was Julie Briody's before Marsh just took over and went on a 6-2 run and allowed set up a Katie Montgomery layup by drawing the defense. That made for an 8-2 UNM and blew the game open, although UNM has to keep its foot on the gas.

Check out Lobo Zone soon for complete postgame coverage.

Posted by at 3:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

BYU has hit its scoring stride, while the Lobos are struggling to get open looks. Katie Montgomery has stepped up to help keep BYU from getting a bigger lead. It's going to be a war the rest of the way.

Posted by at 3:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here comes that fight I expected from BYU. The Lobos are handling the battle so far. Valerie Kast drew Dani Wright's third foul and has scored once on her. UNM just has to keep pushing to maintain, and really extend, this lead.

Posted by at 3:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM led BYU by 13 points, but the Cougars just went on a 4-0 run and have the next possession after a foul by Dionne Marsh and official timeout.

The Lobos started off strong and still seem to be frustrating BYU a bit with their defensive pressure.

It's just going to be one of those slugfests, but it looks like UNM still has a bit of an upper hand.

Posted by at 2:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Katie Montgomery got hot late in the first half and helped UNM open up a 10-point lead on BYU.

The Cougars are struggling mightily to score.

UNM is shooting 38 percent from the field after a cold start, but BYU is worse off at 20 percent. UNM is hitting 30 percent from 3-point range, while BYU is 0-for-5 for 0 percent.

Dani Wright only played 11 first-half minutes thanks to two quick fouls.

Julie Briody sat the last three minutes with two fouls of her own.

Angela Hartill and Brandi Kimble came up big in the first half. Hartill played 15 minutes and was more of a scoring threat that the Lobos needed to keep BYU honest on defense. Kimble just played lights out on both sides of the ball and leads all scorers with eight points.

Lauren Riley leads BYU with seven points.

UNM has the momentum right now, but you know BYU will mount a comeback. I don't know if it will be a serious threat or not, but this game certainly isn't over yet.

Posted by at 2:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Brandi Kimble leads the Lobos in scoring with eight points so far and is having another huge game. The team showed some of the best ball movement I've seen all season on the last possession Kimble scored on, whipping the ball all over and then reversing it to her where she was wide open. She hit the shot. It was pretty.

Posted by at 2:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM is in the midst of a 5-0 run and just got the next possession by forcing a tie ball. Brandi Kimble hit a 3-pointer to give UNM its biggest lead of the game. Dani Wright is on the bench for BYU with two fouls. The only down side right now is Katie Montgomery is struggling from the field and her shots are way off. But Angela Hartill and Kimble are scoring, forcing BYU to play everyone straight up as much as possible or pay.

Posted by at 2:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos are starting to settle down a little bit and are taking better shots. Julie Briody popped open for a 3-pointer off a screen on the last possession to give UNM a 9-6 lead. The Lobos also are playing strong defense and seem to have the Cougars a little frustrated. Of course, you gotta expect both teams are going to trade a lot of blows this game.

Posted by at 2:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's really cold in the Thomas and Mack Center right now. And both teams happen to be pretty cold right now too. The only made buckets were layups.

Posted by at 2:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM won the tip. Stay tuned for updates.

Posted by at 1:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Both teams looked good in warmups. Dani Wright doesn't seem to be showing any ill effects from the sprained ankle she suffered earlier in the tournament.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Posted by at 1:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM picked a up a 65-53 win over Wyoming. The Lobos will face the winner of the BYU-Utah game in the championship at 2 p.m. MST Saturday.

Check out Lobo Zone soon for complete postgame coverage.

Posted by at 2:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Justyna Podziemska fouled Amy Beggin as she knocked down a trey. Beggin hit the free-throw, giving UNM a four-point play and a 64-50 lead with 4:17 left in the game. It looks like it would take a big UNM meltdown at this point for the Lobos to lose this game. They are very much in control.

Posted by at 2:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Timi E-Nunu was the first player out of the game with five fouls.

The Lobos still lead Wyoming 51-43 with 7:28 left in the game. UNM owns the glass right now, holding a 30-22 advantage.

Posted by at 2:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Brandi Kimble continues to have a strong tournament, racking up 11 points so far to help the Lobos pick up a 45-34 lead over Wyoming with 11:58 left in the game.

Of course, this is looking like the first half and Wyoming got right back into the game during that period. It's up to the Lobos to keep the pressure on and extend this lead.

Posted by at 2:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lobos lead the Cowgirls 43-34 with 13:25 and it's clear Wyoming was trying to stop a Lobos' run.

Katie Montgomery now has four points, scoring both off drives.

The only downside for UNM right now is Timi E-Nunu quickly picked up her third and fourth fouls, sending her to the bench. Sub Angela Hartill is solid but lacks the defensive presence E-Nunu brings on the court.

Posted by at 2:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wyoming traded buckets with the Lobos for the first minute of the second half, then UNM went on an 8-0 run. Katie Montgomery also scored her first field goal of the game during the run and Wyoming's Hanna Zavecz is on the bench with four fouls. So things are looking up a bit for UNM.

Posted by at 1:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wyoming trailed by as many as 12 points, but UNM slipped into a scoring slump and the Cowgirls chipped away at the lead.

The Lobos also faced the final four minutes of the half with forwards Dionne Marsh and Timi E-Nunu sitting on the bench with two fouls apiece.

The Lobos were shooting about 41 percent from the field with 12 minutes left in the first half, then dropped to 39 percent at the half.

Wyoming was down around 28 percent early in the first half but blazed back to fire 42 percent at the half.

Wyoming's Hanna Zavecz, who has three fouls, leads all scorers with 13 points. Megan McGuffey has nine for the Cowgirls.

Julie Briody leads the Lobos with nine points, while Brandi Kimble has seven and Dionne Marsh has five.

Katie Montgomery has yet to take a shot in the game, a troubling stat for the Lobos and sign of Wyoming's strong halfcourt defense.

The Lobos' offense also broke down even with Marsh in the game. She was forcing shots inside and the Lobos weren't moving without the ball to give her more options.

The first few minutes of the second half will be very telling for the Lobos, who will look to regain the momentum. But it's also pretty clear a team like Wyoming isn't going away even if it is down early. So the Lobos have to play a full 20 minutes of rough-and-tumble basketball to pick up a win.

Posted by at 1:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wyoming mounted a 7-0 run to make the score 21-16 with 3:33 left in the first half.

Dionne Marsh has been forcing some ugly shots inside and picked up her second foul. With Timi E-Nunu alaso saddled with two fouls, the Lobos are going with Angela Hartill and Valerie Kast inside. So far Kast is playing good defense and just needs to calm down a little. She turned the ball over on her first offensive play.

The only really troubling thing for the Lobos right now is Katie Montgomery still has not gotten any open looks at the basket and has not scored.

Posted by at 1:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How bad are things going for Wyoming?

Justyna Podziemsak, 6-foot-2, couldn't score in the low post over 5-foot-6 Amy Beggin.

Posted by at 1:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Timi E-Nunu came to play. She pulled off a great post move on Justyna Podziemska, one of Wyoming's better post defenders and was fouled putting back an offensive board on a separate play. E-Nunu has four points, while Brandi Kimble has five to lead the Lobos.

Posted by at 1:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM is off to a hot start, although not quite as sizzling as the first half against UNLV. It's hard to be that good all the time.

UNM kept Wyoming from scoring its field goal until 15:58 was left in the first half. But key Lobos like Katie Montgomery and Julie Briody still haven't hit field goals yet. If they start knocking down shots and the defense holds, it's over.

Posted by at 1:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

just tipped off. Stay tuned for updates.

Posted by at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The big Lobos crowd is back in the Thomas and Mack Center, cheering on the Lobos. Wyoming also happens to have a pretty good-sized crowd. But the Cowgirls fans lack the signs and face paint on the UNM side. And Wyoming takes up one section to the Lobos' five or six.

Both teams look fine in warmups. We're all just ready for tipoff.

Posted by at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM finished with a 80-52 romp over the Rebels.

Check out Lobo Zone soon for complete postgame coverage, including a story and photos.

Posted by at 5:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Valerie Kast just came back into the game and scored another jumper to keep the Lobos' lead in the 30s. And Faye Muller fouled out on the other end trying to drive on Dionne Marsh.

It's all Lobos today.

Posted by at 5:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos just went on a 14-3 run during the past four minutes to slam the door in UNLV's face. I can tell you both the players and the hundreds of UNM fans here are having a whole lot of fun. It's pretty to watch, unless of course you're UNLV. Then it's like a ghastly train wreck.

Posted by at 4:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNLV was bound to score and the Lobos were bound to slow down their scoring.

UNM has made enough plays to protect its lead, by the Rebels look a lot more fired up and more confident this half.

It's up to the Lobos to slam the door shut on UNLV and make a statement by continuing to dominate this game.

Posted by at 4:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There's no doubt UNM was fired up for this game.

The Lobos brought their A-game to Vegas and unloaded on UNLV.

UNM leads the Rebels 40-18 at the half.

Dionne Marsh leads the Lobos with 12 points, while Julie Briody added eight points.

Faye Muller led the Rebels with five points. Sequoia Holmes, who has averaged 20 points in two games against the Lobos, only had three points in the first half.

UNM shot 59 percent from the field on 17-of-29 shooting, while UNLV fired 28 percent on 7-of-25 shooting.

Neither team was warm from 3-point range. UNM went 1-of-8 beyond the arc and the Rebels went 0-3.

UNM owned an 18-15 rebounding advantage.

Perhaps most important, UNM only turned the ball over six times while UNLV had 11 turnovers. The Lobos scored 16 points off those turnovers.

If UNM plays reasonably well the first five minutes of the second half, the Lobos will face Wyoming in the semifinals.

Posted by at 4:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNLV has mounted a 7-2 run fueled by a few fouls and a turnover, but it barely made a dent in the Lobos huge lead. UNM is still playing aggressively and seems to be very much in control of every aspect of the game.

Posted by at 4:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When UNLV went with 6-foot-6 freshman center Samantha Stickler, UNM countered with 6-foot-6 Valerie Kast.

Kast was clearly thrilled to get into the game and scored six quick points to help the Lobos continue their double-digit lead over the Rebels.

UNM led 21-1 before UNLV scored its first field goal at the 10:16 mark and holds a 29-7 advantage with 6:37 left in the first half.

Posted by at 4:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM leads the Rebels 19-1, with UNLV trying to hit its first field goal of the game at the 11:51 mark. UNLV is firing 0-for-6 from the field thanks, in part, to UNM's strong defensive pressure.

A reporter for the UNLV paper just leaned over and asked me how many fans the UNM women draw at home. He was startled to see hundreds of UNM fans here cheering on the Lobos.

Posted by at 3:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos were, in fact, ready. They started on a 13-0 run and look hungry for more right now.

Posted by at 3:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm told the UNM women seem very relaxed and had a good shoot-around this morning. If the good vibes continue, I have to think the Lobos will beat UNLV. UNM didn't lose to UNLV last week because it was overmatched. The Lobos just played poorly in the final eight minutes.

We'll see what happens today. Stay tuned for tipoff.

Posted by at 3:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Cowgirls survived some seriously ugly shooting to pick up a 56-44 win over San Diego State Wednesday. Wyoming only shot 14 percent from the field in the first half and led 17-14 at the half. Yup, that's no typo. The score was 14-17 at the half.

Wyoming advances to face the winner of the UNM-UNLV tipping off in a few minutes. Jodi Bolerjack led the Cowgirls with 15 points. Nine of those came from the free-throw line.

Posted by at 3:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Air Force's Alecia Steele scored a layup with 0.7 seconds left to pick up a 47-46 win over Colorado State during the first-round Mountain West Conference tournament game Tuesday night.

The Falcons' reward?

A second-round showdown with regular season conference champs BYU.

Well, it's probably really sweet to finally win a tournament game. The Falcons had never won a tournament game, although they have come close plenty of times.

Steele led the Falcons with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Sara Hunter was Colorado State's top scorer with 17 points.

Posted by at 7:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I'm at the Thomas and Mack Center watching Colorado State and Air Force battle down to the wire. BYU is here watching the game because the Cougars play the winner of this game.

The Trib has a ton of coverage this week from Las Vegas. We have a few interesting news items that weren't posted on the Web today.

I talked with UNM coach Don Flanagan and he said Georonika Jackson may see some action against UNLV. Jackson played briefly against San Diego State to help the Lobos bring the ball up the floor under pressure. Flanagan said he was pleased with how she responded and may use her if the Lobos need help against the Rebels. Flanagan said Jackson is can handle the ball better than most of the guards and is tough enough not to be pushed around by teams like the
Rebels. He said she has made a lot of progress during practices this season. Flanagan said she didn't work hard at the beginning of the year but has developed the kind of work ethic he expects of his players. I don't think we'll see much of her because Flanagan has a conservative substitution pattern, but anything is possible.

One other interesting note. UNLV is 1-2 this season in the Thomas and Mack Center. Remember, the Rebels play most of their games at the much smaller Cox Arena.

Finally, I talked to a lot of Lobos fans who are here early to cheer on the men's team tonight and are infinitely more excited about cheering on the women through the whole tournament. So UNM's homecourt advantage in the MWC tournament appears to be thriving again this year.

That's all for now. I'll have loads of updates throughout the week, so check back for more soon.

Posted by at 7:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Senior guard Katie Montgomery earned first team all-Mountain West Conference honors, while junior forward Dionne Marsh and senior guard Julie Briody took second team honors.

To read more about the awards, read my story posted on Lobo Zone.

Do you agree with the picks? Did Marsh deserve to be on the first team? Share your thoughts in the comments section of the blog.

Posted by at 7:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Normally all-Mountain West Conference awards are announced by noon today, but this year we have to wait a little longer. The conference is releasing the men's and women's basketball honorees during an awards show being broadcast on the Mountain at 7 p.m.

The men's awards are voted on by a combination of coaches and members of the media, while the women's awards are only selected by the coaches. If I had a vote, this would be my list:

Player of the year: Adrianne Ross, TCU
Defensive player of the year: Hanna Zavecz, Wyoming and Timi E-Nunu, New Mexico
Newcomer of the year: Justyna Podziemska, Wyoming
Coach of the year: Joe Legerski, Wyoming

First team
Adrianne Ross, TCU
Justyna Podziemska, Wyoming
Dani Wright, BYU
Mallary Gillespie, BYU
Dionne Marsh, New Mexico

Second team
Katie Montgomery, New Mexico
Hanna Zavecz, Wyoming
Julie Briody, New Mexico
Morgan Warburton, Utah
Sequoia Holmes, UNLV

Third team
Melinda Johnsen, BYU
Joh-Teena Filipe, Utah
Hanna Biernacka, TCU
Lauren Riley, BYU
Jennie Keele, BYU

Honorable mention
Timi E-Nunu, New Mexico
Quenese Davis, San Diego State
Sara Hunter, Colorado State
Alecia Steele, Air Force
Faye Muller, UNLV

My list would have been different if New Mexico had beaten UNLV and tied for the conference title. Then again, a lot of things would have been different if the Lobos had won that game.

Continue reading "Prime time awards" »

Posted by at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here are the seedings for the Mountain West Conference tournament next week in Las Vegas:

1. BYU -- outright champion
2. Wyoming - tied for second
3. Lobos - tied for second
4. TCU - tied for second
5. Utah
6. UNLV
7. San Diego State
8. Colorado State
9. Air Force

To clarify my earlier post, BYU's loss was important because it was one of the factors used for the determine seeds. The Lobos would have finished with a two seed if BYU had beaten TCU, but since several teams beat the Cougars, the next phase in the tiebreaker scenarios came into play. And that's how the Lobos ended up with a three seed.

So the Lobos will face UNLV in the first round at 2:30 p.m. PST. If UNM wins, it faces the winner of the Wyoming-San Diego State game in the second round at noon PST Friday. If UNM wins again, it faces whoever gets out of the other side of the bracket in the championship game at 1 p.m. PST Saturday. The first and second round games will be broadcast live on the Mountain, with the second round games airing on tape delay on CSTV. The championship will be broadcast on Versus.

On the other side of the bracket, BYU faces the winner of the Air Force-Colorado State game, the winner of the TCU-Utah game and then the winner from the other side of the bracket if the Cougars win their first two games.

I don't think it's impossible for the Lobos to run the table, but I do think it's going to be a tough tournament. For all the flack the Mountain West Conference has gotten nationally as a league that isn't as strong as last year, there's an awful lot of parity and competitive teams I think are capable of playing well in the NCAA Tournament. It will be a war among the MWC teams to earn that privilege this year.

Posted by at 8:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos are on pace for the type of win they need, with a 62-44 lead at the 3:30 mark. Julie Briody has hit 14-of-14 free-throws, and the rest of the Lobos are stepping up in a big way. They dominated the second half.

Now the bad news. TCU upset BYU 62-48 in Forth Worth, giving the Lobos a three seed in the Mountain West Conference tournament and a first-round game against UNLV. But it could be worse. UNM could be playing Oklahoma. UNLV is beatable, just not the team the Lobos wanted to play.

Check Lobo Zone soon for complete postgame coverage.

Posted by at 2:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Junior forward Dionne Marsh has scored 11 points in the second, pushing her tally to 16, and has eight rebounds.

Posted by at 2:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos weathered a couple of turnovers and quick buckets by the Aztecs by being more aggressive and fighting for the position they need to run their offense. UNM coach Don Flanagan sent Timi E-Nunu back into the game for Angela Hartill and told her to set more screens to help the guards deal with the pressure.

Posted by at 2:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos have looked good so far, prompting Aztecs coach Beth Burns to call for a timeout. Angela Hartill started the half in place of Timi E-Nunu, who has three fouls, and has stepped up.

Posted by at 2:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

San Diego State was called for 14 first-half personal fouls, sending the Lobos to the free-throw line 17 times. UNM knocked down 15 of those shots, including 10-of-10 shooting by Julie Briody. San Diego State starter Tamika Lipford has three fouls, while four other Aztecs have two fouls.

Timi E-Nunu has three fouls and Brandi Kimble has two. It may be a little tougher for E-Nunu to stay out of more foul trouble in the second half because she is so aggressive on defense. She has fouled out of more games than any other Lobo.

The free throws offset the Lobos' weak shooting. UNM hit 35 percent from the field, including 1-of-7 shooting by Briody, and 29 percent from 3-point range.

Briody leads all scorers with 13, while Dionne Marsh and Katie Montgomery have five points apiece.

San Diego State is shooting well either, although the Aztecs never have been a strong shooting team. San Diego State is hitting 39 percent from the field and 22 percent from 3-point range. Forward Shanon Clay leads the Aztecs with eight points.

Georonika Jackson got a chance to play late in the first half. UNM coach Don Flanagan told her to help bring the ball up the floor, but Katie Montgomery did most of the work herself. Jackson hustled, but it takes time to adapt to finally getting some playing time against a run-and-gun team.

The Lobos have about as many fans on hand as San Diego State, with Brandi Kimble's family and friends making the most noise.

Posted by at 1:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM is taking much better care of the ball and driving to the basket. The refs are calling the game relatively tight, which hurts the Aztecs' gambling style of defense. The Lobos' free-throw shooting has recovered from a bad showing in Las Vegas, with the team hitting 11-of-12 free throws so far.

Posted by at 1:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos have started knocking down shots and calmed down tremendously. I think the guards are still picking up their dribble way too much when faced with double teams and the Lobos aren't moving as much as I think they need to against a team like San Diego State. I think Timi E-Nunu has been huge for the Lobos.

Posted by at 1:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's still not pretty over here, with the Lobos dropping passes they normally catch and struggling to run their offense. Katie Montgomery's 3-pointer helped, but UNM has to pick up the pace and figure out how to snap out of this slump.

Posted by at 1:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM came out a little sloppy, with several turnovers and rushed shots. Everyone seems to be a little out of sync except Timi E-Nunu. The Lobos are lucky San Diego State lacks the shooting skills to really capitalize.

Posted by at 1:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After a long senior recognition ceremony, the game is under way. Stay tuned for updates.

Posted by at 1:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When I wrote my story immediately after the UNLV loss, Brook Brandenburger and I had done quick math to figure the Lobos could finish with no better than a third seed. Later that night, I figured out there was a chance UNM could get the second seed but needed a lot of help. So in my Friday story I wrote the Lobos will likely end up in third place and face UNLV in the first round of the tournament. UNM needs to beat San Diego State, Wyoming to beat Utah and BYU to beat TCU to win the second seed.

There are two ways fans can take the loss at UNLV.

The sky is falling approach. The Lobos totally blew whatever momentum they have and are going to have a ton of trouble with UNLV in the first round. If they lose, which could easily happen, they are headed to the WNIT. Pass the Kleenex.

The sun came up today approach. Sometimes it's hard to stay perfect. A lot people think its good to lose a game before tournament time because losing at that point is far more devastating. The Lobos can build up confidence beating San Diego State playing the same style as UNLV and should be ready to take on anyone in the tournament. This is a team that did what no one else has done this year and no other team in school history has done -- swept games at BYU and Utah. If that's not mentally tough, what is? Lobos will run the table and be better off having lost because they won't get stuck in the NCAA Tournament 8-9 game.

Reality? Somewhere in the middle. The Lobos are neither toast nor golden right now. They still decide their fate, which is why we're all gonna watch them play.

Check back for game updates soon.

Posted by at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So the streak ends. The Lobos missed a ton of free throws, turned the ball over and let UNLV make this a fast-break game. Check out Lobo Zone soon for complete postgame coverage.

Posted by at 9:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos are having fits bringing the ball up the court. They still have a chance to win if they cut down on the foul trouble and start knocking down free throws more consistently. UNLV has three players saddled with three fouls, so the Lobos can come back at the line.

Posted by at 9:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos are struggling to score. Dionne Marsh missed a few shots and now is looking to pass more than shoot. Not good. And several Lobos have developed a bad case of fumblitis, including Brandi Kimble. They need to regroup fast because UNLV can put up points in a hurry.

Posted by at 9:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM has struggled to get past UNLV's press, helping the Rebels claw back into the game.

UNLV's Shamela Hampton went down with what initially appeared to be a really ugly knee injury on a jump stop. She has since been wrapped up by trainers and is walking fine on the sidelines.

Posted by at 9:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM started the second half with a 10-3 run, with the guards spearheading the attack. UNM also is playing strong defense and has handled full-court pressure applied by UNLV. The Rebels' fouls are piling up faster than the Lobos, which could be a factor later.

Posted by at 9:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's like a blog entry a minute at halftime. Well not so much. I just have more to say.

Dionne Marsh has four blocks and three rebounds in addition to those big 10 points. With her first board, she became the 12th player in school history to earn at least 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. The blocks tie a career-high for Marsh.

Posted by at 9:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Former Lobos Tiffany Scaglione and Jordan Adams are on hand to cheer for the Lobos.

Cox Arena is about the size of an average high school gym. The crowd is small by Pit standards, but it is having an impact thanks to the small venue.

Posted by at 9:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's another classic UNLV-New Mexico war here in Las Vegas. Six of the past nine meetings between these teams have been decided by five points or less.

The Lobos led by as many as seven points, but they struggled to take care of the ball late in the half and ended up with the one point halftime deficit.

Freshman guard Amy Beggin has grown tremendously since the start of the season and actually seems to be handling the pressure and helping the Lobos offense flow. Katie Montgomery seems to be struggling a bit early to control the tempo.

Dionne Marsh and Brandi Kimble are both off to a good start, which is really important for the Lobos. Marsh has 10 points to lead the Lobos and Kimble is both playing good defense and driving to the basket to help UNM's offensive flow.

Guard Sequoia Holmes leads the Rebels and all scorers with 16 points. As I said before, UNLV is fired up and has been pushing the tempo. The Lobos have been playing reasonably good halfcourt defense, it's just the turnovers that really hurt. The Rebels have scored eight points off nine UNM turnovers.

Just a reminder of what's at stake for UNM in the second half. If the Lobos win, they clinch second place in the Mountain West Conference. If they manage a win over the Rebels and San Diego State, they have a chance to tie BYU for the conference regular season title.

Grab the antacid and settle in for the second half.

Posted by at 8:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Katie Montgomery came off the bench and hit a 3-pointer, giving the Lobos a nice lift. UNM also has been effective slowing UNLV down a little bit with its two-three zone defense. The zone has helped UNM handle the Rebels' much taller post players. Don't expect that to be a reason Valerie Kast goes in because I know UNM coach Don Flanagan will consider this pace waaay too fast for her.

Posted by at 8:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I think there are two types of fastbreak ball. There's a finesse running game that TCU plays, then there's angry, ram it down your throat ball. And that's what UNLV is playing tonight.

The good news is Dionne Marsh and Brandi Kimble seem to be rising to the challenge, combining for 10 points early. UNLV also is getting into foul trouble. The bad news is Katie Montgomery hasn't been able to find her mark, putting up two airballs, and the fouls could start piling up for UNM.

Posted by at 8:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNLV came out ready to set an energetic pace, something the Rebels always have been capable of doing but don't always execute come game time. UNLV is fired up and it took the Lobos a few possessions to find their bearings. They have settled down, but it's going to be a tough game if both teams continue with this energy level.

Posted by at 8:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So my profiles of three seniors on the UNM women's basketball team are finally running this week. Our plan was to run them the Friday before Senior Day in The Pit, but then Ritchie McKay was fired and space became pretty scarce. We could have squeezed the stories in, but they would have been buried in our section. So my boss, sports editor Mike Garcia, decided to hold those stories until this week so they could get proper (huge) play in our section.

Today, the spotlight is on Katie Montgomery. Thursday you can read about fellow seniors Julie Briody and Timi E-Nunu. You'd think I'd know all about these players after covering them the past three seasons, but I did end up learning quite a bit while working on these stories. I hope you enjoy them, even if they are a running a little later than planned.

Posted by at 12:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There was a memorial service today for Mike Hall, the Journal sports writer and editor who died last week. A really nice crowd showed up, and it was standing room only. Lots of people from UNM, the Journal, Trib, Associated Press, Mike Roberts, Joe Behrend and other friends of the Hall family showed up to pay their respects.

Mike's son, a family friend and boxer Danny Romero all delivered eulogies, then a few people in the crowd shared memories of Mike. The family put together a nice slide show and then a soloist sang Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven," which is always sure to bring down the house.

For the UNM sports fans who read this blog and on message boards, I did want to pass along a message from the Hall family. Mike's son, also named Mike, said the family was touched by the people who sent cards and posted memorial messages on all the fan sites. He said the family was moved there was a moment of silence in Mike's honor at The Pit Sunday and appreciate all the support.

Posted by at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos were scheduled to have a marathon week, taking two days off last week to make up for practicing and playing every day this week. Coach Don Flanagan had a change of heart, deciding to give the team Monday off. "I thought we would be better off if we were rested and mentally focused for the rest of our games this week," he said. "That was a very tough game against TCU, and I thought the players needed the break." Flanagan said he was happy with the team's effort in Tuesday's practice.

Senior forward Timi E-Nunu gave everyone a bit of a scare when she was tripped up coming off a screen and landed on her left elbow. She was examined by trainers and had her elbow wrapped heavily before rejoining practice. "I just got a little banged up, but I think they might have me see a doctor just to make sure it's OK," E-Nunu said. "I think it will be fine. It's just going to be sore."

That's all for today. Check out tomorrow's Trib for more women's basketball news.

Posted by at 6:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos earned a huge senior day win. If all goes well, you can check out Lobo Zone later today for both the postgame story and audio of Senior Day speeches.

Posted by at 4:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM is poised to win this game, but I would be a little concerned about how the team handled TCU's zone defense and full-court pressure. The Lobos had trouble running their offense smoothly in the face of pressure, but they were bailed out by the Frogs' foul trouble.

Posted by at 4:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Julie Briody hit a huge 3-pointer to give the Lobos more breathing room. TCU starters Lori Butler Rayford and Ashley Davis have fouled out with 6:28 left in the game.

Posted by at 4:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TCU will not roll over in this game, clawing within single digits again. But the Lobos are countering with enough intense play to overcome shooting 25 percent from the field and 69 percent from the free-throw line in the second half.

Posted by at 4:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TCU cut the Lobos' lead to five, but UNM responded in a big way to stretch its lead back to double digits.

The refs continue to be a big factor in the game, with starters Adrianne Ross, Lori Butler-Rayford and Ashley Davis all saddled with four fouls. TCU's bench also was called for a technical to help UNM's run.

Posted by at 4:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos got off to a sluggish start, but picked up the pace a bit and drew several more big fouls. Two starters, including Adrianne Ross, now have three fouls. Ross was on fire and leading TCU's comeback, but she has slowed down since Amy Beggin took over on defense.

UNM is getting help from a rowdy Pit crowd. The official attendance tally is 12,437.

Posted by at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you could bottle energy the Lobos have displayed in the first half of this game, you could shoot a rocket into space. After a brief lull that allowed TCU to cut UNM's double digit lead to seven, UNM went on an 8-0 run to end the first half. Timi E-Nunu played stellar defense in the final 17 seconds, deflecting the ball away from TCU's point guard and preventing the Frogs from getting off a final shot.

Julie Briody led all scorers with 14 points, while Adrianne Ross led TCU with eight points.

Five TCU players have two fouls, including Ross and three other starters. Dionne Marsh is the only Lobo who ran into foul trouble in the first half, also picking up two fouls.

The Lobos shot 43 percent from the field, 67 percent from 3-point range and 69 percent from the free-throw line. They outrebounded TCU 22-15 overall and 9-5 on the offensive boards.

TCU shot 36 percent from the field, 25 percent from 3-point range and 100 percent (4-for-4) from the free-throw line.

Both teams had 12 turnovers, with the Frogs scoring 12 points off the turnovers and UNM netting 11.

If UNM can sustain this energy level in the second half, the Lobos will win easily.

Posted by at 3:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos are still playing hard but their shots aren't falling as well, fueling a 9-3 TCU run.

The Frogs also have deployed a press that has hampered the Lobos ability to run their offense.

It doesn't help that Dionne Marsh is still on the bench with two fouls, limiting the Lobos' offensive firepower.

Posted by at 3:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos are maintaining a 13-point lead with all out hustle. UNM also is out-rebounding TCU 15-10 with Dionne Marsh on the bench with two fouls. Not bad.

Posted by at 3:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos went on a 13-0 run, then TCU answered with two quick buckets before the second media timeout of the game.

UNM didn't knock down every shot, but they chased every board and were smothering on defense. This is a vast improvement over the Lobos' play against the Frogs during their loss last month. Huge, huge difference.

Julie Briody leads the Lobos with 7 points.

Posted by at 3:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos went from dormant to a 5-0 run, forcing TCU to take a 30-second timeout at the 14:41 mark before this big Pit crowd fueled a bigger Lobos run.

Posted by at 3:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It hasn't been a particularly pretty start for either team, with the first field finally coming at the 17:59 mark.

The best news for the Lobos is TCU's leading scorer, Adrianne Ross, already has two fouls and is on the bench.

Posted by at 3:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was an emotional start today. UNM asked for a moment of silence in honor of Mike Hall, the Journal women's basketball beat writer who died this past week.

Then crowd pepped up with howls for the Lobos. Seniors Katie Montgomery, Timi E-Nunu and Julie Briody were recognized before the game. They brought out the 2005-06 NCAA Tournament banner and will be recognized again after the game. The Lobos also gave roses to TCU's two seniors.

If you catch the game on CSTV, you'll note Jeff Mittie is wearing sweats. He was locked out of his hotel room and hotel staff could not get the door open to let him into his room and change into his suit. The game also almost got pushed back to 6 p.m. because the Frogs had a hard time flying in to Albuquerque thanks to high winds in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. It's like the Boston Celtics' luck in the old Boston Garden.

On to the main event.

The Lobos' showdown with TCU just tipped off. Stay tuned for updates.

Posted by at 2:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Albuquerque Journal reporter Mike Hall, who had been battling severe pneumonia for just about two months, died this morning. It's a sad day for all of us who knew Mike.

Here is the Tribune's obit. I'll post more details about memorial services as soon as they are available.

I spent a lot of time around Mike covering the women's basketball team during the past three years. We were competitors but had a very friendly relationship. He was a nice guy who always looked out for me, although he also insisted I could do just fine on my own.

After Mike came back to work following his successful battle with lung cancer, he gave some great advice. He encouraged me to spend as much time with my family as possible. He said I should take long weekends to visit relatives in El Paso or encouraging my parents to make the short drive north as often as possible. He said he wished he had taken advantage of more of those opportunities when he had them, and he was happy he still had the chance to spend time with his family. It's not always easy to take that advice, but it's good for everyone.

My condolences to all of those who knew Mike or were touched by his work. He will be missed.

Posted by at 6:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

UNLV just handed the Lobos the biggest gift ever.

The question is whether UNM can capitalize on it.

The Rebels upset BYU 76-71 in overtime Wednesday night in Las Vegas, seriously shaving the Cougars' lead in the Mountain West Conference title race. The standings are now: BYU 10-3, TCU 9-3, UNM 9-4, Utah 9-4, Wyoming 7-5, San Diego State 5-7, UNLV 4-8, CSU 2-11 and Air Force 1-12.

The Lobos have the easiest slate of games remaining, although they aren't exactly a waltz. They face TCU at home Sunday, then travel to UNLV and San Diego State.

BYU still has to play San Diego State and Utah at home, then ends at TCU.

TCU has to take Wyoming at home, the Lobos in The Pit, San Diego State on the road and BYU at home.

And Utah plays at Air Force, at BYU and Wyoming at home.

The UNM-TCU just went from very big to HUGE. I thought it would be the game for second place. Now the winner has a legitimate chance to catch BYU. That's the crazy world of college basketball.

Posted by at 10:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

If you're the Lobos, how do you beat TCU?

The Horned Frogs blew past UNM 67-43 Jan. 24 in Fort Worth, Texas. TCU forced the tempo and really controlled the game from start to finish. So I would guess during the rematch you should do everything you can to slow things down and maybe throw 6-foot-6 Valerie Kast at the undersized TCU lineup.

UNM coach Don Flanagan, a man with infinitely more experience, has some different ideas.

"I'm not sure we really can slow them down," he said. "I think we actually need to push the tempo and be faster than them. We have enough people that we can wear them down if we really push them."

Umm, isn't this a team that is loads faster than the Lobos? How do you go faster than the blistering Frogs?

"Looking back at the tape, it looks like TCU is going at full speed and we're just standing around," Flanagan said. "We can run with them a lot more than we did the last time played them."

UNM's offense has been at its best when the team gets into a rhythm in transition. The team struggles when it is forced to earn basket on halfcourt possession after halfcourt

How would you attack TCU? Would you throw Kast out there or hold her back because she could easily get burned on defense? Would you push the tempo or slow it down? Would you press the fastest team in the conference or hang back against the Frogs?

Posted by at 2:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

We're getting down to the wire, and I'm going to make some predictions about the UNM women's basketball team based on .... covering the Lobos for a few seasons and my highly suspect gut instinct.

The Lobos will sweep the remainder of their games but finish second behind BYU in the final regular season standings.

UNM will advance to the Mountain West Conference tournament championship and face BYU for the title. I'm still not sure who will win that game. I'll say it's too close to call for now.

The Mountain West Conference will get three teams in the NCAA Tournament -- BYU, UNM and TCU. Utah will be left out and really upset but make a nice run through the WNIT.

The Lobos will be better off if they lose to BYU because the title winner will get an eight or nine seed in the NCAA Tournament, slamming into a No. 1 seed in the second round.

Adrianne Ross will beat Dionne Marsh for MWC player of the year honors. Marsh will still earn first team all-conference honors. Katie Montgomery also will make the first team, but Julie Briody will be stuck on the second team. Briody will make up for it by earning all-MWC tournament first team honors.

It's a long week before the Lobos play another game, so make this entertaining and share your thoughts in the comments section of the blog.

Posted by at 2:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

You may not believe it, but reporters are easy to please. Give us access to players and we're happy. Give us access to players who are bright, open and articulate, then we're in heaven. As a result, I happen to think Valerie Kast is awesome.

I did an interview with Val for a feature we call In Her Words. She amazes me every time I interview her. Who else would drop the names of French author Michel Houellebecq and American actor John Cusack in the same interview? It's nothing against the many other Lobos I've interviewed during my time at the Trib. It's just that I feel like I learn something new every time I talk to Val.

Posted by at 2:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Tribune rolled out a lot of cash to send me to the Super Bowl, so my bosses decided I should stay home for the Lobos' game at Air Force today. I would love to be there, but it's hard to argue with their logic. No matter how much the Lobos insist Air Force is no cake walk, there's a reason those Falcons are 1-11 in Mountain West Conference play.

So, I'll provide scoring updates and a postgame story, but no courtside insight. I know it hurts, but I'm sure the Sports Animal's ace radio crew Joe Behrend and Brook Brandenburger will help you cope.

The good news is I won't miss a game the remainder of the year.

Posted by at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I reported in a story today that Brandi Kimble will start in place of Amy Beggin at Air Force. Both are expected to play a lot and UNM coach Don Flanagan said it had nothing to do with how either player performed against Colorado State. He said Kimble just gives the Lobos more of a rebounding edge. Air Force happens to lead the Mountain West Conference in offensive rebounds per game.

Andrew Leo Lopez sent me an e-mail and also posted on previous blog entries that Beggin's performance vindicated his view that she is not a good player. He argued Colorado State's Sara Hunter, who scored 22 points in the game, proved his point.

I still disagree, and I think most basketball fans would agree that Beggin is good player. The comparison to Hunter is unfair. Hunter has to be the Rams' scorer because they have few other threats. Beggin plays well within the Lobos' offense and gives them a tremendous spark on defense. I doubt you will be convinced until the end of Beggin's career at UNM, but she is developing well as a young player.

Posted by at 2:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I feel like I may have shouted fire in a crowded theater by reporting Julie Briody aggravated an injury to her left wrist against Colorado State Wednesday night.

Team trainers decided Thursday she did not need X-rays after all and she practiced well with the team Wednesday afternoon.

"It's just one of those things I'm going to have to fight through," Briody said.

She wore a wrist brace to practice and will continue icing it regularly to try to limit any swelling or pain.

Posted by at 4:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM made the plays it needed to down the stretch to close out the Rams.

It wasn't pretty, but the seniors made sure the Lobos didn't let this win slip away.

Check out Lobo Zone after the game for complete postgame coverage.

Posted by at 8:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos are starting score more but have had trouble closing out on Colorado State guard Sara Hunter all game. She leads all scorers with 21 points. The Rams are shooting 69 percent from the field in the second half, so it's a bad idea to keep trading baskets.

Julie Briody has come alive for UNM, scoring 24 after being really quiet at BYU.

Posted by at 8:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's still ugly.

Dionne Marsh still isn't looking to score much and the Lobos' offense is bogging down. They run a series of screens on the perimeter to either get open looks outside or draw double teams away from Marsh. But few Lobos are knocking down shots and Marsh isn't looking to score.

On the other side, CSU is hitting enough 3-pointers to keep things interesting.

Posted by at 8:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The good news is UNM is no danger of losing this game. The bad news is the Lobos also aren't exactly playing stellar basketball. I'm sure it's hard to get hyped up for a team like Colorado State, but it's what you have to do to come back from four conference losses.

UNM has yet to extend its lead to a comfortable enough margin that UNM coach Don Flanagan will throw out more of his reserves.

On the up side, Colorado State starter Marilyn Moulton fouled out with 13:29. A slew of other Rams are in foul trouble.

Posted by at 8:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Colorado State coach Jen Warden called timeout after UNM went on a 5-1 run. This is when the Lobos really need to keep the pressure on the Rams and close out this game. Dionne Marsh finally drove to the basket after the last timeout, missing. But I would argue Colorado State had to fear her drive and doubled down, leaving Julie Briody to finally knock down a 3-pointer.

Posted by at 8:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM continues to play down to the level of its competition. Dionne Marsh still isn't looking to shoot and has coaches pleading with her to look to the basket and go to work. She does have five assists, but it's not really helping the flow of UNM's offense. Her drive would open up the offense a lot more than extra passes.

Posted by at 7:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM went on an 11-4 run to close the half, with freshman center Valerie Kast scoring five points in the final three minutes to help the Lobos pad their lead. It was a preview of how Kast can change a game and be a major force for UNM.

Colorado State's Sara Hunter is the game's leading scorer with 10 points, while UNM top scorer is Katie Montgomery with eight points. Timi E-Nunu and Julie Briody have 7 points apiece. E-Nunu's points are a career high.

Dionne Marsh has been in a passing mode, but she hasn't taken the ball to the basket as much as coaches would like and needs to pick up the pace in the second half so more reserves can get into the game.

The big first-half surprise was UNM coach Don Flanagan sending Christian Shelter in as first player off the bench. Brandi Kimble, who was replaced in the starting lineup by Amy Beggin, was the next guard to go in the game but she didn't get in until the 10-minute mark. It's clear Flanagan is looking to test other options and isn't handing Kimble a whole lot of playing time.

Posted by at 7:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos are still off from long-range and don't seem to be driving on the Rams as much. UNM is 4-of-11 from the field since the 10-minute mark.

Posted by at 7:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Colorado State briefly held a lead, relying on stronger outside shooting to pull ahead of the Lobos. UNM was shooting 60 percent at the 10:56 mark but then went 1-of-4 from the field during the next three minutes.

Posted by at 7:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Colorado State hit a pair of 3-pointers and a few buckets in the low post to get back in this game.

Posted by at 7:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The first few minutes were pretty ugly for both teams, but the Lobos settled down after two bad possessions and made some good plays on offense. The same can't be said for Colorado State, which is 0-for-5 from the field.

Posted by at 7:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

just tipped off. Stay tuned for updates.

Posted by at 7:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM coach Don Flanagan said he will start freshman guard Amy Beggin in place of junior guard Brandi Kimble against Colorado State Wednesday night in The Pit. The rest of UNM's starting lineup will include Katie Montgomery, Julie Briody, Dionne Marsh and Timi E-Nunu.

"Amy just had two really terrific games, and I think she deserves to be rewarded," Flanagan said. "She earned a spot in our starting lineup."

Beggin played strong defense in wins at Utah and BYU last week. She also scored 10 points in second half and overtime against the Cougars. Her overtime heroics pushed the Lobos ahead of the Cougars for good and locked in the first sweep of the Utah schools in UNM history.

"It's pretty exciting, but I'm not going to treat differently than any other game," Beggin said. "I'm just going to go out there, work hard and try to help the team as much as I can out there."

Flanagan said he also would like to go at least nine or 10 players deep against the Rams, but his rotation depends on how well the Lobos play against Colorado State.

Check out Wednesday's Trib for more women's basketball news.

Posted by at 5:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

One of my regular blog readers, Andrew Leo Lopez, has blasted UNM freshman guard Amy Beggin all season in both e-mails and comments on the blog and on the Tribune's Web site. He often wrote Beggin is not slow and a liability to the Lobos. He has irked dozens of women's basketball fans with his harsh views, who have begged me to ban his comments from the Trib Web site and this blog. As long as he doesn't curse or threaten anyone, we let him keep posting.

Beggin responded in her own way. She was huge for the Lobos Saturday, making a bunch of clutch plays to help UNM collect an 80-75 overtime win at BYU. She has been a strong defensive player and spark off the bench for the Lobos. Now she is adding clutch baskets to her arsenal.

So, I think it's time for Mr. Lopez to eat crow.

Posted by at 2:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

Katie Montgomery earned Mountain West Conference player of the week honors for her crazy awesome performance at Utah and BYU this week. I had no doubt she'd win the honor, but I also would picked fellow Lobo Dionne Marsh as co-player of the week. Both of them had great games during the historic sweep of the Beehive state.

What do you think?

Posted by at 2:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lobos swept Utah and BYU for the first time inm school history, knocking off the Cougars 80-75 in overtime. Amy Beggin knocked down a 3-pointer with 1:00 to put Lobos ahead for good. UNM iced the game with strong defensive pressure and free-throw shooting.

Check out Lobo Zone soon for complete postgame coverage.

Posted by at 4:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM pulled ahead off three Amy Beggin free throws, but the Lobos missed a switch off a screen and BYU knocked down a 3-pointer to jump back ahead 71-69. Don Flanagan called a timeout with 2:43 left to talk over both the offense and defense with the Lobos.

Posted by at 3:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM pulled ahead off three Amy Beggin free throws, but the Lobos missed a switch off a screen and BYU knocked down a 3-pointer to jump back ahead 71-69. Don Flanagan called a timeout with 2:43 left to talk over both the offense and defense with the Lobos.

Posted by at 3:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Shawnee Slade's jumper rolled off the rim as time expired, setting up overtime.

Posted by at 3:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos are battling but can't seem to turn the corner. BYU's legs are definitely tired, but the Lobos also have to score to be effective in the final stretch.

Posted by at 3:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM just forced a big turnover and is in a position to tie or take the lead. The Lobos forced BYU center Lauren Riley to foul out and has fellow center Dani Kubik stuck with four fouls. The Cougars' long-range shooters have been off lately and look tired, but I wouldn't test them by leaving them open in crunch time.

Posted by at 3:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos are going with the smallest lineup I've ever seen -- Katie Montgomery, Amy Beggin, Julie Briody, Brandi Kimble and Dionne Marsh. And Montgomery was just called for fouling BYU's center. We'll see if it pays off on the other end.

Posted by at 3:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Angela Hartill tweaked her ankle, but she helped the Lobos claw back into a game they easily could have given up on at this point. Brandi Kimble has stepped up the scoring effort for the Lobos, which has been huge in this comeback.

Posted by at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos trail BYU 49-40 with 12:19 left. UNM pulled within three points several times, but BYU keeps knocking down heartbreaker 3-pointers as the shot clock expires or late in the Cougars' offensive sets. Coach Don Flanagan to adjust and calm down his frustrated team.

Posted by at 3:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM struggled to score and BYU pounced. If you give the Cougars shooters an inch, they can knock down shots. It also hurt that Timi E-Nunu quickly picked up her third and fourth fouls. We'll see if UNM can get the stops and buckets it needs here.

Posted by at 3:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It is kind of impressive UNM held a lead and only trailed by five at the half. The Lobos shot just 35 percent from the field in the first half, while BYU fired 57 percent from the field. It would help the Lobos immensely if senior guard Julie Briody could shake off her scoring slump and knock down a few field goals in the second half or get to the line.

Posted by at 2:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM's scoring slowed down just long enough for BYU to get the lead back. UNM had a chance to trim the deficit with an inbound play with 3.8 seconds left, but Amy Beggin's pass to Dionne Marsh in the paint was deflected and Katie Montgomery forced up a quick shot that didn't have enough force behind it from 3-point range.

The Lobos have a chance to beat the Cougars, but they have to play smart basketball and can't afford long scoring droughts. They also have to be wary of both strong post moves from every BYU player and a slew of Cougars hot 3-point shooters. The BYU guards really do a remarkable job of posting up strong and making great moves to the basket. It's pretty clear the position battle is essential to stopping BYU from scoring because once they set up and get the ball inside, it's a bucket for the Cougars nine out of 10 times.

Posted by at 2:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is a pretty good situation for the Lobos, with two BYU players already saddled with three fouls.

Posted by at 2:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dionne Marsh has taken over this game. She has 11 first-half points and is driving to the basket to draw fouls in a way she really hasn't since the Lobos' loss at Oklahoma. She also drew the third foul on BYU's Dani Wright, arguably the biggest play of the first half for UNM.

Posted by at 2:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM pulled ahead for a 20-19 lead over BYU, thanks mostly to strong halfcourt defense. The Lobos haven't used their press as much as I would have expected, but they have rattled BYU lately. Timi E-Nunu and Brandi Kimble also have scored for the Lobos, helping spread out the burden of getting some points early.

Posted by at 2:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM now trails BYU 15-14 with 10:52 left in the first half. The Lobos are getting a big effort from Dionne Marsh, who is both rebounding and scoring well so far. Katie Montgomery also knocked down a big 3-pointer to help the Lobos cut the deficit. The only problem for UNM right now its five team fouls.

Posted by at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM coach Don Flanagan is talking with the Lobos about setting more effective ball screens because the Cougars always switch on screens, which should give UNM guards open looks outside. He also emphasized the Lobos have to close out more quickly on BYU's twin towers Dani Kubik Wright and Lauren Riley.

Posted by at 2:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

just tipped off. Stay tuned for updates.

Posted by at 1:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm sitting here with Richard Stevens in Provo watching the Lobos and Cougars warm up. This time we've got a pretty good seat right behind the UNM bench, which means we've got a chance to hear all the timeout action.

So that Lobos have never swept the Utah trip, and it's going to be tough to do it this year. BYU is, by far, the better of the two Utah teams. The Cougars have more depth and pose more matchup problems inside for the Lobos. We'll see if UNM can pull off an upset here.

There's a handful of loud and loyal Lobos fans here, while a few BYU fans are trickling in the Marriott Center. I'd be surprised if the people here cracks 1,000 come tipoff. I think Utah maybe had 500 fans at the UNM game, but season ticket sales probably let them fudge all the way past 1,000.

Posted by at 1:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos pulled off an improbable comeback, knocking off the Utes after trailing by double digits most of the game. Check out Lobo Zone soon for complete postgame coverage.

Posted by at 8:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Utah coach Elaine Elliott hasn't done enough to help her team protect it's lead and the Lobos have pounced like an angry junkyard dog finally let off its chain.

Posted by at 8:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM has applied tremendous defensive pressure and finally hit the outside shots they needed to get back in the game. The Lobos also have been impressive from free-throw range.

Posted by at 8:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM is rallying, only trailing Utah by eight with 7:23 left in the game. Katie Montgomery is leading the charge with 19 points so far.

Posted by at 8:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM has finally picked up its offense, but Utah still seems to have all the luck. The Utes are managing to score off broken plays and are getting all the bounces. UNM trails Utah 46-33 with 12:05 left in the game. Katie Montgomery seems to be willing the Lobos back in this game but it may not be enough.

Posted by at 8:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM coach Don Flanagan angrily called for a timeout and shouted at his players to step up and play with effort after Utah scored a wide open layup off an inbounds play at the 18:24 mark in the second half. The Lobos now trail the Utes 35-22 with 15:59 left in the game.

Posted by at 8:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

UNM is fortunate to only be trailing the Utes by 11 points. The Lobos turned in arguably their worst half of basketball this season.

The Lobos shot 5-of-27 from the field, and 1-of-9 from 3-point range during the first half. Utah went 11-of-20 from the field and 3-of-6 from 3-point range. That means UNM shot 18.5 percent from the field, while the Utes shot 55 percent.

Katie Montgomery led the Lobos with seven points, while Dionne Marsh only managed two points before picking up her third personal foul in the first half.

Marie Warner led the Utes with 13 points, scoring at will off drives to the bucket.

It's not that the Lobos aren't hustling. They outrebounded the Utes 18-15 and picked up 8 offensive boards to the Utah's 0. The Lobos just haven't been able to do anything once they got the ball.

Posted by at 7:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos look plain awful tonight. It's like a high school junior varsity team took over for UNM. The Lobos are 2-of-15 from the field and making some real basic mistakes. The Lobos trail the Utes 22-6 with 7:28 left in the first half.

Posted by at 7:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM is doing a terrible job of feeding Dionne Marsh in the post and finally got its first field goal with 12:44 left in the first half. The Lobos still trail the Utes 15-4 with 11:45 left in the first half and need to wake up fast or risk getting blown out here.

Posted by at 7:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM has yet to hit a field goal and trails Utah 6-2 with 15:46 left in the first half. The Lobos only points came from a pair of Dionne Marsh free throws. The is 0-for-6 from the field and struggling to run their offense against Utah's defense.

Posted by at 7:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

just tipped off. Stay tuned for updates.

Posted by at 7:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Utah used the world's slowest color guard to do the present the colors before the national anthem. We'll be under way soon.

Posted by at 7:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

UNM coach Don Flanagan and Utah coach Elaine Elliott have had a long streak of bad blood, but it appears the support Utah got in The Pit during its Elite Eight run last season helped smooth things over a bit. The coaches had a friendly pregame chat here in the Huntsman Center. They shared a few laughs, shook hands and looked a lot friendlier than I've seen in quite awhile. Richard Stevens said, "They should get a room." Not to worry. I'm sure the snarling will begin momentarily.

Posted by at 7:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was in Albuquerque for all of a day and now am settled in for a long weekend in Utah.

Richard Stevens and I will be providing double coverage of the Lobos' tour of the Beehive state, with games tonight at Utah and Saturday afternoon at BYU. Why two of us? We think this is a huge trip for the Lobos and wanted to cover it from every angle. Look for loads of blog updates, stories and podcasts during the weekend. We have to justify all the great meals we're going to have this weekend. Feel free to suggest any of your favorite restaurants in Salt Lake City, Provo and anywhere in between. We'd be happy to sample the best fare. We already hi PF Chang's, but we're also happy to go after local favorites.

Posted by at 6:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I love the women's basketball beat, but the Trib shipped me off to Miami to cover the Super Bowl. Who was I to argue with such logic?

Trib columnist Richard Stevens will be covering tonight's game against San Diego State and Sunday's rematch against Wyoming. Stop growling. He loves the Lobos. Seriously.

Look out for his postgame story, full of whit and wisdom (stop laughing), at Lobo Zone shortly after the game. I promise I left you in good hands. Again, stop laughing.

Posted by at 6:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The Lobos put on an impressive show, answering every rally UNLV tried to muster.

Check out Lobo Zone soon for a complete postgame story.

Posted by at 8:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

UNM is fighting hard for a win that really could give the Lobos the type of confidence boost they need. It takes a lot to blow out UNLV, a feat the Lobos haven't pulled off in years.

Posted by at 8:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You have to give UNLV credit for fighting back in this game. The closest the Rebels have come is within 13 points, but the threat of a comeback is still looming. UNM needs to win this game big to get the confidence boost they deserve after coming out so strong early in this game.

Posted by at 8:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM's shooting was bound to come back down to Earth after the Lobos were hitting better than 70 percent from 3-point range at one point in the first half. Now they need to work to finish off UNLV regardless of whether those shots are falling as easily.

We just got the attendance number and this game drew a crowd of 13.849.

Posted by at 8:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM is still struggling on offense, hitting just 30 percent from the field. But the Lobos did show signs of life since coach Don Flanagan's last timeout.

Posted by at 8:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Coach Don Flanagan just asked his players in the timeout huddle whether they really wanted this win. Then he asked them to earn it. We'll see how they respond.

Posted by at 8:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If the Lobos come out firing, they can quickly put this game. If they slump, UNLV easily can get back in it. Everything hinges on the first five minutes of the second half. Let's see what happens.

Posted by at 7:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The scoring pace has slowed a little bit, but the Lobos' subs have played strong enough defense to maintain an impressive lead. The Lobos are on track to go into the locker room with more points they scored during the entire TCU game.

Posted by at 7:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM is shooting lights out from 3-point range and running circles around UNLV. The Lobos have hit 10-of-14 from 3-point range for 71.4 percent. Katie Montgomery is leading the Lobos with an eye-popping 17 points. With the last trey, she joined the Lobos' 1,000 point club. It's been that kind of night so far.

Posted by at 7:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNLV pulled within four points, the Lobos have knocked down 6-of-10 3-pointers to maintain a 22-11 lead with 11:26 left in the first half. Katie Montgomery is leading the way with 9 points, all 3-pointers.

Posted by at 7:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos are shooting 50 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range, and happen to be playing some killer man-to-man defense on UNLV. This is as good as the team has looked since December.

UNLV's leading scorer Sequoia Holmes also already has two fouls.

Posted by at 7:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM has hit three big treys to go ahead early and delight the crowd.

Posted by at 7:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's not quiet a sellout, but it's by far the Lobos' biggest crowd of the season.

Their game against UNLV just tipped off. Stay tuned for updates.

Posted by at 7:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos simply didn't have enough firepower to stay in this game.

Check out Lobo Zone soon for a complete postgame story.

Posted by at 7:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos just can't get out of their funk, and you can't dig a hole on the road against an explosive scoring team like TCU. The only good news was Brandi Kimble hit back-to-back 3-pointers. It was her first game with a trey since Oklahoma.

Posted by at 7:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It doesn't look like any of the Lobos want to shoot, while TCU is picking apart UNM's 2-3 zone. Not good. And not pretty to watch.

Posted by at 7:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This could get uglier because no one can score right now for the Lobos. I'd run the high-low with Dionne and Val, or just plain put Val in and let her jumpstart the offense. She shoots and passes really well although, she does have one turnover in the game. At this point, it really can't hurt.

Posted by at 6:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Frogs own a 37-28 lead with 15:12 left and are close to putting this game away, although there still is 15:12 left in the second half. UNM has caught a lot of bad bounces on defense, with loose balls falling TCU's way. But the Lobos have failed to counter on offense and normally hot-handed Julie Briody has been shackled by TCU's offense. The Frogs scouted the Lobos well and are daring Brandi Kimble to shoot while doubling Dionne Marsh. It could be a rough run for the Lobos.

Posted by at 6:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was a defensive stalemate, with the Lobos shooting 9-of-25 from the field in the first half and TCU hitting 9-of-30. TCU owns a 29-23 halftime lead thanks to more trips to the free-throw line.

The Lobos once again are playing stellar defense and struggling to get much done on offense. The good news is Dionne Marsh seems on track to be a major factor in the game, racking out to 11 first-half points to lead all scorers. The question is whether UNM's guards can protect the ball and feed the post well. If Marsh keeps scoring, it's bound to open up the perimeter. Then it's time for more Lobos to step up.

We're about to find out what the Lobos are made of in the second half.

Posted by at 6:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos' offense is breaking down because they have to work so hard to get past the TCU press and the Frogs are keying on UNM's top shooters. It hurts when Brandi Kimble hesitates to shoot so much and Timi E-Nunu isn't a real scoring threat. TCU has gambled sagging off them or giving them the only decent looks of the game, and it's paying off. At some point, I would think it would be worth putting Valerie Kast back in to score some points even if she struggles on defense.

Posted by at 6:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TCU has shifted into its full-court press, giving the Lobos fits. I'm surprised the Frogs didn't just go with this from the start of the game. When UNM does get past the pressure, the Lobos have less time to run their offense. UNM has to pass a little better inside and make smarter decisions, or TCU will pounce.

Posted by at 6:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dionne Marsh is off to a really good start and seems to be playing with more strength and confidence than I've seen since the Oklahoma game. Maybe it helps having time off and family in the crowd. The only thing slowing her down is the Lobos aren't quite feeding the post quickly enough. Both Dionne and Val have players pinned, but the guards seem wary of getting the ball inside.

Posted by at 5:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM is off to a pretty good start, not really giving up much on defense and handling the pressure relatively well. Dionne Marsh has passed up at least one good look at the basket and there are times when the Lobos still look timid on offense.

Posted by at 5:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

just tipped off. Stay tuned for updates.

Posted by at 5:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos snapped their two-game home losing streak with the win over the Falcons.

Air Force's press bothered the Lobos late, forcing two turnovers. Julie Briody gave the Lobos the last lift they needed, hitting a 3-pointer from NBA range with about two minutes left to assure the victory.

Check out Lobo Zone soon for complete postgame coverage.

Posted by at 8:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The Air Force defense is still giving the Lobos a little trouble, but UNM should be able to pull off a win tonight. The Lobos are shooting 50 percent from the field in this half and playing strong enough defense to outlast the Falcons.

Posted by at 8:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Falcons just won't go away. They are shooting just well enough to keep the game interesting with 7:20 left.

Posted by at 8:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It isn't pretty, but UNM has picked up a couple of good stops to stretch its lead. Eileen Weissmann is the super sub of the moment. She is setting good screens, passing the ball well and playing strong defense.

Posted by at 8:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos should be smoking Air Force, but after starting off shooting well they had a hard time knocking down shots in the final five minutes of the first half. UNM was shooting 50 percent from the field with 7:33 left in the first half, but now is shooting 36 percent. Not good.

Dionne Marsh is leading the Lobos with 10 points, a huge improvement to snap out of her recent scoring skid. Katie Montgomery is next in line with eight points, while Timi E-Nunu leads UNM with six boards.

Letricia Castillo is the Falcons' top scorer with eight points, and also leads the team with five boards.

In other news, Utah is off to an impressive start tonight. The Utes hold a 33-23 halftime lead over TCU in Salt Lake City. The score really surprises me because I didn't think Utah was that strong this year.

Posted by at 7:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM is getting out-rebounded 11-8 and Air Force is shooting 52.6 percent from the field to keep the game close. The Falcons are overmatched but lingering with 3:55 left in the first half with all out effort and some pretty good shooting.

UNM counters with 47.4 shooting from the field and good defense, not counting the rebounding trouble.

Posted by at 7:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've seen it a lot, but I still can't get over how soft a shooting touch Valerie Kast has around the basket. She has one bucket in two minutes on the court.

Air Force is hanging around by hitting a 15-footer every time the Lobos are closing out off double teams or helping out off screens.

Posted by at 7:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM holds a 16-9 advantage over Air Force thanks to its defense. Eight of the Lobos' 16 points came off turnovers.

Posted by at 7:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM missed its first three shots, then went on an 8-0 run to claim the three-point lead with 15:49 left. The good news is Dionne Marsh hit two free throws, scoring in the first half for the first time in five games. And Katie Montgomery has hit back-to-back 3-pointers set up by drives.

Posted by at 7:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stay tuned for updates.

Posted by at 7:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos snapped the losing streak like a toothpick, picking up a big 73-42 win at Colorado State Saturday afternoon.

Big because it was the biggest margin of victory in 24 games UNM has played at Colorado State. Big because it was a huge confidence boost of the team that seemed to forget how to win. And big because UNM needs to win like crazy to get out of the basement on Mountain West Conference standings.

I have a story that will be posted in the next few minutes Lobo Zone with reaction from very happy players. Coach Don Flanagan always sees room for improvement, but he also was in a good mood. I'm a little bummed I couldn't make the trip because it sounds like it was a lot of fun. Then again, it's about negative four degrees in Fort Collins right now.

As always, check out Monday's Tribune for more women's basketball coverage.

Posted by at 4:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm providing updates from the Duke City because the trip opted not to send me back into snow country this weekend. I'll be back on the road with the team the remainder of the season. For now, you can count on updates and postgame interviews.

UNM jumped out to 39-17 lead over Colorado State, a team playing with just eight players because four athletes were suspended for setting off a bomb outside a teammate's apartment. The prank did not cause any injuries or structural damage.

Seniors Julie Briody and Katie Montgomery have taken over the Lobos' offense. Montgomery leads all scorers with 16 points, while Briody added 14. They are shooting 8-of-12 from the 3-point range, good for 67 percent.

The downside for UNM is Dionne Marsh and Angela Hartill picked up two early fouls and were not a factor in the first half. Valerie Kast made a brief appearance, as did rarely-used Lobo Morgan Saso. Timi E-Nunu carried the heaviest load and Eileen Weissmann also saw the first action since non-conference play.

Posted by at 2:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Four Colorado State women's basketball players, including leading scorer Kelly Jo Mullaney, were suspended from the team for a setting off a homemade bomb as a prank outside a teammate's apartment, according to the Fort Collins Coloradoan. No one was injured when the bomb was set off Monday night. Rams coach Jen Warden suspended the players involved indefinitely and only will have eight players available when Colorado State takes on UNM later today.

Posted by at 10:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was another painful, wild finish for the Lobos.

Katie Montgomery knocked down a 3-pointer with 1:18 left to make the score 60-59 BYU.

The Cougars called timeout but the Lobos forced a shot-clock violation and got the ball back with 55.8 seconds left.

UNM had been in this boat the two previous games and hadn't pulled off the comeback.

Julie Briody forced up a shot inside and missed, then Dionne Marsh fouled as the Cougars got the rebound. UNM had a foul to give and set up its press.

The Lobos had good pressure but a foul was called on Brandi Kimble, giving UNM its seventh foul.

Mallary Gillespie went to the line for a one-and-one. UNM called a timeout with 25.9 seconds left to set up its strategy. Gillespie hit both free throws, pushing BYU ahead 62-59.

UNM turned the ball over attempting to set up Katie Montgomery for a 3-point shot, but the pass was wild and flew out of bounds with12:5 seconds left. The Lobos fouled Gillespie again with 10 seconds left in the game.

UNM fouled Jennie Keele, who missed the front end of the one-and-one but it Dani Wright tipped it and BYU recovered. Timi E-Nunu fouled Wright with 2.6 seconds left. She hit the free throws to seal a 63-59 BYU win.

Check out Lobo Zone after the game for a complete postgame story.

Posted by at 8:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

BYU is getting heaps of good bounces and seems to be out-working the Lobos inside. This has shaped up to be the kind of finish UNM wanted to avoid. But if the Lobos pull off a win, it could be just what they need to toughen up and get over this slump.

Posted by at 8:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

BYU has clawed back into the game with strong 3-point shooting and rebounding. The Cougars own a 28-25 rebounding advantage, with most of those coming in the second half. They also are shooting 5-of-9 from 3-point range. This is crunch time for the Lobos.

Posted by at 8:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Valerie Kast continues to step up for the Lobos in the second half, which is lucky because junior forward Dionne Marsh is having a rough night. She has always struggled with the conference's power centers, and BYU brings them in waves.

Posted by at 8:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos are keeping a steady pace, but they still need to be a little sharper on offense to put this game away. UNM's defense really is stunning at this point. They have forced 10 BYU turnovers and have a chance hold them to the Cougars' fewest points this season.

Posted by at 8:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos are keeping a steady pace, but they still need to be a little sharper on offense to put this game away. UNM's defense really is stunning at this point. They have forced 10 BYU turnovers and have a chance hold them to the Cougars' fewest points this season.

Posted by at 8:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos are keeping a steady pace, but they still need to be a little sharper on offense to put this game away. UNM's defense really is stunning at this point. They have forced 10 BYU turnovers and have a chance hold them to the Cougars' fewest points this season.

Posted by at 8:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

And BYU coach Jeff Judkins already called a full timeout at the 18:26 mark to regroup. The Lobos lead BYU 35-26.

Posted by at 8:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Amy Beggin started the second half in place of Brandi Kimble.

Posted by at 7:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos got a huge lift from Valerie Kast, who had six points, one assist and three blocks in the first half. She also was a major force on defense. Katie Montgomery led the Lobos with 11 points.

BYU had strong scoring inside early, then began knocking down 3-pointers to get back in the game. Center Lauren Riley leads the Cougars with eight points, while guard Mallary Gillespie added seven mostly from the perimeter.

UNM's defense continues to be really strong, but the big question is whether UNM can pick up the pace on offense.

Posted by at 7:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Valerie Kast scored five points, recorded two blocks and ended BYU's dominance inside, but the Cougars started hitting their 3-pointers. The Lobos led by as many as 10 but BYU went on 6-0 run.

Posted by at 7:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

BYU has picked up more scoring in the past four minutes, getting two guards to help out Cougars center Lauren Riley. UNM is countering with Valerie Kast checking into the game. Let's see how the deeper bench works out.

Posted by at 7:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM leads BYU 14-6 with 11:18 left in the first half. The Lobos' defense continues to be really impressive and Katie Montgomery is shooting well, scoring eight points to lead all scorers. BYU center Lauren Riley is the Cougars' biggest threat, literally, and has all six of their points.

Posted by at 7:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM has gotten off to a solid start thanks to its defense. BYU is bigger and stronger inside, but the Lobos are handling double teams well on defense. The team is struggling a bit to get open looks, but the Lobos have done enough to pick up the early lead.

Posted by at 7:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Despite their three-game losing streak, the UNM women's basketball still has a strong reputation. ESPN.com's Charlie Creme awarded the Lobos a 10 seed in his latest NCAA Tournament bracket projection. The Lobos would play No. 7 DePaul in Minneapolis, then face the winner of the No. 2 LSU-No. 15 Valparaiso game. It actually is a more favorable matchup than the eight-seed UNM had in the first round of Creme's bracket projections.

His projection is generous but backs up my suggestion that UNM's season isn't over because the Lobos started out 0-2 in conference play. Will be easy to win a championship from here? Nope. But it's possible.

One last stat I've been repeating for demoralized Lobos fans. Last year Utah started conference play 0-2, falling to the Lobos at The Pit and at home to BYU. The Utes also lost at least one more conference game later in the season. Utah went on to win the conference tournament and advanced to the Elite Eight.

Posted by at 10:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was another crazy Utah-UNM battle in The Pit.

Utah led the Lobos 49-48, but UNM forced a jumpball and got it back with 24.4 seconds left. The Lobos called timeout to set up the final possession. The ball was deflected and UNM got it back with eight seconds left. Then UNM's Brandi Kimble missed two layups to seal the loss.

Check out Lobo Zone soon for a complete postgame story.

Posted by at 4:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

UNM is battling on defense, but the Lobos are going to be hard pressed to pull off a win shooting 16 percent from the field in the second half. The final three minutes are going to be an amazing chess match.

Posted by at 4:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos have gone ice cold from the field but have played strong enough defense to hang on to a slim lead with 7:45 left in the game. UNM shot 56 percent from the field in the first half, but are shooting just 15 percent in the second half.

Posted by at 4:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM came out hot, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers but has cooled a little from the field. Dionne Marsh, who is still a little gimpy on her sprained ankles, got her first points of the game from 3-point range.

Posted by at 3:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM led by as many as 14 points in the first half and is playing better basketball than it has in a week, but Utah won't quit. The Lobos are shooting 56 percent from the field and 67 percent from 3-point range, but the Utes counter with 50 percent shooting from the field.

Julie Briody is still fighting a cold but leads all players with 13 first-half points. Dionne Marsh also has put a lot of pressure on her sprained and heavily taped ankles, but she appears to be handling the pain fine. She has not scored but she is playing solid defense. Timi E-Nunu has stepped up for the Lobos. She has three turnovers, but she also has three assists, two rebounds and a career-high six points.

Sophomore forward Joh-Tenna Filipe leads the Utes with eight points.

The Lobos are playing with the energy and fire that has been missing the past two games and I'd be really surprised if they let this one get away from them. No matter how rough things have been going, I guess you can never underestimate how much players on these teams are rivals and seriously don't like each other.

Posted by at 3:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM continues to dominate this matchup and leads 18-10. Utah is working hard, but the Lobos are playing tremendous defense and shooting 62 percent from the field.

The Lobos clearly got fired up for this game. And it means so much to the program, former players Abbie Letz, Jana Francis and Judy Vogt are sitting together courtside cheering the team on against the Utes,

Posted by at 3:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos started on a 10-0 run, forcing three Utah turnovers with their full-court press. The pace has settled down a bit in the last minute but it's a good start for UNM.

Posted by at 3:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stay tuned for updates.

Posted by at 3:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was a wild finish.

Katie Mongomery scored a layup off a set play, then stole the ball and scored another layup. Amy Beggin got another steal but missed the front end of a one-and-one with the Lobos leading 51-50. Wyoming rebounded and Aubrey Vandiver scored off a layup with 12.2 seconds left to give Wyoming a 52-51 lead. Wyoming called timeout and set up drama a huge final possession for the Lobos.

Wyoming pressed, then UNM called a timeout after seeing the Cowgirls setup.

UNM got it past midcourt Montgomery drove but was tripped up and called for a travel with 6.6 seconds left. The Lobos fouled Dominque Sisk and sent her to the free throw line. UNM called a full timeout to talk strategy. Sisk hit both, giving Wyoming a 3-point lead.

Montgomery missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer with a lot of contact, giving Wyoming a 54-51 win over UNM.

Posted by at 8:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

This is getting really interesting here. Amy Beggin has had a few turnovers that have hurt the Lobos, but Wyoming seems to be suffering from the same fatigue that is sapping UNM. Both teams have a lot of fight and it should be a great race to the finish.

Posted by at 8:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Katie Montgomery hit a huge 3-pointer and Julie Briody knocked down a layup to tie the game, Timi E-Nunu continues to play great defense, helping the Lobos get back in this game. Flanagan is shouting to the Lobos to push the ball up the floor, but we're seeing the toll of relying on seven players during such a tough game with constant movement needed on offense and defense. We'll find out just how much they have left.

Posted by at 8:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wyoming and UNM are trading blows, but UNM coach Don Flanagan called a timeout after the Cowgirls mounted a mini surge. UNM has been burned three times off an array of screens for layups. The Lobos are being more aggressive to counter the shots, but UNM can't afford to dig another hole this late in the game.

Posted by at 8:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM has come roaring back, briefly taking the lead one possession ago. Dionne Marsh has led the way with nine points all coming in the second half. Julie Briody has missed two free throws in this game, but the Lobos are fighting back and showing they have the ability to come back from a deficit. It's a pretty good skill for a team. We'll find out if the trend holds, especially with a tough pace for UNM's core seven players.

Posted by at 8:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos are off to a much better start in the second half. Dionne Marsh has five points and UNM has gone on a 7-2 run. UNM has picked up its defense, forcing several shot-clock violations thanks, in part, to switching on screens.

Posted by at 8:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I looked it up and UNM's 21 first-half points against Wyoming are the fewest the Lobos have scored during the first half all season. The Lobos managed 24 in the first-half against No. 8 Oklahoma, their next lowest output.

Posted by at 7:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM picked up the scoring a little late, but the Lobos need a much better second half from their core shooters to overcome this deficit. Timi E-Nunu has helped, hitting two long-range jumpers she rarely takes to help UNM a little bit. It's not enough when Wyoming's top scorers are hitting on all cylinders. Justyna Podziemksa has 14 points and six rebounds, while Hanna Zavecz has 11 and one board.

The Lobos are shooting 27 percent from the field and 20 percent from 3-point range, while Wyoming has hit 46 percent from the field and 44 percent from beyond the arc.

Brandi Kimble leads the Lobos with six points, a sign of how little scoring the team has been able to muster. Dionne Marsh has been held scoreless and suffered an ankle injury ealry that seems to be bothering her a bit. At the same time, she is capable of dominating these forwards and has failed to respond. Julie Briody, Angela Hartill and E-Nunu all have four points.

It's up to the Lobos to decide they want this game more because Wyoming already is elated by its lead and will keep the heat on in the second half. We'll see what happens.

Posted by at 7:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wyoming has stretched its lead simply because the Cowgirls are knocking down shots and the Lobos aren't hitting much of anything. Dionne Marsh still has not scored and Julie Briody picked up two fouls, shutting down two big UNM scoring threats. On the other side, the Cowgirls are hot from 3-point range. They hit 57 percent from beyond the arc. Forward Justyna Podziemska is as good as advertised, scoring 14 points already both from 3-point range and off low-post moves.

Posted by at 7:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Timi E-Nunu lost her shoe on one play, threw it to the sideline and played great defense to earn a stop on one series. Wyoming is holding on to a lead thanks to constant movement on both sides of the ball. They screen all the time on offense and are keeping a hand in UNM's face on defense. The good news for UNM is that Wyoming already has its seventh team foul. Julie Briody will shoot a one-and-one after the media timeout. Briody missed her first free throw of the game, ending her streak of 39 consecutive made free throws.

Posted by at 7:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dionne Marsh is struggling to score early, going 0-for-7 from the field. The Lobos' press is breaking down a lot. They aren't putting enough pressure on the ball and Wyoming has gotten at least three open layups off it. And the Cowgirls are hot from the 3-point line. Justyna Podziemska has nine points, with all of it coming from 3-point range.

Posted by at 7:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM coach Don Flanagan called a timeout to settle the Lobos and get them to run their offense a little better. They are off to a rusty start. He didn't get the results he wanted out of the timeout, with Dionne Marsh being called for an offensive foul right before the under 16-minute media timeout.

The good news is the Lobos can easily snap out of this by running their offense a little better. Wyoming built up the lead off two 3-pointers.

Posted by at 7:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It took some work, but I'm courtside this time for the Lobos' game at Wyoming. The Cowgirls drew a relatively good sized crowd despite a looming snow storm. I know, they're used to snow here. I've seen more in the past three weeks than in my lifetime. It even snowed in El Paso as I was on my way to Albuquerque earlier this week. Crazy.

Anyway, refs are here. Teams are here. And I'm here to give you updates. Stay tuned ...

Posted by at 6:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The UNM women's basketball team made it from back from Oklahoma City by way of Denver very late last night, but coach Don Flanagan will be spending New Year's Eve alone in Amarillo after attempting to drive home from Oklahoma City.

Flanagan said the road got icey around Amarillo and he thinks several wrecks caused highway patrolmen to close the road that had briefly re-opened. The players didn't exactly have it easy coming home. Their bags, which included all their practice gear, didn't arrive with them last night. Four players' cars also were stuck in the ice and snow and could not be moved last night.

The team will practice Monday at 2 p.m.

"There's no way we could have practiced today anyway," Flanagan said. "I'm pretty sure we can get back on track tomorrow."

That's all for now. Check out Monday's Tribune for more women's basketball news.

Posted by at 3:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos faced a tough trip home after an ugly visit to Oklahoma.

UNM coach Don Flanagan said it all came down to confidence -- his team's lack of poise and Oklahoma star Courtney Paris' decision to dominant the game. His plan was to guard her inside post move because she forced up bad shots going toward the paint last year. Turns out she fixed that problem during the summer and torched the Lobos for 43 points. UNM still could have made a game of it if the team had hit open shots. The good news is the Lobos won't face a hoops beast like that again until the NCAA Tournament.

The Lobos were attempting to fly back Albuquerque with one stop in Denver. Coach Don Flanagan was spending the night in Oklahoma City, then driving back. He hopes I-40 will be open at the Texas-New Mexico border by the time he gets there. He didn't try last night since all the hotel rooms in Amarillo were booked. He hopes to hold a practice tonight and definitely will have the team practice Monday and Tuesday morning before hitting the road for Wyoming -- another potentially icey trek.

I'll have another update later this afternoon and more women's basketball news in Monday's Tribune.

Posted by at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos faced a tough trip home after an ugly visit to Oklahoma.

UNM coach Don Flanagan said it all came down to confidence -- his team's lack of poise and Oklahoma star Courtney Paris' decision to dominant the game. His plan was to guard her inside post move because she forced up bad shots going toward the paint last year. Turns out she fixed that problem during the summer and torched the Lobos for 43 points. UNM still could have made a game of it if the team had hit open shots. The good news is the Lobos won't face a hoops beast like that again until the NCAA Tournament.

The Lobos were attempting to fly back Albuquerque with one stop in Denver. Coach Don Flanagan was spending the night in Oklahoma City, then driving back. He hopes I-40 will be open at the Texas-New Mexico border by the time he gets there. He didn't try last night since all the hotel rooms in Amarillo were booked. He hopes to hold a practice tonight and definitely will have the team practice Monday and Tuesday morning before hitting the road for Wyoming -- another potentially icey trek.

I'll have another update later this afternoon and more women's basketball news in Monday's Tribune.

Posted by at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos faced a tough trip home after an ugly visit to Oklahoma.

UNM coach Don Flanagan said it all came down to confidence -- his team's lack of poise and Oklahoma star Courtney Paris' decision to dominant the game. His plan was to guard her inside post move because she forced up bad shots going toward the paint last year. Turns out she fixed that problem during the summer and torched the Lobos for 43 points. UNM still could have made a game of it if the team had hit open shots. The good news is the Lobos won't face a hoops beast like that again until the NCAA Tournament.

The Lobos were attempting to fly back Albuquerque with one stop in Denver. Coach Don Flanagan was spending the night in Oklahoma City, then driving back. He hopes I-40 will be open at the Texas-New Mexico border by the time he gets there. He didn't try last night since all the hotel rooms in Amarillo were booked. He hopes to hold a practice tonight and definitely will have the team practice Monday and Tuesday morning before hitting the road for Wyoming -- another potentially icey trek.

I'll have another update later this afternoon and more women's basketball news in Monday's Tribune.

Posted by at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I tried making the trip from my family's home in El Paso to Oklahoma City but got stuck in San Antonio. We tried landing in Dallas twice, but were sent back San Antonio. Eventually I was just sent back to El Paso because there was no way I could make it to Oklahoma City by tipoff. The women's basketball team barely got out of Dallas before tornadoes and thunderstorms slammed the area.

I'm listening on the radio and doing some postgame interviews by phone, so you can check the blog for updates.

Posted by at 12:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It was a sloppy game, but the Lobos still overpowered Northern Arizona. The Lumberjacks pulled within six points several times, but UNM came up with enough layups and free throws to protect the lead. Check out Lobo Zone soon for a complete postgame story.

Posted by at 8:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

UNM is relying on defense and steady free-throw shooting to claim a 13-point halftime lead over Northern Arizona, but the Lumberjacks are no slouches. They run their offense well and are capable of a comeback if the Lobos go into a slump. I'm sure UNM coach Don Flanagan will continue his recent call for the team to run its offense better in the second half.

Julie Briody leads all scorers with 10 points, while Timi E-Nunu leads the Lobos in rebounding with five. Angela Hartill is leading UNM with three assists. E-Nunu is playing strong defense, while Hartill continues to drive and look for her shot.

UNM is shooting 44 percent from the field, 17 percent from 3-point range and 83 percent from the free-throw line.

NAU is shooting 35 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and have not hit a free throw.

Mike Hall, of the Journal, says hello.

In other MWC news tonight, TCU knocked of No. 17 Depaul 74-73, a game that will help the Mountain West Conference's lagging RPI.

Posted by at 7:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I'm in Albuquerque swamped with bowl game coverage, so our ace high school reporter James Staley is down in Las Cruces with the Lobos. He will be providing a halftime update on his blog and postgame coverage.

Posted by at 6:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM moved up to No. 22 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll and could get more attention in this week's coaches poll. We'll find out when the big results are released Wednesday.

Senior guard Julie Briody was named Mountain West Conference co-player of the week after leading UNM to four wins in seven days.

Junior forward Dionne Marsh has been named one of 50 preseason candidates for the Naismith Trophy, which honors the top player in college basketball.

And ESPN's Charli Creme has projected the Lobos to win the Mountain West Conference in his first, insanely early round of bracketology. The only problem is the Lobos get a dreaded eight seed in the Austin bracket, which means they would face a No. 1 seed in the second round. That monster of a No. 1 seed would be Oklahoma. The good news is UNM has plenty of time to get out of the kiss of death 8-9 game.

Posted by at 8:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Julie Briody's seven points helped UNM take control of the game and claim a big win.

Check Lobo Zone soon for a complete postgame story.

Posted by at 9:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

UNM is pulling away from UCLA thanks in part to a late 7-0 run by Julie Briody, who finally found her shot from the outside and also drove well to the basket. The Lobos need one last push to close out a very entertaining game.

Posted by at 9:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It has been an all out war, with a little bit of inconsistent officiating thrown in to make it even more exciting. UNM coach Don Flanagan was slapped with a technical, but it seemed like the Bruins fell apart right afterward and picked up a slew of fouls. The biggest was on Noel Quinn, the obvious team leader for UCLA, who has four fouls.

Posted by at 9:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos' outside shots still look a little off, but UNM has extended its one-point halftime lead and is flying all over the place on every possession.

Posted by at 9:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stay tuned for updates.

Posted by at 8:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This has been a great game so far, with UCLA and UNM tradiing some pretty impressive blows.

UNM went cold from long-range, and UCLA went on an 11-0 run. The Lobos stayed calm and mounted a 10-2 run to get back in the game. The teams traded blows late in the first half to the lead at the half.

UNM is shooting 50 percent from the field but just 18.2 percent from 3-point range. UCLA is shooting 53.6 percent from the field and 33 percent from beyond the arc.

The Bruins are out-rebounded UNM 20-10 overall and 7-3 on the offensive board.

Dionne Marsh leads the Lobos with 13 points, while Lindsey Pluimer leads the Bruins with 10 points.

UNM has alternated a 2-3 zone and man-to-man defense but has struggled to rebound out of the zone and close out inside, giving Pluimer a lot of easy looks.

It should be a real interesting second half. The crowd got fired up during the Lobos' late first-half rally and seemed to rattle UCLA bit. We'll see if fatigue or nerves become a factor for the Bruins in the second half.

Posted by at 8:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UCLA went on an 11-0 run, but the Lobos just started a surge and cut the Bruins' lead to five points.

Posted by at 8:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dionne Marsh leads the Lobos with eight points and seems unstoppable in the paint.

Posted by at 8:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM is playing good defense in a 2-3 zone, but the Lobos shots aren't falling. The team is struggling from the field for the first time in six games. Dionne Marsh, however, is doing well inside and has four of the Lobos' six points.

Posted by at 8:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stay tuned for updates.

Posted by at 8:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos absolutely pounded Sam Houston State and had fun doing it. Check out Lobo Zone soon for a complete postgame story.

Posted by at 9:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM is now up 67-24 on Sam Houston State with 6:06 left in the game. Brandi Kimble is the latest Lobo to step up. She has been all over the floor and has 12 points.

Posted by at 9:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM threw its starters back in for a set play with four seconds left in the half, and it nearly worked. Brandi Kimble's bomb from a little past NBA 3-point range was just a little hard off the back rim.

This was a clinic for the Lobos and every player on the roster got into the game. Julie Briody leads all scorers with 11 points and nearly outscored Sam Houston State. Dionne Marsh has eight points, Katie Montgomery added six and Georonika Jackson came off the bench for a career-high five points.

Coach Don Flanagan was a little upset he couldn't get Jackson's attention while she was working as the team's point guard, but otherwise it was a pretty impressive first half.

Posted by at 8:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM now has four freshmen and a sophomore on the floor, giving its bench tons of the time. The reserves are playing strong defense and getting good looks at the basket. This one got way out of hand fast.

Posted by at 8:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mike Hall, of the Journal, says hi boys and girls. He wants to remind everyone he's a Trib alum before crossing over to the Journal. We're a little punchy since this game got so ugly so fast.

Dionne Marsh has eight points and Julie Briody has the previously mentioned eight to lead the Lobos. We could see a whole lotta freshman tonight.

Posted by at 8:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My computer connection is a little slow, but the Lobos aren't. Julie Briody already has 11 points.

Posted by at 8:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

They were pretty impressive tonight. Check out Lobo Zone soon for a complete postgame story.

Posted by at 8:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Julie Briody has a new career high with 25 points against the Wildcats. The Lobos continue to play well as a team, save a few bad fouls.

UNM leads Arizona 73-52 with 3:29 left in the game.

Posted by at 8:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM has a 63-45 lead and has Arizona so frazzled I doubt the Wildcats have any shot at comeback.

Posted by at 8:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos are still knocking down perimeter shots and Dionne Marsh has picked up the scoring, adding four second-half points. Both teams went on a three-minute drought, which obviously favors the Lobos.

Posted by at 8:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos are picking up their inside scoring and Julie Briody has hit some amazing shots to push UNM ahead 49-37 with 15:30 left in second half.

Posted by at 7:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos relied on hot perimeter shooting to claim a seven-point halftime lead. Arizona cut the lead to three points, but UNM keeps knocking down long-range shots to stay in the game and pick apart the Wildcats' zone.

UNM is shooting 65 percent from the field (15-23), 75 percent (6-of-8) from 3-point range and 100 percent from the line (2-2). Katie Montgomery has 13 points. She is 5-of-5 from the field and 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. Julie Briody is next in line with nine points, shooting 4-of-6.

All of the Lobos' offense has come from the outside, and Dionne Marsh was limited to two first-half points.

Arizona had been a strong perimeter shooting team as well, but the bulk of its points came inside. Suzy Bofia, a 6-foot-6 center, leads the Wildcats with 8 points. The Wildcats are shooting 44 percent from the field and 14 percent from 3-point range. Arizona is 6-of-8 from the free-throw line for 75 percent.

The teams are tied at 12 rebounds apiece, but Arizona has a 5-1 advantage on the offensive boards.

I don't know if UNM can count on hot shooting to win this game. I think the Lobos are going to have find a way to score inside to win this game.

Posted by at 7:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Now UNM is cold from the field, while Arizona is knocking down shots under pressure. The Lobos went to a 2-3 zone, but the Wildcats hit some tough outside shots to make a huge dent in UNM's lead. The Lobos are up 29-25 with 3:51 left in the first half.

Posted by at 7:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

About a minute ago, the Lobos had an unbelievable line going. They were 10-of-14 from the field, 3-of-4 from 3-point range and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line.

It's amazing what running your offense well can do for shooting percentages.

The only glitch now is Arizona is starting to pound the bal inside. Valerie Kast is in to see if she can counter the Wildcats' 6-foot-6 center.

Posted by at 7:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM continues its hot shooting, hitting 73 percent from the field, 67 percent from 3-point range and 100 percent (2-of-2) from the free-throw line.

The only problem is Julie Briody, who leads UNM with nine points, just picked up her second foul.

Posted by at 7:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM is running its offense well to get good looks against Arizona's zone, while the Wildcats are a little cold from the field.

The Lobos already have four assists and are shooting 71 percent from the field, while Arizona is shooting 29 percent from the field. Advantage, Lobos.

Posted by at 7:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In a last-minute change, Timi E-Nunu is starting in place of Angela Hartill, who UNM coach Don Flanagan said he would use to counter Arizona's height advantage. I guess he went with speed instead.

Stay tuned for updates.

Posted by at 6:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Associated Press Top 25 women's basketball poll has been a little puzzling lately. Texas, a team UNM beat, stayed in the poll while the Lobos dropped out and stayed out.

Well two weeks later, on the heels of three straight wins over less than glamorous teams, UNM is back in the Top 25.

The Lobos are ranked No. 23 in the latest AP poll. I can't figure out the logic, but I'm sure UNM isn't complaining.

Click on this link to get a complete list of the rankings.

Posted by at 3:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

My postgame story on the Lobos' rout of New Mexico State at Lobo Zone, and you can find it at this link.

One minor change to an early score box that was circulated. Valerie Kast had five points instead of three she originally was credited with and Angela Hartill had six instead of eight.

So that's all for tonight. I'm off to finish my Harris poll ballot. What happens if I rank Boise State No. 2? Just kidding. I'm not that tired.

Posted by at 10:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Check out Lobo Zone soon for a complete postgame story.

Posted by at 8:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Angela Hartill set a mean old Katie Kern-style screen and Aggie guard Jazmyn Foster was knocked over. She was dizzy when she got up and the Aggies seemed to think it was a dirty play, but no foul was called and it looked clean to me.

Posted by at 8:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Aggies mounted a mini run with three UNM freshmen on the floor, grabbing a 9-4 advantage.

Sherell Neal, who had two points four minutes ago, lead the Aggies with six quick points.

Posted by at 8:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Eileen Weissmann and Christian Shelter just checked in and it shouldn't be long before we see an all freshman lineup.

The Julie Briody scoring meter is up to an impressive 23 points.

Posted by at 8:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Julie Briody hit a 3-pointer, pushing her to a career-high 21 points. She's on fire tonight.

The Lobos picked up three early fouls but have settled down and are protecting their huge lead.

Posted by at 7:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Julie Briody has exploded for an 18-point first half, just tearing up the Aggies. Dionne Marsh and Katie Montgomery are next in line with nine points apiece.

Angela Hartill has rebounded from some rough performances early this season to lead the team in rebounds with six in 12 minutes of play.

Cecilia Russell-Nava, who shoots a very strange 3-pointer from her hip, leads the Aggies with 9 points.

UNM is shooting 43 percent from the field, 60 percent from 3-point range and 83 percent from the free-throw line. The Lobos also hold a 24-14 rebounding advantage, with a 9-4 edge on the offensive boards.

The Aggies are shooting 35 percent from the field, 38 percent from 3-point range and 40 percent from the free-throw line.

NMSU has 14 personal fouls to UNM's 6.

In other words, it's already a blowout. If UNM comes out even playing average, the Lobos coast to a win. It would help to get some reserves more playing time and have starters rest with a game looming Tuesday at Arizona.

Posted by at 7:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM coach Don Flanagan is straining to go over isntructions with his players during timeouts, but the Lobos seem to be handling the Aggies pretty well.

Valerie Kast already has seen some action, although she didn't score in the few minutes she was in the game.

Posted by at 7:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM is keeping the pressure on New Mexico State, running away with the game.

Julie Briody is off to another impressive start, scoring a game-high 11 points a little more than halfway through the first half. Katie Montgomery is next in line for the Lobos with six points and four rebounds.

Posted by at 7:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM went on an 11-4 run, hitting outside shots and some transition buckets.

The Aggies clearly are packing the paint and hoping UNM goes cold. It worked during their mini run, but the Lobos bounced back and are hitting 50 percent from 3-point range

Posted by at 7:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM jumped out to an 8-0 run and grabbed four offensive rebounds, but the Aggies battled back on a 5-0 run.

Posted by at 7:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Timi E-Nunu is getting her second consecutive career start, which should help the Lobos contain the Aggies' transition game. They love to push the ball up the court.

Stay tuned for updates.

Posted by at 7:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM women's basketball players said it has been a remarkably quiet week at practice because head coach Don Flanagan has been rendered virtually mute thanks to a sore throat and assistant coach Yvonne Sanchez was out on the recruiting trail. "It was kind of hard to understand coach (Flanagan), but coach (Dave) Shoemate and coach Shane (Flanagan) translated a little bit for us," Briody said.

Flanagan already has visited a doctor and is on the mend.

He might feel a little better after checking out the ticket sales for Saturday's game. UNM had sold 10,200 tickets as of late Wednesday afternoon. I couldn't snag a Thursday update, but the total already is a season high and surpasses the Texas total. You can check out a story I wrote in today's Tribune for more details about the moves UNM's marketing department is making to help boost attendance.

This also was supposed to be a painful week of early-morning free-throw shooting for the Lobos after a rough start from the line. But Briody said the Lobos' surge of strong free-throw shooting against Georgia Southern meant the players only had to show up for practice early and shoot 50 free throws instead of heading to the practice facility for extra shooting before sunrise. Let's just say Reggie Theus, who promised to make the Aggie men shoot at 3 a.m. after their road loss to UNM earlier this week, isn't the only coach with a mean streak when it comes to players missing from the charity stripe. "We got lucky," Briody said. "It could have been so much worse."

Check out Friday's Tribune for more women's basketball coverage.

Posted by at 6:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I think this might the first time in UNM history when a two football players (Cody Kase and Kenny Byrd), a men's basketball player (JR Giddens) and a women's basketball player (Dionne Marsh) all were named Mountain West Conference players of the week at the same time.

Not a bad week for the Lobos.

Posted by at 5:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

OK, I'm done after a very busy day.

My women's basketball postgame story has been posted on the Trib Web site, and you can find it at this link.

Have a good night ... err good morning.

Posted by at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

That's a wrap from here.

I was off by one on the all tournament team.

Dionne Marsh, UNM
Laura Menty, Siena
Carolyn Whitney, Georgia Southern
Dee Dee Murphy, Western Illinois
MVP: Julie Briody, UNM

Check out Lobo Zone soon for a complete postgame story.

Posted by at 10:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

At the 4:49 mark UNM had freshmen and a sophomore on the floor -- Amy Beggin, Christian Shelter, Georonika Jackson, Eileen Weissmann and Morgan Saso.

Here's my all-tournament team ballot:

Amy Beggin, UNM
Dionne Marsh, UNM
Laura Menty, Siena
Carolyn Whitney, Georgia Southern
Julie Briody, MVP

It's a tough call between Marsh and Briody for the MVP, but I thought Briody was tougher on both sides of the ball.

Posted by at 9:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Valerie Kast had eight points and was replaced by Morgan Saso.

UNM has a 69-28 lead with 7:50 left in the game.

It's all over but the subs and awards.

Posted by at 9:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Valerie Kast made the most of her playing time so far, scoring four points, grabbing two boards and blocking one shot in three minutes.

Posted by at 9:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM just keeps rolling here, extending the lead.

Now comes the exciting part. Valerie Kast just substituted for Timi E-Nunu before the timeout.

Posted by at 9:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dionne Marsh hit a freethrow with 55.3 seconds to hit the 1,000-point mark, making her the 14th player to reach the elite club. She got a big standing ovation from The Pit crowd and still managed to hit her second freethrow following the announcer's interruption.

She is the second-fastest Lobo and second-fastest player in Mountain West Conference history to reach the 1,000-point club. Former Lobo Alison Foote and former Utah star Kim Smith are the only two players in school and conference history to reach 1,000 points faster than Marsh.

Marsh has 11 first-half points and 1,001 career points. She also has four rebounds and two assists.

Julie Briody is leading the Lobos with 12 points, three assists, three rebounds and one block.

Katie Montgomery has nine points, going 3-of-5 from 3-point range.

Laura Menty still leads Siena with six points.

It's pretty much a clinic for the Lobos. We'll see if more freshmen come off the bench in the second half for quality minutes.

Posted by at 9:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Katie Montgomery knocked down another 3-pointer and is now 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.

Dionne Marsh is up to seven points, three shy of the 1,000-point mark.

Julie Briody continues to play well, with 12 points, three assists, one block and two rebounds.

Siena's leading scorer is Laura Menty with six points.

UNM really is just trouncing Siena.

Posted by at 8:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos keep rolling and are on a 5-0 run since the last official timeout.

Julie Briody is all over the floor, forcing a tie ball and blocking a shot in the past minute.

Dionne Marsh scored, making her seven points away from the record.

Katie Montgomery missed her first 3-pointer of the night but is still two-of-three from beyond the arc.

Posted by at 8:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Katie Montgomery is two-for-two from 3-point range, helping the Lobos go on a 16-7 run and claim a 21-10 advantage.

At one point, it was a 13-2 Lobo run, forcing Siena to call timeout. The Lobos forced a turnover on the play right after the timeout and are in good shape here.

Dionne Marsh has one point, which means she is nine away from the 1,000-point plateau.

Posted by at 8:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Brandi Kimble picked up her first foul on the opening possession, but has two points for the Lobos. Timi E-Nunu has made the most of her first career start, scoring two points and drawing a charge. The biggest problem so far UNM is its three turnovers.

Posted by at 8:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stay tuned for updates ...

Posted by at 8:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Georgia Southern earned a 64-60 win over Western Illinois in the consolation game, and the UNM-Siena game is about to tip off.

Angela Hartill isn't starting this game. Timi E-Nunu got the starting nod in her place. Pretty interesting, but E-Nunu has been playing well and Hartill has struggled.

Posted by at 8:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Amy Beggin has turned in one of her better games of the season with 14 points. Eleven of those have come in the second half.

Dionne Marsh also has piled up 18 points, making her 14 away from the big 1,000-point milestone.

UNM went on a 17-1 run, but Georgia Southern picked up a couple of buckets when UNM let its guard down.

UNM leads 60-40, but the Lobos coaches still aren't happy.

That's all for now. Check out Lobo Zone soon for a complete postgame story.

Posted by at 9:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Angela Hartill picked up her fourth foul with 7:44 left, prompting the media timeout.

She has been hounded by foul trouble all season, and it's hurt her chance to produce much in the game. Eileen Weissman and Timi E-Nunu, however, have been big winners as a result of Angela's trouble.

I hope UNM gets it together enough so we see more of Valerie Kast.

Posted by at 9:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM went on a 10-0 run, then Georgia Southern countered with a 8-0 run of their own. Julie Briody broke up the trouble for the Lobos with a layup and pair of free throws.

The Lobos just need to regroup to seal the win.

Posted by at 9:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's still relatively ugly out here, but the Lobos are hitting more shots than Georgia Southern to extend their lead.

UNM is just 3-of-14 from the field but four-of-four from the free-throw line, while the Eagles are 1-of-10 from the field and 0-of-2 from the free-throw line.

Mike Hall, of the Journal, says hi to all his fans who read the Trib. He says he loves you baby.

Posted by at 9:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Georgia Southern was 1-of-6 from the field, while UNM got its points early on freethrows.

Posted by at 9:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So I thought the crowd was bigger because the stands opposite me are full.

But the attendance was 8,505.

Georgia Southern is frigid in the second half, going 0-for-5 in the second half from the field. The Lobos obviously are taking advantage of the Eagles' slump are lead 33-23.

Posted by at 9:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm glad I'm not in the UNM lockerroom right now.

The Lobos turned in a relatively sloppy first half, and I'm sure Mr. Fundamentals Don Flanagan is not happy. In fact, I know he's not because he prowls the sidelines right in front of me.

UNM had a chance to score eight points in the final minute thanks to a strange string of over the back fouls by the Eagles in the span of two seconds. The Lobos only managed three points, making the whole series more comical and infuriating Flanagan quite a bit.

The Lobos also were out-rebounded 12-6 on the offensive boards and 23-22 overall.

UNM had 10 turnovers, while Georgia Southern had 11.

Did I mention it was a sloppy half?

The Eagles cooled off after starting out hot, shooting 21.2 percent from the field.The Lobos shot 43.5 percent from the field.

Dionne Marsh leads all scorers with eight points, while Brandi Kimble is the game's top rebounder with eight boards.

Guards Ashley Rivens and Carolyn Whitney have seven points apiece.

Let's see if Flanagan's halftime talk lights a fire under the Lobos.

Posted by at 8:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Valerie Kast looked good for awhile but picked up two fouls and was sent to the bench.

Lobos also have given up 11 offensive rebounds to their two. They're gonna hear about that in the lockerroom.

Posted by at 8:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lobos lead 23-16, with Valerie Kast coming off the bench and making an impact to the delight of the crowd. Kast scored two points and had two blocks in a row.

The game has been pretty sloppy with a lot of turnovers, but it's not for lack of effort. Both teams are all over the floor, getting after the ball.

Posted by at 8:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Georgia Southern came out with a little more energy, but the Lobos are starting to make some more hustle plays and are under more control than at the start of the game.

UNM is shooting 55.6 percent from the field, while the Eagles are hitting 45.5 percent.

Angela Hartill is on the bench again with two fouls.

Posted by at 8:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM is off to a sloppy start, while Georgia Southern hit a couple of open shots to briefly take a 6-8 lead. Coach Don Flanagan is taking advantage of the official timeout to settle down the troops and remind the Lobos to run their offense.

The Eagles are coming off a game where they hit 13 3-pointers against Georgia, so it's not good to give them room to shoot or a reason to be confident.

The upside is UNM is 3-for-3 from the field, with Katie Montgomery hitting her first 3 of the game already.

Posted by at 8:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Same starting lineup for the Lobos, and there's a decent sized crowd for a day after Thanksgiving game.

Posted by at 8:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the early game of the UNM women's basketball team's Thanksgiving tournament, Siena earned an 82-65 win over Western Illinois. Although I hadn't seen either team, I thought Western Illinois would win based on the two teams' records. Siena improves to 1-3, while Western Illinois fell to 1-3. Siena shot really well, hitting 53 percent from the field.

Siena meets the winner of the UNM-Georgia Southern.

Stay tuned for tipoff ...

Posted by at 7:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I slipped down to El Paso to spend Thanksgiving with my family, but you can still look to the Tribune for loads of UNM football and women's basketball coverage. I did a lot of interviews ahead of time and am writing from the road.

You can still check the blog for updates and Lobo Zone for stories all week.

I'll be back in time to cover the women's basketball tournament Friday and the triple header Sunday -- football midday and two basketball games that evening. Perhaps you can guess why I escaped when I had the chance.

For football fans who missed the print edition, I added a box with Robert Turner's Thanksgiving menu. He wanted to be a chef when he was a kid and will cooking up a storm tomorrow:
- 10 pounds of oven-roasted, sliced turkey breast (he did turkey last year and wanted to try something different)
- 8-pound ham
- stuffing
- mashed potatoes
- green beans
- corn bread
- and his girlfriend will handle desserts.

For women's basketball fans, the Lobos have a tradition of gathering at one house with their moms cooking a Thanksgiving feast while the girls are at practice. The team watched film on Wednesday because UNM coach Don Flanagan wisely decided he wouldn't have the team's complete attention on Thanksgiving. Good plan.

That's all for my Wednesday night update, but I saved a few bits of news and notes I'll share on Thanksgiving day. I'll also have stories in the Thursday's Trib.

And just in case you read this before my Thursday update ... Happy Thanksgiving.

Posted by at 8:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Former UNM women's basketball player Abbie Letz is working as a La Cueva girls assistant basketball coach this season.

Letz said she didn't plan to follow in her mom's footsteps and head into coaching, but she is helping the Bears out this season while she completes her student teaching.

Just thought y'all would want to know.

Posted by at 8:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A reader asked me to revive a feature I did during part of the football season called "Catching up with ..." for women's basketball. I think it's a good idea, and I'd be happy to start doing stories on former UNM women's basketball players. Rather than just chasing down the players who pop into my mind, I figured I would ask readers for suggestions.

Which former women's basketball players would you like me write about? Post your favorites in the comments section of the blog, and I'll do my best to track these women down and let you know what they're up to now.

Posted by at 2:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

The Lobos were pretty happy, but there definitely was a heavy dose of relief mixed in the postgame celebration.

My Web story has been posted, and you can find it at this link.

I'm going to wrap up my women's basketball story for Saturday's Trib as soon as possible so I can take a nap before catching by way-too-early flight for Utah to catch the football team's game at BYU.

Posted by at 10:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Check out Lobo Zone soon for a complete postgame story.

Posted by at 8:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Texas went on another run, helped by some bad UNM fouls. Brandi Kimble fouled a shooter as she fired a 3-pointer, setting up a 3-point play from the free-throw line.

Coach Don Flanagan told his team to run its offense, move and block out to close out this game.

He warned them about Texas' drive and press, which is flashed for the first time a minute ago but UNM handled it well.

Posted by at 8:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Texas seems to be losing a lot of composure right now and UNM is running away with this game.

Amy Beggin hit a huge 3-pointer for the Lobos with 8:31 left. The shot combined with a tightly-called game from the Longhorns' perspective has blown this open for the Lobos.

Tonight's attendance is 10,085 very happy Lobo fans. Well, maybe a few of those are for Texas and not so happy, but mostly they're all Lobo.

Posted by at 8:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Texas mounted a little run, then Tiffany Jackson got frustrated and was called for a technical foul for intentionally elbowing Brandi Kimble or Dionne Marsh. It wasn't really blatant and was a pretty non-threatening elbow.

Obviously UNM still has the momentum here.

Posted by at 8:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Both teams went scoreless for two minutes, then the Lobos broke into the scoring column first. Texas hit a few buckets, but Brandi Kimble made up for sitting most of the first half to help UNM maintain a healthy lead.

Texas still looks very frustrated and the Lobos are making pretty good decisions, save a few defensive lapses.

Posted by at 8:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM is playing a thousand times better than it did in losses to Arizona State and Nebraska.

The Lobos are playing with a lot more confidence, playing better team defense, moving on offense and hitting their freethrows. Texas did not press during the first half but applied plenty of pressure in the halfcourt game switching on screens.

UNM led by as many as 16 points, Texas pulled within 10 with a scoring spurt, then the Lobos pushed it back up to 15 points late.

Julie Briody has had a monster game, with 16 points, seven rebounds and one turnover that was kind of questionable on a drive. She played all 20 minutes of the half.

Dionne Marsh also is playing well with 10 points and four rebounds, while Katie Montgomery has snapped out of the Nebraska-game cold streak for eight points.

The Lobos also managed to get Texas into quite a bit of foul trouble. The Longhorns have two players with three fouls, including two starters. Another two players have two fouls, including one starter.

UNM had a little foul trouble of its own, losing Brandi Kimble and Angela Hartill with two fouls apiece. The Lobos will get a big lift with Kimble back in the game because she can create her own shot and help open up the offense.

The thing about Texas is you still can't count the Longhorns out with a 15-point lead. UNM has to start the second half strong to pull off a win.

Posted by at 7:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos shooting touch has gone cold, letting Texas claw from 16 down to 10 down.

UNM is shooting 28.6 percent from the field and missing a few open looks.

It's still a much better performance than earlier this season.

Posted by at 7:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM pushed the lead to 16 points with 9:29 left in the game, earning a roar of approval from the crowd.

Then the Lobos slipped a little in terms of rebounding and looked a little tired. Tiffany Jackson scored twice while UNM couldn't answer to give Texas a little bit of the momentum back.

The UNM coaches were furious when Katie Montgomery was called for a foul when they thought she drew a charge right before the timeout.

The Lobos need a few buckets soon to help counter this mini Texas surge.

Posted by at 7:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos are now on a 16-2 run and 11-0 run, depending on how you want to score it.

The team has played great help-side defense and Texas has gone cold from the field. The most impressive defensive play was tiny Amy Beggin forcing Tiffany Jackson to travel as she tried to spin out of a double team.

Julie Briody is on fire and has 12 points to lead the Lobos.

Posted by at 7:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos hit their freethrows and played smart defense to go on a 9-0 run and force a Texas timeout.

Posted by at 7:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos are off to a much better start than they were against Arizona State and Nebraska. I have to think the home crowd is definitely helping. They are doing the little things like help defense and rebounding right.

Texas has six team fouls already, but the Lobos have Angela Hartill and Brandi Kimble sitting with two fouls apiece. That really hurts.

Posted by at 7:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The New Mexico-Texas women's basketball game just tipped off.

The Lobos used the same starting lineup they've gone with all season.

Texas went with Erika Arriaran, Erneisha Bailey, Earnesia Williams, Tiffany Jackson and Katrina Robinson.

Stay tuned for updates.

Posted by at 6:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We're about 10 minutes away from game time at The Pit.

The Lobos are on the court warming up, while Texas just finished its early warmup and ran up the ramp. The crowd is still filing in, but it does look a little thin. I'm sure the people here will be loud to make up for any shortage. To be fair, the Lobos are competing with state high school football playoffs.

Stay tuned for more updates all game.

Posted by at 6:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Amanda Adamson has rejoined the University of New Mexico women's basketball team for practice this week. Adamson, a 6-foot sophomore guard from Littleton, Colo., transferred to UNM from Syracuse but was suspended from the team by UNM coach Don Flanagan for an undisclosed violation of team rules. Flanagan said Adamson suspension would be reviewed at the end of the fall semester, but she's back early. Flanagan said her return is being evaluated on a day-by-day basis. "It all depends on how she responds," he said.

Flanagan added Adamson's presence in practice gives the Lobos a boost in practice because she has college experience from her days at Syracuse and can challenge the UNM starters. Adamson cannot play in any games this season due to NCAA transfer rules.

In other basketball news, Friday marks the final game in the UNM-Texas series. Flanagan said he would like the series to continue, but Texas opted to end the contract. The copy of the contract I obtained shows Texas canceled the series that should have run two more years. Longhorns coach Jody Conradt said she wasn't aware the series is ending and added it had nothing to do with the Lobos' win at Texas last season. She left the door open to resuming the series, while Flanagan said the Lobos would seek comparable competition to replace the Longhorns on next year's schedule.

That's all for now. Check out Friday's Tribune for more women's basketball news.

Posted by at 7:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

My New Mexico-Nebraska postgame story is posted on our Lobo Zone, and you can find it at this link.

I'm off to the airport. Both the Lobos and I are happy to be heading back to New Mexico.

Posted by at 6:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Lobos simply went cold for too long and ran out of time for a comeback.

UNM rallied after Nebraska went on a 14-5 run with a Katie Montgomery 3-pointer that cut the Huskers lead to five points with 55 seconds left. Then Nebraska hit freethrows it needed to ice the game.

Check out Lobo Zone soon for a postgame story with the Lobos' reaction to the game.

Posted by at 4:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nebraska went on a 12-3 run, capitalizing on UNM's fatigue. The Lobos' main rotation is having trouble keeping up with Huskers, who have more depth and more scoring threats.

Posted by at 4:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM tied the game at 46 all, then Nebraska fought its way to a five-point lead. The Lobos are shooting poorly. It's still very much a game they can win, especially with hot-handed Julie Briody back in the game.

Posted by at 4:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM came out of the timeout and promptly turned it over. Timi E-Nunu travel on the inbound play. The whistle prompted the official timeout.

The Lobos really need to settle down. They can hit shots if they relax, but their tensing up too much. If they don't Nebraska can take this game out of their hands.

Posted by at 4:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM came out of the timeout and promptly turned it over. Timi E-Nunu travel on the inbound play. The whistle prompted the official timeout.

The Lobos really need to settle down. They can hit shots if they relax, but their tensing up too much. If they don't Nebraska can take this game out of their hands.

Posted by at 4:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nebraska fouled UNM three times, but the Lobos could only get one point out of the exchange. The Huskers went on a 7-1 run to claim a four-point lead, prompting UNM coach Don Flanagan's timeout.

Posted by at 4:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM opened the second half much stronger on offense, but Nebraska hit two three pointers to hang onto a one-point lead.

The Lobos opened with an 8-6 run, including a five point start.

Katie Montgomery hit her first 3-pointer of the game at the 15:51 mark of the second half, but she missed her next open attempt.

UNM is playing good defense but Nebraska is hitting contested 3-pointers. We'll see how it shakes out the rest of the game.

Posted by at 3:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM had a chance to seize control of this game, but the Lobos went cold shooting. UNM is 12-of-28 from the field, 2-of-11 from 3-point range and 4-of-10 from the free-throw line. The Lobos last field goal of the half was at the 3:59 mark.

Katie Montgomery is struggling, going 0-for-7 from the field. It looks a little like the Lobos are rushing from the perimeter and a little too excited about finally getting open after seeing absolutely no daylight yesterday against Arizona State.

Nebraska's Kiera Hardy, a preseason all American, flashed her athletic ability and shooting range to help the Huskers earn the halftime lead. She scored eight in the last three minutes of the half.

The Lobos can beat Nebraska, but they need to keep up improved low-post defense, which picked up a lot in the second half. UNM also has to shut down, or least contain, Hardy in the second half.

Dionne Marsh has 12 points, three rebounds and two assists, while Julie Briody has seven points, three rebounds and one assist.

Hardy leads the Huskers with eight points, three rebounds and one assist, while forward Kelsey Griffin adds six points and three rebounds.

Nebraska is shooting 43 percent from the field, 30 percent from 3-point range and 67 percent from the free-throw line.

UNM has seven turnovers, while Nebraska has 12.

Stay tuned for the second half.

Posted by at 3:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Both teams are getting a little sloppy, forcing some shots and rushing others.

Valerie Kast is in the game, seeing her first significant playing time. She picked up a three-point play inside and is playing well. It's pretty clear she wants to make an impact. Kast got a round of applause from UNM fans after about four good minutes of play.

Nebraska is doing little things very well, which make it a pretty tough team. Their post players pin guards on screens, allowing their perimeter players to get open shots. The guards are quick enough to drive and get open looks, but they are unselfish enough to feed wide open post players.

Dionne Marsh leads the Lobos with 12 points, while Julie Briody is up to seven. I won't curse Briody by saying how many freethrows she has hit in a row because she's the only Lobo who is hitting them. This is the worst they've shot as a team in a long time.

Posted by at 3:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Both teams are getting a little sloppy, forcing some shots and rushing others.

Valerie Kast is in the game, seeing her first significant playing time, but hasn't had a chance to do much yet.

Nebraska does little things very well, which make it a pretty tough team. Their post players pin guards on screens, allowing their perimeter players to get open shots. The guards are quick enough to drive and get open looks, but they are unselfish enough to feed wide open post players.

Posted by at 3:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Both teams are getting a little sloppy, forcing some shots and rushing others.

Valerie Kast is in the game, seeing her first significant playing time. She picked up a three-point play inside and is playing well. It's pretty clear she wants to make an impact. Kast got a round of applause from UNM fans after about four good minutes of play.

Nebraska is doing little things very well, which make it a pretty tough team. Their post players pin guards on screens, allowing their perimeter players to get open shots. The guards are quick enough to drive and get open looks, but they are unselfish enough to feed wide open post players.

Dionne Marsh leads the Lobos with 12 points, while Julie Briody is up to seven. I won't curse Briody by saying how many freethrows she has hit in a row because she's the only Lobo who is hitting them. This is the worst they've shot as a team in a long time.

Posted by at 3:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Both teams are getting a little sloppy, forcing some shots and rushing others.

Valerie Kast is in the game, seeing her first significant playing time, but hasn't had a chance to do much yet.

Nebraska does little things very well, which make it a pretty tough team. Their post players pin guards on screens, allowing their perimeter players to get open shots. The guards are quick enough to drive and get open looks, but they are unselfish enough to feed wide open post players.

Posted by at 3:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Both teams are getting a little sloppy, forcing some shots and rushing others.

Valerie Kast is in the game, seeing her first significant playing time, but hasn't had a chance to do much yet.

Nebraska does little things very well, which make it a pretty tough team. Their post players pin guards on screens, allowing their perimeter players to get open shots. The guards are quick enough to drive and get open looks, but they are unselfish enough to feed wide open post players.

Posted by at 3:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Both teams are getting a little sloppy, forcing some shots and rushing others.

Valerie Kast is in the game, seeing her first significant playing time, but hasn't had a chance to do much yet.

Nebraska does little things very well, which make it a pretty tough team. Their post players pin guards on screens, allowing their perimeter players to get open shots. The guards are quick enough to drive and get open looks, but they are unselfish enough to feed wide open post players.

Posted by at 3:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

XX of Nebraska's points came from its forwards, a sign of how weak UNM's post defense and switches off screens underneath the basket have been so far this game.

UNM finally picked up the defensive pace around the 14-minute mark and got several stops. The Lobos have forced five Nebraska turnovers thanks to the more intense pressure.

Dionne Marsh has eight points, a huge improvement from the eight she managaed all game against Arizona State. Julie Briody also continues her strong play, racking up five points so far.

Posted by at 3:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nebraska's Ashley Ford and UNM's Katie Montgomery hugged right before the jump ball as the players all shook hands.Both hail from Lincoln, Neb. The pleasantries ended there.

Dionne Marsh shook off yesterday's slump, finding a lot of daylight to score her first bucket in the low post at the 19:01 mark. She has four point so far this game.

Nebraska is pressing man-toman full court but it's nothing like the heat Arizona State can dish out. It isn't easy to get open, but at least the Lobos can catch the ball and have an opportunity to make something happen.

UNM's low-post defense is leaving a lot to be desired at this point. Nebraska is getting a bunch of layups and wide open looks inside. The Lobos are fortunate the Huskers are shooting 4-of-8 from the field.

Posted by at 2:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos are back in action this afternoon for their final game at the Arizona State Veterans Day Tipoff Class. Same starters as before. Stay tuned for more updates...

Posted by at 2:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was a tough day for the UNM women's basketball team. I wrote a story with the Lobos' reaction to their 67-49 loss Arizona State, which you can find at this link.

Posted by at 5:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was a tough day for the Lobos, who just couldn't quite keep up with Arizona State's quickness and relentless defense. UNM never quit, but the Lobos did struggle to stay out of foul trouble and set up their offense. It's OK to take the hit this early in the season as long as UNM learns from the mistakes.

Check out Lobo Zone for a postgame story, complete with UNM reaction to the tough loss.

Posted by at 1:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Dionne Marsh scored her first field goal with 6:57 left in the game. That pretty much tells the whole story, considering how integral she normally is to UNM's offense.

Timi E-Nunu has held up real well on defense, keeping up with the track meet and making the most plays of any of the Lobos.

Katie Montgomery is really hesitant to put up her shot but she is hustling. Unfortunately the Lobos need points more than just great passing.

So it's going to be a blowout, but UNM can use the last three minutes to prepare for Nebraska's speed and potent defensive pressure. And, oh, those pesky Longhorns on the horizon.

Posted by at 1:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dionne Marsh is clearly frustrated, which is understandable considering how much she has struggled this game. I've never seen her have this off of a game. She is 0-for-5 from the field.

Arizona State keeps attacking the Lobos in waves and clearly has too many weapons with fresh legs.

Posted by at 1:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos are working so hard for shots that they are struggling to get back on scoring, giving ASU an advantage.

Timi E-Nunu continues to play great defense, but the Lobos aren't getting enough of a scoring punch. Players either hesitate to shoot or pull the trigger too anxiously.

They need to fight to keep this respectable and learn from the errors in time for Texas.

Posted by at 1:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Sun Devils continue to own control of the game, with Emily Westerberg lighting up Dionne Marsh by getting into better position. Right before the timeout, UNM coach Don Flanagan substituted Timi E-Nunu for Marsh, an acknowledgement that E-Nunu's defense is more valuable than the points Marsh can't seem to score in UNM's offensive set.

Posted by at 1:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ASU pounced on the Lobos to start the second half, going on a 9-0 run.

Emily Westerberg, who had not scored in the first half, scored four points for the Sun Devils. The team clearly talked about working to its strengths.

At the same time, UNM's offense sputtered. The Lobos are struggling to get the ball in to Dionne Marsh and do much on offense.

Posted by at 1:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM turned the ball over 15 times, but the Lobos also forced 12 ASU turnovers. The difference is the Sun Devils were able to score more off those turnovers.

Briann January, arguably one of the fastest ASU players, leads all scorers with nine points. Julie Briody leads the Lobos with eight, while Brandi Kimble has seven. Dionne Marsh is 0-1 from the field but hit three freethrows.

Timi E-Nunu has four rebounds, two blocks and two steals in 16 minutes.

UNM is shooting 40 percent from the field but just 12.5 percent from 3-point range.

Posted by at 1:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos picked up a little steal late in the first half, forcing an Arizona State shot clock violationa and setting up the first functional version of their offense. Before it was just drives and jumpers.

Eileen Weissmann played really well, proving how little I know about her ability to hang in the low post.

Considering how rough of a start it was for the Lobos, they really adjusted pretty well to only be trailing 32-24 at the half. The Lobos didn't want to be in a hole or have both starting posts stuck with three fouls but UNM rallied and avoided a much worse deficit.

Amy Beggin adjusted to the pressure and helped the Lobos a lot, Julie Briody and Brandi Kimble created their shots and need to do more of it the second half, Eileen Weissmann stepped up in a big way in the low post, Katie Montgomery flashed an impressive series of crossover dribbles when UNM really needed it (think seven to set up a pass inside for a layup) and Timi E-Nunu plays great defense.

I'll grab some halftime stats and be back with a few more notes ...

Posted by at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Timi E-Nunu is playing a great game for the Lobos, taking care of the ball. The Lobos had cut the ASU lead to five points, but turnovers are killing UNM. The Lobos have 14 turnovers so far.

Dionne Marsh and Angela Hartill also have three fouls apiece now. UNM coach Don Flanagan went with Eileen Weissmann, who can play post, instead of giving Valerie Kast a shot. Interesting decision. I know Kast would have trouble keeping up, but she's a big body ASU would have a real hard time defending. And I'm sure she could burn a few fouls if she's behind to give UNM some kind of a break. I guess we'll find out just how versatile and comparable Weissmann is to Abbie Letz, who could play spots 1-4 when needed.

Posted by at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM is still struggling to set up its offense and deal with the Arizona State pressure.

The Lobos went on a 4-0 run, with Brandi Kimble and Julie Briody scoring off drives.

The refs are still calling the game tight on screens, so it's tough for the Lobos to get around ASU stiffling pressure defense. The Sun Devils also keep rotating huge waves of players, staying fresher than UNM

The Lobos will have to get mad and get tougher to overcome this deficit.

Posted by at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As soon as I said Amy Beggin was having trouble, she pulled off a great pass to set up a Briody layup. It was 14-9 ASU, then UNM made two quick turnovers and ASU scored layups. The Sun Devils are up 18-9. That's how quick ASU can pounce on errors.

Posted by at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The officials are calling a lot of fouls on UNM's screens as the Lobos try to set up their offense. Dionne Marsh and Angela Hartill now both have two fouls, although coach Don Flanagan is leaving Marsh in the game. The upside is ASU post Aubree Johnson also has two fouls, but the Sun Devils have more depth.

Marsh has missed two freethrows, which is problematic considering UNM isn't getting more shots.

Amy Beggin has had a little trouble with the pressure, as have all the UNM guards, but I'm surprised Flanagan has left her in so long.

Posted by at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos started off alright, but ASU applied a lot of pressure and UNM seems to have has tensed up shooting as a result.

The biggest blow for UNM so far is Angela Hartill already picked up two fouls and is on the bench.

Posted by at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lobos are using same starters as last game, as I would have expected for this matchup. The starters are Katie Montgomery, Dionne Marsh, Julie Briody, Brandi Kimble and Angela Hartill.

Arizona State has flashy introduction style, much like Texas. They dim the lights and cue colored light show and music for dramatic effect. The ASU starters are Emily Westerberg, Reagan Pariseau, Jill Noe, Aubree Johnson and Briann January.

Posted by at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's a little early for a basketball game, but both teams have springs in their steps during warmups. Senior forward Emily Westerberg said Friday she was grateful to facing the Lobos in Tempe instead of The Pit. UNM has still imported quite a few rowdy fans. ASU counters with its pep band and a few fans.

I'm excited to see how the Lobos perform in this game. I think it will say a lot about where they're at and what they're capable of doing this season. Or how far they need to go to achieve their goals.

About eight minutes til tipoff...

Posted by at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Arizona State wore down Nebraska and turned what started as a relatively close game into a rout. Nebraska has a talented starting lineup and played pretty good defense most of the game, but the Huskers lack depth and missed a lot of shots inside.

ASU doesn't look unbeatable, but the team is very good and very well-coached. The Sundevils play great defense and help each other out so well. They close out passing lanes and make you work very, very hard to get a shot. They get a lot of points in transition, but they also move very well without the ball on offense to creat shots in the halfcourt game. I think they were the most productive off halfcourt inbound plays.

I'm going to go collect stats and see if I can track down the Arizona State coach to see what she thinks her needs to do against the Lobos. We'll see if she says anything interesting.

Posted by at 5:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

My New Mexico-Florida Atlantic game story has been posted on the Trib's Web site.

Now here's a quick look at the second game of the tournament, which has been a lot of fun to watch and seems closer than the halftime score indicates.

The Lobos take on Arizona State Sunday and Nebraska Monday in what will be considerably tougher tests than the one dished out by Florida Atlantic this afternoon. The Sundevils and Cornhuskersare faster, quicker and stronger than Florida Atlantic. Both teams were flying all over the court and applying impressive defense pressure, constantly getting into passing lanes. Nebraska is no slouch, but Arizona State obviously has more depth and is the more talented team.

Senior forward Emily Westerberg and guard Jill Noe lead Arizona State with eight points apiece, while Nebraska forward Kelsey Griffin is leading Nebraska with nine points.

Arizona State seems to be continuing the balanced attack it has used for years, with coach Charli Turner Thorne using her entire bench to maximize the defensive intensity her team can dish out. All 11 Arizona State players who appeared in the game have scored.

The Lobos left briefly after their game to grab something to eat, but they are in the stands watching the action. I think it's good for them to see at least a little bit of the game because it lets them know what to expect and they shouldn't be as surprised by the up-tempo style both Arizona State and Nebraska like to play.

Posted by at 5:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos coasted to an easy win in the first round of the Arizona State tournament. Check Lobo Zone soon for a complete postgame story.

Posted by at 3:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Valerie Kast and Christian Shelter came off the bench with 2:24 left in the game.

Florida Atlantic has hit a few more shots and UNM still looks a little sloppier. The Owls aren't pressing anymore, which is surprising considering the success they had forcing turnovers.

Posted by at 3:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos hit a few more buckets from long-range to give them a little second-half energy. Amy Beggin has seen by far the most time of all the freshmen, with Eileen Weissmann and Christian Shelter combining for less than five minutes on the floor.

Posted by at 3:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos got a little sloppy, giving up a lot of offensive rebounds and aren't hitting from the outside as well. UNM is still up 58-35, but we still haven't seen Georonika Jackson, Valerie Kast or Stephanie Baldwin play. They are in uniform on the bench, but as long as they don't play they're still redshirt candidates. Flanagan said he didn't plan on redshirting anyone, but maybe he changed his mind.

Posted by at 2:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Florida Atlantic is working hard and driving, but the Owls have put up all kinds of bricks. Off the glass, hard off the back of the rim and off both surfaces. Then there's those pesky airballs.

The Lobos do deserve a good amount of credit for forcing tough shots.

UNM's bigget problem has been some turnovers while being pressed. It's mostly mental errors at this point. It'd be nice to see more of the freshmen play to see how they look.

Posted by at 2:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Julie Briody is on tear, hitting seven of the Lobos nine second half points. UNM is up 50-25 with 15:49 left in the game. Dionne Marsh is back on the court, and the Lobos definitely are looking to get it inside to her as well. She has two points in the second half.

Posted by at 2:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Florida Atlantic went on a 9-3 run to close out the half, but UNM is still holds a commanding 41-23 lead.

The Owls used a press in the final minute and obviously rattled the Lobos. Amy Beggin got trapped twice, turning the ball over once and drawing a foul the other time. UNM practiced the press but it didn't handle it very well. It's a little troubling considering ASU probably will press most of the game, but Christian Shelter and Timi E-Nunu were the ones bringing in the ball -- not the most seasoned Lobos at handling the press inbound play.

UNM shot 43 percent from the field and 37.5 from 3-point range.
Florida Atlantic shot 24 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from 3-point range

The Lobos outrebounded the Owls 28-18, and a 9 to 7 offensive rebounding advantage.

Posted by at 2:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos are up 36-14 with 3:47 left.

Timi E-Nunu drove, scored and was fouled. She hit the freethrow. That's a pretty good effort from a player who rarely scores off anything but putbacks.

The UNM defense is strong, but Florida Atlantic appears to be an especially bad shooting team. The Owls have had some open looks, but they're shooting 4-of-25 from the field and 3-of-12 from 3-point range.

Posted by at 2:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Timi E-Nunu has stepped in and moved well on offense with Dionne Marsh out with two fouls. She also, naturally is playing pretty good defense. Florida Atlantic isn't more talented but the Owls will drive every chance they get.

UNM seems to have this under control, with the Lobos up 30-12 with 7:55 left..

Posted by at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM has taken control of the game, claiming a 30-12 lead with 9:07 left in the half.

Angela Hartill is off to a good start and is much more aggressive this game than she was in the last exhibition game. After passing off open looks inside, she is shooting over much shorter opponents and making good post moves. Katie Montgomery also is off to a great start, scoring from the outside and driving to basket. Hartill and Montgomery both have eight points.

Amy Beggin is holding her own against Division I opposition, and picked up her first career steal but Florida Atlantic blocked her layup in transition.

Brandi Kimble hasn't gotten all her shots to fall but she is drawing fouls and making hustle plays you know coach Don Flanagan loves.

Posted by at 1:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos are moving the ball well on offense and getting some pretty good looks. It just took a few minutes for them to settle down, I guess.

Florida Atlantic is feeling the heat of the UNM defense and already has put two airballs from close range.

Posted by at 1:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dionne Marsh picked up her second foul with 14:56 left in the half, which means she will be sitting the rest of the first half because UNM coach Don Flanagan never plays anyone with two fouls in the first half if he can avoid.

The Lobos got hot, taking advantage of their height advantage inside and strong perimeter shooting. UNM is 17-9 with 12:58. The lastest bucket was a Julie Briody 3-pointer, prompting the Owls to call timeout.

Posted by at 1:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New Mexico has a 5-4 lead with 15:52 left in the first half. Florida Atlantic is really crashing the boards and pressuring the passing lanes. The Lobos were rattle at first, but Dionne Marsh scored inside and was fouled but missed the freethrow to give the team a little boost. Then the Lobos moved the ball really well on offense to set up a Katie Montgomery 3-pointer.

It's good that the team is getting good pressure from Florida Atlantic because the Lobos will face even tougher pressure from Arizona State.

Posted by at 1:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm all settled in here for the Lobos' season opener against Florida Atlantic at the Arizona State Veterans Day Tipoff Classic. I'll be updating the blog throughout all the tournament games.

There's a small but vocal crowd of UNM fans here to cheer the team on today. Former player and manager Tiffany Scaglione, who is now working in Phoenix, is here to cheer on the team.

The Lobos went with same starters as the exhibition game.

Florida Atlantic isn't tall, but during warmups the team looked pretty athletic and like pretty good shooters.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Posted by at 1:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm skipping the UNM-TCU football game and covering the UNM women's basketball team all weekend at the Arizona State tournament.

I'll be doing tons of blog updates from the tournament, including updates during the game. I'll also be writing stories that will posted in Lobo Zone and the front page of the Trib Web site..

If you've got questions or are curious about anything, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section. I'll do my best to answer all your questions.

You can check out the audio section of Lobo Zone Friday morning to hear a podcast Richard Stevens and I did previewing the season.

And we've got an interesting poll on Web site, which is part of our weekly Behind the Bleachers section. Which Lobo will score more points this season? Dionne Marsh or J.R. Giddens. Visit this link to cast your vote.

Posted by at 9:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM women's basketball coach Don Flanagan said he still has a few questions about some of his freshmen, but he doesn't think he will redshirt any of them.

"I can't use them in the tournament, and I just can't tell right now which ones might be able to help us down the road," he said. "I think I'm going to go ahead and use them all."

The Lobos have five freshmen who could potentially redshirt, with freshman Stephanie Balwin already using her redshirt season when she decided not to play basketball last year. Point guard Amy Beggin logged a lot of minutes in exhibition games and obviously will play a lot this year. Guards Eileen Weissmann and Christian Shelter averaged 11 and 10 minutes in the exhibitions. I think UNM needs Valerie Kast as a backup center, although it would be nice for her to have a year to develop. I would guess the strongest redshirt is Georonika Jackson, but it's tough to say where the Lobos' greatest needs are at this point.

Posted by at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos had an open practice today and talked about the big season-opening tournament at Arizona State.

They will take on Florida Atlantic, No. 12/13 Arizona State and Nebraska.

I talked with Brandi Kimble and Julie Briody about the practices this week. They said UNM coach Don Flanagan did work the team hard after its sluggish performance in their exhibition game Sunday, but the emphasis really was on improving fundamentals.

The coaching staff also received four letters of intent today from recruits and were awaiting clearance on the final letter from Amanda Best, who signed late in the day in Washington, preventing the coaches from talking about her. I had a story in today's Tribune with info on all the recruits. When I asked Flanagan what it would be like working with back-to-back five-member recruiting classes, he said he was grateful his son is now on the staff to help him out. He said some freshmen adapt quickly while others need help getting adjusted to his expectations.

Check out Thursday's Tribune for more women's basketball news.

Posted by at 7:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The University of New Mexico women's basketball team snagged a national higher ranking, earning the No. 18 spot in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll released Wednesday. The Lobos already were ranked No. 20 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. It marks the first time in school history UNM has been ranked in AP preseason poll.

Fellow Mountain West Conference team BYU is ranked No. 24 in the poll. Several of UNM's nonconference opponents also are ranked, including No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 13 Arizona State, No. 23 UCLA and No. 25 Texas.

Here's the complete version of the poll:

1. Maryland
2. North Carolina
3. Oklahoma
4. Stanford
5. Tennessee
6. Duke
7. Ohio State
8. Connecticut
9. Georgia
10. LSU
11. Purdue
12. Rutgers
13. Arizona State
14. Texas A&M
15. Kentucky
16. Vanderbilt
17. Michigan State
18. LOBOS
19. Baylor
20. DePaul
21. Cal
22. USC
23. UCLA
24. BYU
25. Texas

Posted by at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

After the Utah women's basketball team came within one freethrow of the Final Four against Maryland, the eventual national champions, the Mountain West Conference earned a lot more national respect. With the Utes losing stars Shona Thorburn and Kim Smith, a lot of analysts are looking at New Mexico to next team from a non-power conference to make a big splash. Looks like it was a good thing UNM fans cheered for the Utes in The Pit after all.

ESPN.com continues its women's basketball season preview this week with 20 questions about women's basketball and the Lobos are featured in three answers.

Under question four -- Who's the second-best team out west behind Stanford? -- Mechelle Voepel wrote, "I'm inclined to say New Mexico, which is picked to win the Mountain West."

Under question 13 -- Utah reached the '06 Elite Eight. Who will break through this season? -- Beth Mowins showed more love for the Lobos. She wrote, "I'll stay in the Mountain West and go with New Mexico. The Lobos always will be staunch defenders and hard workers. This year they should have some scorers, as well. MWC preseason player of the year Dionne Marsh and long distance sharpshooter Katie Montgomery give New Mexico a good combo."

And under question 17 -- Who is the nation's top outside shooter? -- the Lobos pop up again. Nancy Lieberman wrote, "Three players come to mind, starting with Ivory Latta. The North Carolina senior point guard knocked down 85 treys last season, hitting 40.1 percent of her attempts and 2.4 3-pointers per game. She's lightning quick and able to create her own shot as well as anyone. Other standouts from beyond the arc include New Mexico 5-11 senior Katie Montgomery, who shot 45.4 percent on 3-pointers (104-of-229) last season, hitting 2.3 per game. Lastly, Ohio State's Marscilla Packer shot 46.2 percent (79-of-171). The 5-9 junior sank 2.5 3-pointers per game."

I've never seen the Lobos get this much preseason chatter. We'll see how they handle life in an even bigger spotlight.

Posted by at 10:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It's women's college basketball preview week on ESPN.com, with several rankings and breakdowns of conferences being posted throughout the week. The Web site's analysts Nancy Lieberman, Beth Mowins, Mechelle Voepel and Graham Hays released their Top 25 poll Sunday.

New Mexico was ranked No. 18, with the following commentary: "The slipper fit Utah last March. Our money's on New Mexico now."

BYU was ranked No. 25, with the following commentary: " Cougars just missed being named Mountain West favorite. But they're just good enough to edge Virginia and Texas for our final spot."

And here's how other UNM nonconference opponents were ranked:
No. 3 Oklahoma with the comment, "Common mistake: thinking the Sooners start and stop with Courtney Paris. They have a lot more to offer."

No. 13 Arizona State with the comment, "Tell us again why Emily Westerberg seems to only get national attention in the NCAA Tournament?"

No love for UCLA, TCU or Utah.

What do you think of their commentary. A lot of readers were irked when Nancy Lieberman's preseason picks didn't include the Lobos. Is this better?

Posted by at 5:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The final score was pretty, but the road to a win was anything but for the University of New Mexico women's basketball team.
The Lobos collected a 68-34 win over Division II University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Sunday afternoon in The Pit, but it was far from a good tuneup to end their exhibition season.
UNM coach Don Flanagan appeared to be in pain on the sidelines as his team struggled to play a fundamentally sound game.
The Lobos continued to have problems rebounding, only picking nine offensive rebounds while allowing Colorado Springs's much shorter lineup to grab 14 offensive boards.
Flanagan also was irked the Lobos' forced two-on-one drives rather than running their offense and failed to get the ball into the low post when they had a huge height and talent advantage inside. UNM starting posts Dionne Marsh and Angela Hartill only attempted 12 shots.
"I wasn't happy with the way we played," Flanagan said. "... These things are for the purpose of improving and we've got a long way to go."
The miscues didn't matter much, but the same errors next weekend against teams at the Arizona State tournament would be costly.
"We need to play better as a team, especially next week because we're going to be playing better competition," senior guard Katie Montgomery said.
Montgomery led the Lobos with 18 points, including four 3-pointers. Marsh added 14 points, while guard Julie Briody chipped in 12 points.
Freshman point guard Amy Beggin finished with a team-high seven assists, and earned the most minutes among the Lobos with 30.
Flanagan praised Montgomery and Beggin for their strong play. He said UNM did a lot of things well, including shooting 67 percent from the field in the second half, but he still sees a lot of room for improvement.
Freshmen Valerie Kast and Georonika Jackson sat out the game after undisclosed violations of team rules, serving the punishment Flanagan announced Friday. Kast and Jackson both sat on the bench in street clothes and took statistics during the game.

Posted by at 4:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The first USA Today/ESPN coaches poll was released today and the University of New Mexico women's basketball team was ranked No. 20. BYU was the only other Mountain West Conference team ranked at No. 24.

I probably would have ranked New Mexico No. 17, but No. 20 isn't bad,

UNM will face No. 12 Arizona State, No. 3 Oklahoma and No. 23 UCLA in nonconference play this season. For the first time I can recall, Texas isn't on the list but it's safe to say the Longhorns will pack a Top 25 caliber punch when they visit UNM for the home season opener.

Here's the poll:

1. Maryland
2. North Carolina
3. Oklahoma
4. Stanford
5. Tennessee
6. Duke
7. Ohio State
8. Connecticut
9. Georgia
10. LSU
11. Rutgers
12. Arizona State
13. Purdue
14. Texas A&M
15. Vanderbilt
16. Kentucky
17. Michigan State
18. Baylor
19. DePaul
20. LOBOS
21. Cal
22. USC
23. UCLA
24. BYU
25. Washington

Posted by at 2:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The UNM women's basketball team's exhibition game against Vanguard will be streamed live online using coaches cameras. Fans need a PC with a high-speed Internet connection. The program does not run on Macs.

To see the game, visit golobos.com and click on all access. First-time users have to create a username and password, but there is no fee.

Posted by at 5:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was a close race, but New Mexico was picked finish first for the first time in school history in a preseason poll of coaches and selected members of the media. Coaches are not allowed to choose their own teams.

Dionne Marsh and Katie Montgomery landed on the preseason all conference team, which only honors the top five players and doesn't go into second, third or honorable mention groups. Marsh also was named the league's top returning player.

Tribune reporter Jeremy Fowler will be filing a story with reaction from Las Vegas, which will be posted on Lobo Zone this afternoon.

Rk. Team (1st-place votes) Points
1. New Mexico (8) 137
2. BYU (7) 134
3. TCU (4) 126
4. Utah 102
5. Wyoming 96
6. UNLV 71
7. San Diego State 41
8. Air Force 39
9. Colorado State 36

PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Dionne Marsh, New Mexico
Hanna Zavecz, Wyoming
Dani Kubik Wright, BYU
Adrianne Ross, TCU
Katie Montgomery, New Mexico

Top Returning Player
Dionne Marsh, New Mexico

Top Newcomer
Justyna Podziemska, Wyoming

I posted my ballot on my blog earlier this week, but keep reading to see my picks again and see how they compare to the final tally.

Share your thoughts about the final preseason rankings in the comments section of my blog.

Continue reading "Lobos picked to finish first in MWC, land two on all conference list" »

Posted by at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I'm going to roll out a hand grenade and reveal my pre-season Mountain West Conference picks. The team rankings and individual honors voted on by selected members of the media will be announced Thursday afternoon.

MY PRESEASON TEAM RANKINGS
1. BYU
2. New Mexico
3. Utah
4. Wyoming
5. TCU
6. UNLV
7. Air Force
8. Colorado State
9. San Diego State

When I sat down to do my poll, I figured I would pick New Mexico No. 1. Then I started looking a little more closely at all the conference teams. The Lobos have the most returning talented players and it would hard to see anyone beating their top five. The problem is New Mexico is going to be relying on a lot of newcomers for depth. New Mexico has some huge questions marks after running through the top five or six players, depending on how much you figure Timi E-Nunu has improved. BYU lacks the star power, but the Cougars return the most experienced players and have the most depth in the conference. It was a really tough decision, but I had to pick BYU.

Continue reading "My Mountain West Conference Ballot" »

Posted by at 2:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

UNM coach Don Flanagan has scheduled another open scrimmage. It will be Saturday at 5 p.m. Unfortuantely, I'll most likely be watching the fourth quarter of the UNM football team's game at Colorado State during tipoff, but it's a good chance for everyone else to see the Lobos.

Posted by at 10:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM athletics plans on having UNM point guard Katie Montgomery do a live chat from the Mountain West Conference media day in Las Vegas Wednesday. You can visit this page on www.golobos.com to submit questions in advance. It would be pretty cool if a lot of fans participated because most of the women's basketball players don't get hit up for a lot of questions at the media day and spend a lot of time sitting around.

I won't be attending media day because I've still got to deal with football, but Tribune reporter Jeremy Fowler will be handling both men's and women's basketball coverage in Vegas. I trust he'll do a good job.

Posted by at 5:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I had scheduled a trip home to visit family in El Paso this weekend knowing the football team would not be practicing, then women's basketball coach Don Flanagan announced his open scrimmages. I decided to go ahead with my plans and will miss both scrimmages. I know it's disappointing, but I'm sure I will more than make it up to you all in the next few weeks and during the season.

I did write a preview of the scrimmages focusing on Angela Hartill, who will have to loom much larger for the Lobos this season. She did her part with a grueling off-season conditioning program. And I hear she did well in the first scrimmage.

I'd love to hear some scrimmage reports from blog readers. Fill me in on what I missed. I'll be back soon and have loads of women's basketball coverage for you all season.

Posted by at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

A few thousand fans showed up to greet the men's and women's basketball teams during tonight's Lobo Howl. I'll have a complete story in Saturday's Tribune, but here's a few highlights and observations:

The alumni split into two teams and played for 15 minutes. At first it appeared to be a fair split, with Abby Garchek-Jaramillo, Lindsey Arndt and Tamika Stukes among the leaders on the Cherry team and Jordan Adams, Chelsea Grear and Mandi Moore on the Silver team. Adams and company turned out to have more players in shape and dominated the game. Silver won 41-21. Moore, Grear and Adams all scored eight points apiece. Arndt led the Cherry squad with eight points.

Continue reading "Howl highlights" »

Posted by at 10:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Just a quick note that I'll post a report here after the Lobo Howl. Since it's a glorified practice, I won't be posting commentary during the event. You'll get plenty of that during the season.

And for football fans, I'll be hitting the road for Las Vegas Saturday morning and should arrive in plenty of time for complete coverage of the UNM-UNLV game.

That's all for now. Check back for an update later tonight.

Posted by at 5:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

University of New Mexico women's basketball coach Don Flanagan announced Friday that he hired his son, Shane Flanagan, to be the Lobos third assistant coach. Shane Flanagan's duties will include assisting with floor coaching, scouting, recruiting, academics, community service and summer camps.

"I feel very fortunate to have an opportunity to work with Shane," Don Flanagan said in a news release issued by UNM today. "He is excellent with the players, familiar with the program and is a good teacher of the game. Shane is going to be a valuable asset to our program.”

Shane Flanagan replaces Mike Terry, who left UNM during the summer to take the top assistant coach position at Kent State.

Shane Flanagan played at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, Calif., from 1994-95 and was named honorable mention all Western State Conference. He also played at Boise State University from 1995-98 and was named to the 1996 Big Sky all tournament team. In high school, Shane Flanagan was two-time all-state and three-time all-district and all-city at Eldorado High. He is an Albuquerque native who earned his degree in University Studies from UNM.

Shane Flanagan has been an assistant coach at Eldorado for the last three seasons.

"I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with an outstanding coaching staff," Shane Flanagan said. "This is a great opportunity and a good learning experience for me to work with a Top 20 program, and I look forward to helping them in any way I can."

Both coaches will be available for interviews at tonight's Lobo Howl, so check back later for more on the new hire.

Posted by at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

UNM just released the following tentative schedule of events for Friday's Lobo Howl, the first official men's and women's basketball practice of the year:

4-6 p.m. National Anthem Auditions
6 p.m. Select-A-Seat Begins
6:20 p.m. WBB Alumni Introductions
6:25 p.m. WBB Alumni Game
6:40 p.m. MBB Alumni Introductions
7 p.m. WBB Introductions
7:05 p.m. WBB Warm Up Drills
7:10 p.m. WBB Scrimmage
7:10-7:25 p.m. MBB Signs Autographs
7:30 p.m. WBB 3-point Contest
7:40 p.m. MBB Introductions
7:45-8 p.m. WBB Signs Autographs
7:50 p.m. MBB Warm Up Drills
7:55 p.m. MBB Slam Dunk Exhibition
8:10 p.m. MBB Scrimmage

Check out my earlier post to see the tentative roster for the alumni women.

Posted by at 2:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM released the roster for the alumni game during Friday's Lobo Howl. It is subject to change, but I can't imagine it will change too much with just a few days left before the game.

Alumni Players:
Melissa Forest
Nikki Heckroth
Miranda Sanchez
Cristal Garcia
Tamika Stukes
Jordan Adams
Mandi Moore (Stovall)
Chelsea Grear
Abby Garchek-Jaramillo
Lindsay Arndt (Day)
Sally Marquez
Liz Traille

Alumni Coaches:
Abbie Letz and Judy Vogt

Posted by at 1:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I'm catching up on women's basketball news today.

I talked with coach Don Flanagan, and he confirmed reports that transfer Amanda Adamson has been suspended from the team for one year for a violation of team rules. He said the suspension will be reviewed at the end of the fall semester, and she may be allowed to return to team workouts in the spring. He said she is still enrolled at UNM.

I asked Flanagan about her during the Lobos' open workouts when getting an update on all the players on the roster, but he said she's a transfer and doesn't participate in team drills. Under NCAA rules, she could not join the team for workouts until the first official practice Friday. It was my fault for not pressing him for more information about her.

Check out Monday's Tribune for more women's basketball news.

Posted by at 7:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

UNM coach Don Flanagan let the media watch one of his team's pre-season workouts Thursday afternoon.

The Lobos have a new walk-on this season. Stephanie Baldwin, a 5-foot-11 redshirt freshman and La Cueva grad, made it through walk-on tryouts and is on the Lobos' official roster.

I've seen all the players work out individually, but I never had a chance to see the team playing together. There definitely was a much more up-tempo pace to the workout and players were really getting after the ball. Of course, last year's team was constantly battling injuries. But the mix of five freshmen, one walk-on and the veterans seems to be working out very well. While smaller groups of freshmen usually deferred to the veterans, this group isn't afraid to run right at them.

Flanagan said he still can't announce his new assistant coach because UNM's human resources office still has not approved the hire.

That's all for now. Check out Friday's Tribune for a women's basketball story. I also update my blog Friday with a few more notes about the team.

Posted by at 6:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

The women's basketball team is opening practice to the media Thursday afternoon, and I'll be there.

I'll have some time afterward for player interviews and was wondering if any women's basketball fans have burning questions they want answered. If so, post them in the comments section of the blog. I can't promise that I'll get to all of them, but I'll do my best to get a few of the more interesting ones answered.

So, fire away.

Posted by at 6:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Tribune reporter Jeremy Fowler has an absolute must-read story in today's paper about Carissa McGee, a high school basketball player from Las Cruces who was charged with stabbing her mother and sister in March.

The Lobos were recruiting Carissa McGee, but they obviously stepped away as soon as she was arrested for the stabbing. It's sad to see a life filled with such potential derailed.

Posted by at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

UNM women's basketball season tickets went on sale today, with tickets starting at $102 for adults and $221 for family plans that include two adult tickets and two children's tickets. Fans can purchase tickets at the UNM Ticket Office at the southeast corner of The Pit, by phone at 925-LOBO or online at this Web address.

New Mexico has a 17-game home schedule, including two exhibitions, a Nov.17 home opener against Texas, seven nonconference matchups and eight Mountain West Conference games.

UNM also announced a schedule change, moving tipoff for the Dec. 2 New Mexico State at The Pit from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. So the Lobos and Aggies are going prime time.

The Lobo Howl, the Lobos first official practice of the season open to the public, is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 13, from 6-9 p.m.

Posted by at 2:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

In what should be the first of many preseason Top 25 honors, the University of New Mexico women's basketball team was ranked No. 17 in Lindy's preseason poll. The only other Mountain West Conference team ranked in the Lindy's poll was BYU, which earned the No. 19 spot. UNM issued this release about the ranking.

I think the No. 17 ranking is fair. Where would you have ranked the Lobos?

Posted by at 6:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

UPDATE: Here's the link to the Nikki Nelson story that ran in today's Tribune.

I got an assist from Richard Stevens tonight, who handled a story about Nikki Nelson orally commiting to the Lobos since I was buried in football stories.

Nelson, a five-foot-five point guard from the Spokane, Wash., area told the Tribune she made her decision Wednesday. She spent last weekend in Albuquerque on an official visit, attending a men's soccer game and the UNM football team's loss to Missouri. Apparently none of the women's basketball recruits have had an averse reaction to watching the football team lose.

Now the Lobos have commitments for all five scholarships available for the 2006-07 class -- Nelson; forwards Kelsey Ansley and Jessica Kielpinski; foward/wing Porche Torrance; and guard Amanda Best.

Check out Thursday's Tribune for the reasons Nelson said she chose the Lobos.

Posted by at 10:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

It turns out the Lobos did win something Saturday night.

Porche Torrance, a 6-foot-1 senior post from North Richland Hills, Texas, has orally commited to play for the University of New Mexico basketball team. She apparently gave her word during the UNM football team's 17-6 loss to Portland State.

Dianna Sager, Torrance's coach at Colleyville Heritage High, said Torrance will cancel a visit to Colorado she had planned next week and inform coaches at other schools such as TCU that she will be a Lobo.

Torrance, who is a major name in the talent-rich Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, comes with some big-time credentials. She has been on the varsity at a Class 5-A school, Texas' largest designation, since her freshman year. She has a versatile game, averaging 19 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.7 blocks and 3.7 steals per outing her junior season. Her list of awards is about a mile long.

She is the third player to commit to the Lobos this recruiting season, leaving New Mexico with two more scholarships. Torrance joins Kelsey Ansley, who also visited Albuquerque during the weekend, and Amanda Best on the Lobos' commitment list.

Check out Monday's Tribune for more on Torrance.

Posted by at 9:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

I took a quick break from wall-to-wall football to get an update on the women's basketball. Former Trib writer Bill Naegle penned an interesting piece for Wolf-bytes, so I have to give him credit for tipping me off to more NCAA rule changes impacting the women's basketball team. My story also includes some updates on players and on the staff changes under way.

I think freshman point guard Amy Beggin may have the biggest immediate impact on the court this season, but it seems freshman center Valerie Kast is turning the most heads. Kast, who is hard to miss at 6-foot-6, has impressed a lot of fellow students, athletics department officials and boosters I have talked to during the past two weeks. Beyond her skill and talent, I think it's going to be a tremendous asset for the program that she is so warm, outgoing and comfortable talking with people. She speaks four languages and has a good sense of humor. And coach Don Flanagan also says she's had a good attitude about getting into better condition to play college basketball.

Posted by at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Kelsey Ansley, a 6-foot-2 forward who attended the Lobos position camp during the summer, orally committed to play for the Lobos, according to her AAU coach. Ansley hails from the Lubbock Lady Hawks, which has produced at least five Lobos during the past six years. Some of the team's decorated alumni include Abbie Letz, Jana Francis, Mandi Moore, Lindsey Arndt and Melissa Forest.

Lady Hawks coach Ricky Romero said the coaching staff, her chance to play in The Pit during camp and strong Lobos fan base sold Ansely on New Mexico. She had offers from Texas Tech, TCU, SMU, Colorado State, Kansas and Colorado.

She averaged 12 points, 11 rebounds, four steals and three assists during her junior season at Class 4A Marble Falls High in Marble Falls, Texas. She was named the No. 4 junior in Texas by Texashoops.com. Romero said Ainsley had a strong summer, averaging about 19 points and 13 rebounds per game with the Lady Hawks.

Her strenghts include knowledge of the game, post defense, rebounding and scoring. She needs to work on her speed and quickness in the transition game.

"She's definitely the best player I've got," Romero said.

I have a full story on Ansely in the evening of the edition of the Tribune, which will be posted on the Web within two hours.

Posted by at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)