Coming
into the second half of the basketball year the Lobos
are flying high
and feeling good about their chances of making this another NCAA tournament
campaign.
The Lobos, this time last year came out struggling during the first
part of the
season and looked like a team trying to find an identity.
How the
tables have turned around in the start of this year, the Lobos are
souring to a
10-1 record. The Lobos have built confidence while in the friendly confines
of
the Pit. Going 10-0, only lose coming to a top 5 team in the nation,
the Stanford
Cardinal in Palo Alto.
Some
people may have called this a rebuilding year after the Lobos lost
their two
star players, Dionne Marsh the offensive threat down low who is know
the all
time leading scorer in New
Mexico history, and Brandi Kimble a defensive
specialist,
with a good shooting touch, and a great rebounded.
The Lobos
erased the word rebuilding with some big wins and already padding their
NCAA
resume with wins over school from bigger conferences, now lets take a
look back
a few key games for the Lobos this year:
Depaul:
The Lobos were down most of the game from 5-12 points, but when they
needed
them the most the fans stepped up, and so did one player in particular,
with
11seconds in the game Amy Beggin took the inbounds pass and drove in
the length
of the court fueled by an Angela Hartill screen at half court and
kissed the ball
off the glass among the post players of Depaul with only 2.8 seconds to
go to
secure the win, 68-66, over the Big East school. Hartill chipped
in 17
points to help lead the Lobos to the big win.
Amy Beggin takes a charge! Nebraska:
After a cold shooing first half including a 17-minute stretch with out
a field goal
the Lobos
gained control of the game in the second half, behind great shooting
and great
defense. In the second half the Lobos shot the ball at a hot 55.6%, to
give the
Lobos another win over a power conference school and handing the Cornhuskers
their
first loss of the season 62-51. The Lobos were lead by Amy Beggin with
19
Angela Hartill with 14 and Amanda Adamson with 10.
New Mexico State:
Games verses the Aggies are
supposed to be close right? After the
Aggies beat the Lobos in Las Cruses last year UNM did not want any part
in
letting the Aggies win again. This was the first complete 40 minutes of
basketball of the season and the Lobos put it to the Aggies in
dominating
fashion 80-48. The Lobos were Lead by fan favorite Val Kast with career
highs
in points, 18 and blocks, 6.
North Texas: What should
have been the
easiest game in the 5 game stretch (Nebraska, NMSU, North Texas, Texas Tech, UTEP)
the Lobos had to came back to beat UNT, the one thing that got to UNM
was the
quickness of UNT, but when needed the most, the team as a whole and
unselfish
play saved the Lobos. Down 5 with fewer than two minutes to go the
Lobos scored
the last eight points to steal the win from the Mean Green of North
Texas,
66-63. The Lobos were lead by any Beggin with 18 and Eileen Weissmann
with 14.
Eileen Weissman on the left
Texas
Tech: Renewing the games verses the team from Lubbock,
everyone know this was going to be a
huge for the Lobos. The game had a crowed of 10,000 to see another big
game
against a school from a power league, the Big 12. In the first half a
defense
battle, the Lobos took a two-point lead into the locker room. Once
again the
second half proved to be the place were the Lobos took over. The Lobos
come out
flying high. After trading baskets for the first few minutes of the
half, lead
by Amy Beggin’s 27 points and Amanda Adamson 10 points and 20 rebounds
yes that
is right 20 boards, the Lobos took a 59-41 lead. Down the stretch the
Lobos
held off Tech to win 63-54.
UTEP:
After last year’s lose down in El Paso, the Lobos were looking for
a
little payback verses the Miners, this game was never in question, the
Lobos
started strong and never looked back in route to a 66-43 win. Lead by
Angela
Hartill with 20
The Lobos
are off to a fast start at 10-1, let us see how they do on the road in
the next
few games, at NMSU and #4 Texas A&M.