LIDOakaLJT
11-05-2007, 11:52 AM
http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/nov/05/university-new-mexico-womens-basketball-team-ready/
University of New Mexico women's basketball team ready to begin season
By Michael Garcia (Contact)
Monday, November 5, 2007
Amy Beggin wears No. 10 but she isn't perfect.
After all, she did have one turnover in 37 minutes during the University of New Mexico's 98-66 exhibition victory over Eastern New Mexico in front of an announced crowd of 7,555.
For Beggin, Sunday afternoon's stroll in The Pit looked like this: 19 points, 10 assists and a team-high seven rebounds.
The double-double was impressive.
So was the single turnover.
"Amy, I thought, had another good game," coach Don Flanagan said.
Of course, Flanagan has come to expect as much from his 5-foot-6 sophomore point guard.
In UNM's two exhibition games, Beggin has shown herself ready to carry more of the load for the Lobos this season. She has a total of 35 points, 17 assists, nine rebounds and four turnovers. She is shooting 45.5 percent from the field (10-of-22), 62.5 percent from 3-point range (5-of-8) and 90.1 percent from the foul line (10-of-11).
Of course, these were two exhibition games. The real games begin this weekend.
The bigger tests for Beggin - Cal, Stanford, UNLV, TCU, Wyoming - are down the road.
Still, she brings confidence into the regular season. The Lobos open by hosting a three-day Women's Sports Foundation Tournament.
On Friday, the Lobos open with Western Michigan at 8 p.m.; Dayton plays Northwestern in the first game at 6 p.m.
"Yeah, I think we're ready," Flanagan said.
Flanagan said the two exhibitions provided different tests for his young team. In the 67-61 loss to the Chinese National Team on Thursday, the Lobos encountered a bigger, more seasoned team.
Against ENMU, a Division II school, the Lobos faced a scrappy and determined bunch.
"Usually, we play harder than the other team," Flanagan said. "I thought they (Zias) won the play-hard battle. . . . They presented some problems for us. But we adjusted in the second half and played much better."
After holding a 42-35 halftime lead, the Lobos outscored the Zias 56-31 in the second half.
Here were some other highlights from Sunday's exhibition.
Marsh in charge: Senior forward Dionne Marsh rebounded from an average game vs. the Chinese National Team, finishing with a game-high 20 points against ENMU. She scored eight of UNM's first 11 points in the second half.
Scoring spree for Kielpinski:
In a span of less than three minutes, Jessica Kielpinski showed why Flanagan keeps gushing over his 6-foot-1 freshman center.
"Jessica's going to be a good player, and I've been telling people that, but sometimes they don't believe me," Flanagan said.
Flanagan has been talking up Kielpinski since before the season started. He cites her determination in the low post and a soft shooting touch from 15 feet in as promising signs of her potential.
During a stretch of 2 minutes, 42 seconds in the second half, Kielpinski scored nine of UNM's 11 points.
After she was done, UNM's lead over ENMU went from an uneasy 53-47 to a comfortable 64-50.
"I just happened to be the person open," a modest Kielpinski said of her scoring outburst.
Nothing flashy in her answer or her game.
Flanagan said Kielpinski could emerge as the low-post scoring threat needed to complement Marsh, the target of most opposing defenses.
"(Jessica's) going to be very difficult for a defender," Flanagan said, "because they're going to go from her to go to (double-team) Dionne, and that's going to open her up for little 10-foot shots, and she's very effective at that."
Junior Angela Hartill holds the starting spot for now, but Kielpinski is gaining quickly.
She's rapidly gaining confidence and learning how to react to The Pit crowd, too.
Kielpinski, a native of Mandan, N.D., received an ovation from the Pit fans as she left for a substitute after her scoring spree.
"I noticed they were clapping a little louder than usual," Kielpinski said. "That was nice to hear. I just the love the fans here."
ET CETERA: The Lobos made 2 of 8 3-pointers compared to 10 of 27 for the Zias. But UNM countered by connecting on 30 of 35 free throws to 16 of 26 for ENMU. The Lobos also held a 46-14 advantage in points in the paint. . . . All 13 players on UNM's active roster played and scored in the game. . . . Brandi Kimble had an off game shooting, hitting 3 of 13 from the field, but converted 6 of 7 free throw attempts to finish with 13 points.
University of New Mexico women's basketball team ready to begin season
By Michael Garcia (Contact)
Monday, November 5, 2007
Amy Beggin wears No. 10 but she isn't perfect.
After all, she did have one turnover in 37 minutes during the University of New Mexico's 98-66 exhibition victory over Eastern New Mexico in front of an announced crowd of 7,555.
For Beggin, Sunday afternoon's stroll in The Pit looked like this: 19 points, 10 assists and a team-high seven rebounds.
The double-double was impressive.
So was the single turnover.
"Amy, I thought, had another good game," coach Don Flanagan said.
Of course, Flanagan has come to expect as much from his 5-foot-6 sophomore point guard.
In UNM's two exhibition games, Beggin has shown herself ready to carry more of the load for the Lobos this season. She has a total of 35 points, 17 assists, nine rebounds and four turnovers. She is shooting 45.5 percent from the field (10-of-22), 62.5 percent from 3-point range (5-of-8) and 90.1 percent from the foul line (10-of-11).
Of course, these were two exhibition games. The real games begin this weekend.
The bigger tests for Beggin - Cal, Stanford, UNLV, TCU, Wyoming - are down the road.
Still, she brings confidence into the regular season. The Lobos open by hosting a three-day Women's Sports Foundation Tournament.
On Friday, the Lobos open with Western Michigan at 8 p.m.; Dayton plays Northwestern in the first game at 6 p.m.
"Yeah, I think we're ready," Flanagan said.
Flanagan said the two exhibitions provided different tests for his young team. In the 67-61 loss to the Chinese National Team on Thursday, the Lobos encountered a bigger, more seasoned team.
Against ENMU, a Division II school, the Lobos faced a scrappy and determined bunch.
"Usually, we play harder than the other team," Flanagan said. "I thought they (Zias) won the play-hard battle. . . . They presented some problems for us. But we adjusted in the second half and played much better."
After holding a 42-35 halftime lead, the Lobos outscored the Zias 56-31 in the second half.
Here were some other highlights from Sunday's exhibition.
Marsh in charge: Senior forward Dionne Marsh rebounded from an average game vs. the Chinese National Team, finishing with a game-high 20 points against ENMU. She scored eight of UNM's first 11 points in the second half.
Scoring spree for Kielpinski:
In a span of less than three minutes, Jessica Kielpinski showed why Flanagan keeps gushing over his 6-foot-1 freshman center.
"Jessica's going to be a good player, and I've been telling people that, but sometimes they don't believe me," Flanagan said.
Flanagan has been talking up Kielpinski since before the season started. He cites her determination in the low post and a soft shooting touch from 15 feet in as promising signs of her potential.
During a stretch of 2 minutes, 42 seconds in the second half, Kielpinski scored nine of UNM's 11 points.
After she was done, UNM's lead over ENMU went from an uneasy 53-47 to a comfortable 64-50.
"I just happened to be the person open," a modest Kielpinski said of her scoring outburst.
Nothing flashy in her answer or her game.
Flanagan said Kielpinski could emerge as the low-post scoring threat needed to complement Marsh, the target of most opposing defenses.
"(Jessica's) going to be very difficult for a defender," Flanagan said, "because they're going to go from her to go to (double-team) Dionne, and that's going to open her up for little 10-foot shots, and she's very effective at that."
Junior Angela Hartill holds the starting spot for now, but Kielpinski is gaining quickly.
She's rapidly gaining confidence and learning how to react to The Pit crowd, too.
Kielpinski, a native of Mandan, N.D., received an ovation from the Pit fans as she left for a substitute after her scoring spree.
"I noticed they were clapping a little louder than usual," Kielpinski said. "That was nice to hear. I just the love the fans here."
ET CETERA: The Lobos made 2 of 8 3-pointers compared to 10 of 27 for the Zias. But UNM countered by connecting on 30 of 35 free throws to 16 of 26 for ENMU. The Lobos also held a 46-14 advantage in points in the paint. . . . All 13 players on UNM's active roster played and scored in the game. . . . Brandi Kimble had an off game shooting, hitting 3 of 13 from the field, but converted 6 of 7 free throw attempts to finish with 13 points.