LIDOakaLJT
11-26-2007, 01:10 PM
http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/nov/26/lobos-enjoy-challenge-pac-10-teams/?lobozone-story-detail=1/
Lobos enjoy challenge from Pac-10 teams
Dennis Latta/Special to The Tribune
Monday, November 26, 2007
The University of New Mexico women's basketball team finished the first half of its Pac-10 schedule with an even record.
The Lobos are members of the Mountain West Conference, but they might as well be honorary members of the Pac-10 this season. UNM plays four Pac-10 schools.
On Saturday night, they beat Pac-10 member Oregon 65-46 in the championship game of the Holiday Inn Express Midtown Tournament in The Pit.
The Lobos also lost at 12th-ranked California 52-44 on Nov. 18. UNM is 1-1 in the Pac-10 with two to more to go.
"We're trying to play marquee games," UNM coach Don Flanagan said of his team's schedule. "We've been playing Big 12 schools, but now we have some who don't want to play us. We're running out of teams over there."
So Flanagan turned westward to find new competition, and the Lobos were greeted with a welcome.
"The Mountain West Conference is highly regarded on the West Coast," said Oregon coach Bev Smith, who is in her seventh season with the Ducks. "It's a good pre-conference test to come to a facility like this and play in front of a crowd like this. It's a wonderful environment."
The Lobos' other Pac-10 matchups come in The Pit against Arizona on Dec. 15 and No. 5 Stanford on Dec. 18. This was a one-game meeting with the Ducks because they were in the tournament. The Arizona game is the second in a two-year contract. Cal and Stanford are both in the first year of two-year contracts.
"The Pac-10 has Stanford in the top 10 and Cal is right up there," said UNM sophomore guard Amy Beggin. "It's nice for our RPI (national ranking) and nice for our conference to play the Pac-10."
Senior forward Dionne Marsh said the Pac-10 schools feature bigger post players and a bigger challenge for UNM.
Smith brought in a young Oregon team and she said it was a valuable experience to play in the Pit.
"We have a big but young team," Smith said. "We play a little bit like New Mexico. Most teams in the Pac-10 are a little bigger.
"We got a little bit tired and we got into foul trouble. Our players had a couple of games in a couple of nights, and that's tough for a young team."
The Ducks were tired because they ran into a team that plays hard defense. That has become a Flanagan trademark.
"We are 22-0 when we keep teams under 60," said Flanagan, who is in his 13th season at UNM.
"One year, we led the nation at 51 points (allowed per game)."
Flanagan was pleased with his team's defense in Saturday's game.
"I'm very, very happy with our defense at this point," he said. "It's like that in practice. They play really, really hard in practice. I thought our defensive effort was terrific. They (the Ducks) are not easy to defend. They've got three or four people inside who can score."
Against UNM's defense, Oregon shot 25 percent from the floor. And New Mexico had a 45-37 rebounding advantage, though the Ducks started a lineup that included a 6-foot-5 center and 6-3 forward with a strong 6-4 center coming off the bench for 17 minutes.
Lobos enjoy challenge from Pac-10 teams
Dennis Latta/Special to The Tribune
Monday, November 26, 2007
The University of New Mexico women's basketball team finished the first half of its Pac-10 schedule with an even record.
The Lobos are members of the Mountain West Conference, but they might as well be honorary members of the Pac-10 this season. UNM plays four Pac-10 schools.
On Saturday night, they beat Pac-10 member Oregon 65-46 in the championship game of the Holiday Inn Express Midtown Tournament in The Pit.
The Lobos also lost at 12th-ranked California 52-44 on Nov. 18. UNM is 1-1 in the Pac-10 with two to more to go.
"We're trying to play marquee games," UNM coach Don Flanagan said of his team's schedule. "We've been playing Big 12 schools, but now we have some who don't want to play us. We're running out of teams over there."
So Flanagan turned westward to find new competition, and the Lobos were greeted with a welcome.
"The Mountain West Conference is highly regarded on the West Coast," said Oregon coach Bev Smith, who is in her seventh season with the Ducks. "It's a good pre-conference test to come to a facility like this and play in front of a crowd like this. It's a wonderful environment."
The Lobos' other Pac-10 matchups come in The Pit against Arizona on Dec. 15 and No. 5 Stanford on Dec. 18. This was a one-game meeting with the Ducks because they were in the tournament. The Arizona game is the second in a two-year contract. Cal and Stanford are both in the first year of two-year contracts.
"The Pac-10 has Stanford in the top 10 and Cal is right up there," said UNM sophomore guard Amy Beggin. "It's nice for our RPI (national ranking) and nice for our conference to play the Pac-10."
Senior forward Dionne Marsh said the Pac-10 schools feature bigger post players and a bigger challenge for UNM.
Smith brought in a young Oregon team and she said it was a valuable experience to play in the Pit.
"We have a big but young team," Smith said. "We play a little bit like New Mexico. Most teams in the Pac-10 are a little bigger.
"We got a little bit tired and we got into foul trouble. Our players had a couple of games in a couple of nights, and that's tough for a young team."
The Ducks were tired because they ran into a team that plays hard defense. That has become a Flanagan trademark.
"We are 22-0 when we keep teams under 60," said Flanagan, who is in his 13th season at UNM.
"One year, we led the nation at 51 points (allowed per game)."
Flanagan was pleased with his team's defense in Saturday's game.
"I'm very, very happy with our defense at this point," he said. "It's like that in practice. They play really, really hard in practice. I thought our defensive effort was terrific. They (the Ducks) are not easy to defend. They've got three or four people inside who can score."
Against UNM's defense, Oregon shot 25 percent from the floor. And New Mexico had a 45-37 rebounding advantage, though the Ducks started a lineup that included a 6-foot-5 center and 6-3 forward with a strong 6-4 center coming off the bench for 17 minutes.