Growth after pain for UNM women
Lobos try to go to 3-0 to start conference action
It took some hard, unpleasant knocks to put the UNM women’s basketball team on a winning track this season.
First-year coach Mike Bradbury and his players expected some growing pains, but a four-game skid that included a last-place finish in the Lobos’ home tournament was a jarring wake-up call.
“It took that four-game losing streak for me — and for our players — to decide how we’re going to play,” Bradbury said. “Since then everyone’s bought in and things have gotten better.”
UNM has won four of its last six to even its record at 6-6 and, more important, is off to a blazing 2-0 start in Mountain West play. The Lobos steamrolled their first two league opponents, Fresno State and San Diego State, by a combined 69 points.
Bradbury and his team will try to secure its first 3-0 MWC start since
2008-09 tonight when Utah State (8-5, 1-1) visits the Pit.
UNM’s turnaround has required significant adjustments.
Players have had to adapt to Bradbury’s louder, moreintense coaching style and learn a new system, especially on the offensive end. Bradbury, meanwhile, has had to tweak his preferred up-tempo, dribble-drive offense to suit his inherited roster. The Lobos have run at times, scoring 165 points combined in their last two games, but slowed the pace at others depending on their opponent.
“We’re not playing nearly as fast as I want to,” Bradbury said, “but we have a size advantage in most games and we can take advantage of it. Defense and rebounding need to be this team’s strengths. We make look totally different a year or two from now, but we’ll work with what we have.”
Players have also begun to get a feel for the new system.
“It’s been a learning process,” sophomore Jaisa Nunn said. “(Bradbury) has showed us a lot and I think we’ve showed him a lot. We’re still not all the way there but things are coming together. Conference is like a new start to the season and it’s been exciting so far.”
Nunn has become a key cog off the bench for UNM, averaging 10 points and 6.8 rebounds in roughly 20 minutes per game. Some fans have clamored for the 6-foot-3 sophomore to start, but coming off the bench is part of the adjustment process.
Bradbury likes bringing offensive-minded players like Alex Lapeyrolerie and Nunn in later to provide a spark. He also wants Nunn to keep improving on the defensive end.
“She’s gotten better lately,” Bradbury said, “but Jaisa’s got enough talent to really make a difference. We need her to step up even more.”
Nunn and UNM’s other primary posts, Richelle van der Keijl and Kianna Keller, figure to be tested tonight against a tall Utah State squad. The Aggies have six players 6-foot2 or taller and most can drive in addition to posting up.
“Utah State’s kind of a hard team to play against,” Bradbury said, “because they’re really balanced and do a good job playing to their strengths. They make enough shots on the perimeter to force you to guard them out there, and pretty much everyone can take the ball to the basket.”
Sophomore guard Rachel Brewster, one of four Australian players on USU’s roster, leads the Aggies in scoring at 12.3 points per game. The Aggies no longer have standout scorer Funda Nakkasoglu, who transferred to Florida after last season, but they’ve been effective taking a group approach.
“They’re a lot more insideoriented now,” Nunn said, “but they’re still really good. They’ll definitely test our posts and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”