Who will bounce back, Lobos or Bulldogs?
Both teams coming off difficult losses
There will be a touch of irony involved when the University of New Mexico women’s basketball team breaks out pink-trimmed uniforms for today’s home game against Fresno State.
Being referred to as “in the pink” generally equates to being healthy — something the Lobos are not. Three players (Emily Lines, Jaisa Nunn and Mykiel Burleson) are out for the season with knee injuries, leaving UNM with just eight available.
But there’s more to today’s color scheme than player health. The annual Lobos Love Pink game is intended to raise funds and awareness for the fight against breast cancer.
The Lobos’ uniforms will be auctioned off with proceeds going to the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center, and fans wearing pink will be admitted for $5. Other giveaways and fundraising events also are planned.
“We always look forward to these special games,” junior Alex Lapeyrolerie said. “It’s important to show our support and play as hard as we possibly can.”
Pink inspiration aside, both teams figure to be motivated by recent events. The Lobos (14-11, 9-5 Mountain West Conference) are coming off a painful 64-62 loss at Boise State, determined by a last-second shot, while the Bulldogs (14-11, 7-7) have suffered back-to-back overtime losses. Fresno State led both games
in the final minute of regulation.
“Somebody’s got to bounce back,” Lobos coach Mike Bradbury said, “and I hope it’s us. Fresno State has been playing really well lately, and this should be a pretty close matchup. We just have to rise to the challenge.”
The Lobos and Bulldogs are similar in several regards, including that both rely heavily on two primary scorers.
UNM post Richelle van der Keijl and her Fresno State counterpart, Bego Faz Davalos, average 14.3 and 14.8 points, respectively. Both rank among the Mountain West leaders in rebounds and blocks.
At guard, New Mexico’s Cherise Beynon and Fresno State’s Candice White should provide an interesting battle. Beynon scores 15.9 points per contest and handles the ball far more than does White, who scores 14.8 points per outing and is an outstanding 3-point shooter.
“Fresno’s two kids can really score,” Bradbury said. “White can shoot it and (Faz Davalos) can go get it. They’re a tough combination to deal with.”
Opponents have had similar issues dealing with van der Keijl and Beynon and have often elected to simply pack the paint with defenders. Having lost complementary scorers Nunn and Burleson, the Lobos now have to look elsewhere for points.
Lapeyrolerie and Bovero chipped in Wednesday at Boise State, scoring 17 and 11, respectively. Both attacked the basket and looked for open shots throughout the game.
“We have to get scoring from somebody other than Cherise and Richelle,” Bradbury said, “and those two are likely candidates. They have to be aggressive.”
UNM could also use some offensive production from guard Laneah Bryan, who is starting in place of Burleson. Bryan struggled at Boise State, going 1 for 7 from the field, but shot well and scored a career-best 14 points against Air Force in UNM’s most recent home game.
Today’s matchup is significant in the standings as both teams are chasing top-five seeding positions for the Mountain West tournament. The top five regular-season finishers receive a bye to the quarterfinals, while the bottom six must play an extra game.