UNM women expect chilly reception
Lobos bracing to face Cowgirls’ tough defense
As Mountain West Conference road trips go, Laramie, Wyo., is rarely a destination of choice.
The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team will visit Wyoming’s Arena Auditorium for a key MWC contest tonight and the Lobos are not expecting a pleasurable excursion — on the court or off of it.
“I think of screen, screen, screen, motion, elevation and cold,” UNM senior Alex Lapeyrolerie said when asked what trips to Wyoming bring to mind. “It’s not like going to San Diego or Las Vegas. It’s a tough trip all the way around.”
The venue plays a role in that perception. Laramie is 7,165 feet above sea level and is known for its harsh winter conditions. Today’s forecast calls for snow showers, wind and a low temperature of 17 degrees.
Things can be a bit unfriendly indoors, too. The Cowgirls average roughly 2,500 vocal fans per home game.
“They do have really good crowds,” UNM junior Jaisa Nunn said, “and the elevation is higher than ours. It can take a little while to get used to it, but it’s not a factor once the game starts. We’ll be focused on basketball, nothing else.”
Tonight’s matchup figures to demand the Lobos’ full attention. Wyoming (9-5, 2-1) is coming off an impressive win at Boise State and features one of the Mountain West’s top players in senior guard Liv Roberts.
“She might be the best player in our league,” Lobo coach Mike Bradbury said, “and Wyoming
is the best defensive team in our league. We’ll have to play really well to win up there.”
The Lobos (15-2, 3-1) did not play well in their most recent outing, a 95-86 loss Saturday at San Jose State. Bradbury was not happy with his team’s preparation or its intensity against the Spartans (5-10, 2-2).
But after a Monday team meeting and two solid practices, the Lobos are eager to test themselves against one of the Mountain West’s most talented teams.
“Wyoming is so disciplined,” Lobo senior Cherise Beynon said, “they’ll try to wear you down and force you to make mistakes. We have to be just as disciplined as they are, communicate and play team basketball, especially on defense.”
Disrupting the Cowgirls’ patterned, screen-happy offense starts with containing Roberts and forward Taylor Rusk, Wyoming’s two top scorers. Rusk (44 percent) and guard Marta Gomez (51 percent) are perimeter threats who have combined to hit 55 of Wyoming’s 94 3-pointers.
“The big thing for us is to take them out of their comfort zone,” Lapeyrolerie said. “We have to pressure them as much as we can and push the ball every chance we get. We don’t want to play at their pace.”
Forcing Wyoming into an uptempo game, Bradbury admitted, is easier said than done.
“They do a good job controlling the pace and they want it slow,” he said. “They work the clock on offense and their defense is a lot like ours was last year — staying between you and the basket and making you shoot over them. They won’t turn you over very often but they’ll make you take difficult shots.”
Bradbury hopes the Lobos can shake off the uncharacteristic cold shooting that plagued them at San Jose State. He’s confident UNM will regain its usual intensity.
“Winning on the road is tough in this league,” he said, “especially in places like Wyoming. We have to bring our best effort every night.”