Lobo women facing a mental block
trying too hard, overthinking things. Here, I think it’s about coming with the right mindset and not focusing too much on who we’re playing. I feel like we’re ready to do that (tonight).”
Lobo coach Mike Bradbury believes the Rebels have done a better job elevating their play in the rivalry.
“The stats say UNLV doesn’t shoot it well from the perimeter,” Bradbury said, “but they always do when they play us. I don’t believe the stats when it comes to this game, I believe what I see. (The Rebels) get fired up to play us and we have to answer the bell.”
UNLV presents matchup problems with a tall, athletic lineup. Katie Powell, a 6-foot-4 junior post, has been a particular headache for opponents, averaging 14.5 points and 9.3 rebounds with an ability to hit midrange shots. She’s one of four posts who’ve been starting for the Rebels over the last five games as junior guard Nikki Wheatley has been out with an injury.
That puts considerable pressure on senior guard Brooke Johnson to keep UNLV’s offense rolling. Johnson has been up to the task, averaging a team-best 15.5 points per game.
“Brooke Johnson and Katie Powell are high-energy players,” Bradbury said. “They force the action and really get the team moving on both ends of the court.”
The Rebels also take advantage of their unusual length with half-court defensive pressure and by pounding the boards, something Bradbury considers a key to tonight’s matchup. UNLV has outrebounded its opponents by 5.9 per game, while UNM has been narrowly outrebounded by its foes this season (1.2 boards per game).
“They will attack the glass and we better be up to the challenge,” Bradbury said of the Rebels. “If we don’t rebound, we can’t play fast and that will play right into UNLV’s hands.”
The Rebels’ defense limited UNM to two of its lowest point totals last season, including a season-low 42 points in a 56-42 defeat in Las Vegas.
“They’ll really pressure you in the half-court,” Bradbury said. “They’ll get up on you and use their length to cause all sorts of problems. That’s why it’s important for us to push the pace as much as we can.”
If the Lobos can hold their own on the glass, they figure to have a quickness advantage. UNLV’s post-laden lineup has been turnover prone, averaging 17.7 giveaways per game. UNM averages just 12.6 turnovers.
But like Bradbury, Beynon is not putting much emphasis on statistics.
“I think it will come down to toughness,” she said. “It’s a key matchup in the conference, both teams are off to good starts, and the intensity will be there. We have to come out focused on the things we do well and not let anything take us out of our game. We have to be mentally tough.” NOTE: All tickets for tonight’s game will be $5.