AIMING HIGHER
UNM women have more goals to chase after a recordsetting 10-0 start
One record set, time to chase another. With the best start in program history secure, the 10-0 University of New Mexico women’s basketball team now finds itself just one victory shy of matching the longest overall win streak in team history.
UNM has won 11 straight twice, first in 197778 and again in 2003-04. The current Lobos will shoot for No. 11 when they host undefeated Navy (9-0) on Sunday.
As one might expect, coach Mike Bradbury and his players largely have downplayed winstreak discussions, preferring instead to focus on their upcoming opponents. That said, the Lobos are very much aware of their record run, evidenced by the mysterious “10-0” signs several players held up after Wednesday’s 90-56
win over Texas Tech at Dreamstyle Arena. Where did those signs come from, you ask? “I promise you, I had nothing to do with that,” Bradbury said. “I didn’t know anything about (the signs) until I saw them after the game.”
Lobo players provided no clues in postgame interviews.
“I have no idea,” junior Jaisa Nunn deadpanned when asked about the signs. “Couldn’t tell you where those came from.”
Barring formal subpeonaes, it seems the sign
source may not be revealed soon. What will come to light is exactly how far the 2017-18 Lobos can take their unbeaten streak. UNM’s next two games may present the most challenging hurdles before the calendar flips to 2018.
Navy, thanks in large part to point guard and Albuquerque native Hannah Fenske, has been rolling of late. The Midshipmen have won their last five games by an average of 24.8 points and are two wins from equaling the best start in their program history.
UNM’s ensuing game will be at Oklahoma on Dec. 16, but forgive the Lobos if they choose not to look that far ahead. “Being 10-0 is great,” Nunn said, “but we can’t let it go to our heads. Every team we play now will want to give us that first loss. We need to keep improving. We can’t let up at all.”
The Lobos have a long way to go to equal the best start to a season by a UNM basketball team. New Mexico’s men started 17-0 in 1967-68.
CATCH AND RELEASE: It’s fair to say Emily Lines has made the most of limited minutes. The junior has appeared in four games, playing 22 minutes in all, and has scored 19 points.
Lines entered Wednesday’s game with 2:09 remaining and swished two 3-pointers in her first 51 seconds on the court. Lines wore a wide grin after her second shot. She’s 6-for-7 from long range this season.
“I told her when she was going in, ‘If you’re open, shoot it,’” Bradbury said. “I guess she heard me.”
NICKNAME GAME: Nunn, who is averaging 14.4 points and 10.4 rebounds, posted her sixth double-double of the season Wednesday night. In postgame interviews she laughed when asked if she had adopted “Double-Double” as a nickname.
“That’s the first I’ve heard of it,” she said, “but I guess that sounds pretty good.” CLIMBING THE LADDER: With 177 points this season, Cherise Beynon ranks eighth on UNM’s career scoring list with 1,346 points. Yvonne McKinnon (1981-85) is seventh with 1,416. Beynon is one of 15 Lobos to amass more than 1,000 points and 500 rebounds (she has 629). Beynon also needs 65 assists to reach 500. Mandi Moore (2002-05) is the only UNM player to exceed 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists. Moore had 1,057 points, 603 rebounds and 651 assists.