New Mexico’s victory in Colorado Springs was the first road win of the year for the Lobos. Head coach Yvonne Sanchez said the streak has given the team an abundance of confidence.
“We needed to put something together,” Sanchez said. “We need to get out and get another road win.”
The Lobos (7-9, 3-2 MW) jumped out to a commanding 18-5 lead to begin the game against Air Force and never looked back. New Mexico never trailed in the contest against the Falcons.
Redshirt senior guard Antiesha Brown was held to just six points, far below her 14.1 season average. However, Sanchez said Brown’s contribution to the team goes far beyond her ability to score.
The guard helped her team out with five boards and dished out four assists in Wednesday’s contest. She didn’t turn the ball over one time despite being heavily guarded.
“We’re setting each other up,” Brown said. “Even if they wanted to just key in on me or fade into me, you can just kick it into the post and convert it to points.”
Brown said it is important to get victories away from home, as it only adds to the team’s morale.
“It’s hard to get used to stuff on the road,” Brown said. “We don’t get our facilities; we don’t get to get into the warm tub before the game ... It’s nice to get a win in another environment.”
New Mexico hasn’t fared well on the road against the top teams in the conference, losing to Colorado State (12-4, 4-1 MW) and Fresno State (13-3, 5-0 MW). UNM’s trip to Boise State (11-4, 3-1 MW) will be a battle for third place early in the Mountain West season.
“We’ve got to run our offense hard and finish inside,” Sanchez said. “On our defensive end, which is the most important part, we have to make sure we contain the ball.”
Deanna Weaver for the Broncos is a player the Lobos will focus on, according to Sanchez. The Boise State guard averages more than 14 points per game in addition to 6 rebounds per game.
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Brown named Player of the Week
On Monday Antiesha Brown was named Mountain West Player of the Week for her winning performances against San Diego State and Utah State.
“She just played well. She had a great week,” Sanchez said. “She’s feeling more comfortable about being one of our team leaders and leading scorers.”
Brown averaged 20 points between those two games, shooting 12 of 28 from the floor and 16 of 19 from the field. Brown said the team’s confidence led to her successful week.
“Everybody was just feeling good and feeling confident,” Brown said. “We just really found each other.”
Liam Cary-Eaves is the assistant sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at assistantsports @dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Liam_CE.
