The New Mexico women’s basketball team will try to erase the sting of suffering a last-second defeat on Wednesday, as it hosts Fresno State in the “Lobos Love Pink” game.
Saturday’s game will be an opportunity to help raise funds for cancer research with proceeds going to the UNM Cancer Center, a release said. Admission to the game is just $5 for fans wearing pink attire.
New Mexico (14-11, 9-5 MW) fell 64-62 on Wednesday to Boise State after letting a double-digit lead slip away in the final period.
The Lobos led by as many as 10 in the fourth quarter and appeared to be in good shape up 59-53 with less than five minutes remaining.
But the Broncos went on a 9-0 run to claim the lead, before UNM junior guard Alex Lapeyrolerie tied the game on a 3-pointer. Boise State’s Marijk Vanderschaaf responded by sticking the game-winning jumper to snag the victory.
Fresno State (14-11, 7-7 MW) has also endured some heartbreaking losses recently. The Bulldogs dropped a tough 66-64 decision to Colorado State at home last Saturday, followed by a road loss to San Jose State on Wednesday.
The Lobos took the first round against the Bulldogs earlier this season on Dec. 29, cruising to an 80-54 victory.
Fresno State will have arguably the best player on the floor, as its star center Bego Faz Davalos tries to exact revenge and bounce back from a subpar performance in the first meeting.
Faz Davalos, who was averaging better than 16 points per game and nearly 12 rebounds at the time, was held well below her usual stat line. She posted just eight points and seven rebounds.
But her well-rounded game has hurt opponents in a variety of ways. She hauled in a season-high 19 rebounds earlier in the season against San Diego State, and registered 10 blocks in a single game against California State University, Northridge.
The Lobos will counter with one of their best, senior center Richelle van der Keijl. She put up 16 points and seven boards on an efficient 7-of-9 shooting performance against the Bulldogs the first time around.
Van der Keijl has been playing well as of late, achieving a double-double in three of her last four games.
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The Lobos should have the advantage on the glass with a larger frontcourt. UNM has averaged about nine more rebounds (45.8) than Fresno State (36.7) so far this season.
But UNM is also very thin in terms of depth after losing three players to season-ending injuries throughout the year.
Head coach Mike Bradbury previously said he didn’t see the lack of depth as a major concern. He said the team will have to compete with the players that are available and doesn’t expect any sympathy from opponents.
“Nobody cares, nobody feels sorry for you,” Bradbury said. “We are going to play with who we’ve got and roll.”
The game will tip off at 1 p.m. at WisePies Arena aka The Pit and will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network.
Robert Maler is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers football and men’s and women’s tennis. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @robert_maler.
