The UNM women's basketball team may be enjoying a fun ride in the Mountain West Conference, but a few potholes lay ahead that could damage its conference title dreams.
The first test the Lobos must navigate is Saturday when they play San Diego State University in their final home game of the season.
While the Aztecs have won only two conference games, they have played most of their opponents competitively, losing five games by 10 points or less. That includes a 58-49 loss to UNM Jan. 23 in San Diego, Calif.
SDSU has stayed in games mainly because of its defense, holding opponents to 39.1 percent shooting - fourth best in conference play. The Aztecs are second in the conference with 18.6 turnovers forced per game and in steals with 9.6 thefts per contest.
Head coach Don Flanagan said the Aztecs apply pressure at every turn and deny the passing lanes, which is something the Lobos haven't seen much of in conference play.
"BYU tried to do it to us, but a lot of teams don't normally do that," Flanagan said. "It's kind of different because they have some quickness at the post where they really can put some pressure on all passing lanes, even into the post."
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The Lobos got a taste of that in San Diego, coughing up the ball a season-high 24 times and watching a 41-13 second-half lead almost evaporate. The Aztecs cut the lead to 55-49 before UNM righted itself and held on for the win.
Flanagan said patience will be a key for the Lobos.
"Early on (against San Diego State) we were patient, we reversed the ball," he said. "In the last 10 minutes, we did not do a good job."
Forward Alim Otii has played a key role in the Aztecs' defensive prowess. She is eighth in the conference with 1.9 steals per game and is also the team's second-leading scorer with 10.2 points per game. Clair Swinback has stepped up her scoring load during conference play, averaging 13.1 points per game. SDSU's main problem has been getting the ball into the basket, as is evident by its 39 percent shooting. The Aztecs are also the worst free-throw shooting team in the conference with a 63.4 percent average.
UNM is in a tie with the University of Nevada at Las Vegas for second place and only a game behind the first-place team, Colorado State University.
Saturday will be the final home game for senior guard Molly McKinnon, the lone veteran on the team. McKinnon, who is the fourth-leading scorer on the team, said one of her best moments at UNM was during her recruiting trip when she looked down on The Pit floor from the mezzanine section.
