by Phil Parker
Daily Lobo
The Lobos suffered their first loss of the season Saturday night, falling to Villanova 70-57 in the championship game of the Holiday Inn Mountain View Lobo Invitational.
The tournament was Friday and Saturday at The Pit. The Lobos beat Youngstown State handily Friday night, 54-36, while Villanova defeated Elon 66-45 in the tournament's first game to get to the championship contest.
Against the Wildcats Saturday, UNM was done in by a confounding perimeter-oriented offense. Villanova players made hard cuts throughout their possessions, and at certain points it seemed as if every Wildcat player was moving at once.
"That's the hardest defense we've ever had to play," UNM forward Lindsey Arndt said. "They're all moving out there, and you have to be fixated on your person, while watching the ball, but also playing help. It's crazy."
The Villanova Wildcats were the only team to beat the NCAA Champion UConn Huskies in the 2002-03 regular season.
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Against the Lobos, the Wildcats shot seven of 12 on threes in the first half and six of eight in the second, for a combined 65 percent accuracy from beyond the arc.
But while the Wildcats were draining from the perimeter, the Lobos dominated down low, particularly Arndt. She was unstoppable at the game's onset, scoring in the paint with over-under moves and put-backs.
"Lindsey came in and hit the boards hard and was looking for her shot," Lobo guard Mandi Moore said. "I think that's what we needed."
Moore said having an inside presence to complement outside shooting is vital, and Arndt was just that.
At the first timeout, with five minutes played, Arndt led Villanova all by herself, 9-8. Then, after play resumed, she hit a 3-pointer to score the Lobos' first 12 points on her way to a career-high 21.
Though they were losing the early battle down low, the Wildcats continued to run their offense and shoot from the perimeter. Kelly Nash hit some 3-pointers early on for the Wildcats, including one off the glass that kept them close, 8-7.
"The bottom line for us is can we make more threes than they can make inside baskets?" Villanova head coach Harry Perretta said. "We knew that we were going to have a tough time defending their post players. We started badly because we also gave up some threes at the beginning."
The Lobos hit four 3-pointers in the first half, and only one in the second, to make 55 percent of their 3-point attempts.
Lobo center Jenny Shetters also added offense down low. Shetters came off the bench for six straight points toward the end of the first half, then started after halftime and finished with 12.
Tournament MVP Liad Suez of Villanova had 16 points, hitting from all over the court despite constant pressure from the Lobos. Kate Mager-Dessart led the Wildcats with 18 and was also named to the All-tournament team.
Arndt led all scorers and also pulled down 11 boards. She was named to the All-Tournament team along with Moore, who scored 15 points during the Lobo's two games, and played 76 out of 80 possible minutes.
The UNM women will continue their nine-game home series Tuesday when they welcome Texas Southern University to The Pit. Tipoff will be at 7 p.m.
