DENVER - The UNM women's basketball team defended its Mountain West Conference Championship crown in what turned into a blow out of the Utah Utes, 71-50 in the championship game Saturday night at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo.
The Lobos were behind 32-27 in the first, when junior guard Mandi Moore took an elbow in the face. Moore went to the sidelines pressing a towel to her mouth to control the bleeding. She received three stitches to her upper lip, but returned to the floor late in the second period.
Freshman guard Katie Montgomery went in for Moore to score 14 points - 10 of which were in the second half. The 5-foot-10 freshman also had two steals and four rebounds.
Head coach Don Flanagan said Montgomery filled in perfectly.
"She went in and played like... well, she played like Mandi," he said.
Senior Melissa Forest, who was named to the All-Tournament team, said the Lobos were behind Montgomery 100 percent.
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"Mandi's our leader," Forest said. "But we weren't worried about Katie. She did a great job today."
UNM jumped out to an early 10-2 lead, but let the Utes pull ahead with less than 10 minutes to go in the first period. UNM and Utah traded baskets for the rest of the half and Forest tied the game at 32 to go into intermission.
The second period started with a Utah shot clock violation and things only got worse for the Utes, as the Lobos scored 14 unanswered points, including seven by Montgomery.
Forest followed with her own six-point run.
"She (Melissa) reminds me a lot of Jordan Adams ending her career," Flanagan said. "She has just been playing like a senior who wants to go out strong. With her strength on the interior and Lindsey's (Arndt) inside-outside presence, we were really able to take control."
With 12 points and eight rebounds, Arndt was also named to the All-Tournament team and earned the title of Most Valuable Player of the championship.
"It's really a great honor," Arndt said. "I don't think it can be an individual award. We are very lucky. God has really blessed us with a great team."
Forest posted 18 points and five rebounds and sophomore guard Abbie Letz contributed nine points and four boards.
The MWC Championship title enables UNM to advance to the NCAA tournament for the third-straight year. The Lobos (23-7) as the No. 12 seed will play fifth-seeded Florida in the first round on Saturday at The Pit. Tip-off time will be announced.
Saturday's winner will face the winner of No. 4 Baylor and No. 13 Loyola Marymount in round two on Monday evening.
