The learning curve for freshman Dionne Marsh is apparently pretty short.
In a 76-54 drubbing of the Gonzaga Bulldogs Saturday, Marsh scored 20 points and snagged nine rebounds, leading the UNM women's basketball team to a win and 4-0 record.
Oh yeah, she put up those numbers in just 22 minutes.
"We all know Dionne has potential," head coach Don Flanagan said. "She is much stronger than she looks. She's young and capable, but I'm going to stop there, because I don't want to give her a big head."
Senior Mandi Moore said she saw that potential in a play that was not even in a game.
"I knew she was going to be good," Moore said. "At practice once, she just out of nowhere jumped up and touched the rim. She was just standing right under it and jumped up and touched it without running at all."
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The unfortunate thing for other teams is Marsh has a ways to go to reach her potential, Moore said.
"She's got room to grow," she said. "If she keeps using her ability, you'll see Dionne's name a lot in the paper."
Bulldog post players weren't letting Marsh get any easy baskets though. After three of her first four free throws clanged off every part of the rim without dropping in, the wire-thin freshman went 11-for-11 from the line to make 12 out of 15 overall.
Bulldog Anne Bailey fouled out with four minutes remaining after hacking Marsh for the third time. Bailey's substitute, Stephanie Hawk, got out her chainsaw and tried her hardest to chop Marsh down, picking up three second-half fouls as well.
As arms and hands rained down upon her, Marsh was just happy to be playing big minutes against a team sophomore Katie Montgomery said was the toughest they've faced yet.
"I don't want to take over anyone's position," Marsh said. "I just want to play, and I'm glad that coach Flanagan thinks I can."
The first half wasn't all peaches and cream for the Lobos. After three minutes, UNM found itself down 8-1, with the lone action on the rim coming off a Fatima Maddox free throw.
Down by one at intermission, the Lobos opened up the second half with a 17-3 run. And the Bulldogs faded faster than a jean jacket from the '80s.
After shooting an icy 9-for-25 from the field in the first half, UNM turned up the thermostat and went 13-for-23 in the second half to go along with 17-for-23 from the free-throw line.
"I'm really happy about how we played in that second half," Flanagan said. "They had a lot of weapons, and they've got a lot of depth. That's a good team we just beat."
Lobos galore got in on the action, with nine players scoring at least two points.
Lindsey Arndt scored 13 points and swiped seven rebounds, while junior Abbie Letz hit two three-point shots on her way to 10 points.
UNM took down the Missouri Tigers on Friday 67-48 to make it to the championship game against the Bulldogs, who defeated Providence, 85-38.
