by Steven Fernandez
Daily Lobo
To people looking at a roster, Dionne Marsh may be the only name recognizable on the UNM women's basketball team.
Any opponents who believe she is the only threat the Lobos are sorely mistaken.
While Marsh has earned all the kudos she has been given, UNM is anything but one-dimensional.
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When the California Golden Bears came into The Pit last week, they had one goal: stop Dionne Marsh. While double-teaming her and frustrating her with a 0-for-11 shooting night, it did nothing to stop the Lobos from rolling to a victory.
With so much attention being given to Marsh, the other players stepped up and proved how capable they are. Guards Katie Montgomery and Abbie Letz took advantage of open looks and knocked down threes on their way to 11 points each to help UNM cruise to a 55-42 victory.
"That's been excellent," head coach Don Flanagan said. "Those two have been excellent leaders."
Letz and Montgomery have not been the only ones to prove their worth this season. Marsh has missed a considerable amount of minutes this season due to foul trouble, and other post players have stepped up with her on the bench. Center Jana Francis has played stellar defense and picked up scoring in the paint. Freshman Angela Hartill plays with poise and is also a key inside presence as well.
"I'm real happy with Angela," Flanagan said. "I felt like that was what I needed. To have a post player come in and establish herself. She's going to be a player that gives quality minutes."
Letz said the Lobos can score from anywhere on the court and everyone from the starters to the bench players will continue to contribute.
"We're not just a one-person team," she said. "I mean, Dionne's a great player, but we have a pretty good balance. Everyone is capable of stepping up and doing what coach asks them to do."
If Marsh and the post players can get going inside while the three-point shooters are hot, UNM's offense will be hard to defend, Letz said.
"I think we can go very far," she said. "For them to stop Dionne, it's going to take two people. They're going to leave myself, Katie, Julie and Brandi open, and all of our girls can hit the three. Jana can hit the three. If they try to play man up on us on the outside, then Jana and Angela are going to kill them in the post."
