by Steven Fernandez
Daily Lobo
If the No. 23 UNM women's basketball team is going to snap a two-game losing streak when Texas comes to town, the Lobos are going to have to slow down Tiffany Jackson.
Jackson, the focal point of the No. 25 Longhorns, is off to a fast start this season, averaging 23.3 points per game.
UNM head coach Don Flanagan said his team might need some luck against the talented Jackson.
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"I'm hoping she doesn't hit her shots," he said. "She's a very fine athlete and tough to defend."
UNM guard Julie Briody is leading the Lobos in scoring at 13.3 points per game.
Briody said Jackson is going to be a challenge, because she is a good all-around player.
"She's real athletic," Briody said. "She can shoot. She rebounds. She pretty much does everything for that team. We just got to limit her at the beginning of the game. We can't let her go off."
While the Lobos are trying to rebound from losses against No. 12 Arizona State and Nebraska, the Longhorns are a perfect 3-0 on the season.
Flanagan said a win against Texas would go a long way for the Lobos' confidence.
"It's a game that we look forward to, because they've won national championships," he said. "It's exciting to play a program like that. For us, it's a measuring stick of how we're doing to play a great team like that."
Senior guard Katie Montgomery said the Lobos are looking forward to playing the Longhorns in The Pit.
"It'll be a fun game," she said. "There should be a lot of people there, so that'll make it more exciting. It's a big game for us, obviously, since we lost the last two."
Flanagan said the Longhorns are an athletic team and like to play a fast-paced game.
To give the Lobos a better chance to win, they might need to slow down the tempo of the game, Flanagan said.
"They have some of the best athletes of any program in America," he said. "I'm afraid of their speed. If it's low scoring, it's probably close. We probably want to keep it lower."
Briody said the Lobos are going to try to slow the pace of the game.
"I don't think we should really run with them," she said. "I think we need to stick to our offense. We really need to stick to a half-court set and make them play defense. That's going to be a key for us."
UNM forward Dionne Marsh, who graduated from Flower Mound High School in Texas,
was not recruited by the Longhorns in high school.
Marsh said she is looking forward to playing the Longhorns.
"You grew up in Texas, a lot of people have the feeling of wanting to stay in Texas, so it hurt a little," she said. "But, I'm right where I'm supposed to be."
Flanagan said Marsh could have a breakout game Friday.
"I think she'll be ready for Texas," he said. "Texas didn't recruit her, so that's probably something she remembers."
Flanagan said playing at The Pit could give the Lobos a much-needed boost.
"I'm hoping that we play harder because of the crowd," he said. "We're at home now, and we can be more aggressive than on
the road."
