by Steven Fernandez
Daily Lobo
It wasn't the prettiest offensive performance of the season, but the Lobos knocked off the hottest team in the Mountain West Conference.
The UNM women's basketball team rode its defense in the second half en route to a 50-43 victory over Wyoming on Sunday at The Pit.
After starting 0-3 in the conference, the Lobos improved to 15-7 overall, 5-4 in the MWC, and stopped a five-game winning streak by the Cowgirls.
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UNM head coach Don Flanagan said the Lobos are starting to show that they can hang with anyone in the conference.
"This team is too good to be in the bottom half of the conference," he said. "We're too talented. We have too many good players."
The one area that the Lobos have been consistent in all season is defense. UNM held Wyoming to 34 percent shooting in the game - 22 percent in the second half.
It was that effort that kept the Lobos in the game and allowed them to pull away in the final minutes. UNM was just as sloppy as Wyoming in the second half, as it shot just 24 percent after halftime.
However, the Lobos grabbed nine offensive rebounds in the second half after only getting one in the first half. The second-chance opportunities combined with solid defense allowed UNM to take the lead in the
second half.
Dionne Marsh led the Lobos with 16 points and seven rebounds. Julie Briody scored 12 points, grabbed five boards and was 6-of-6 from the free-throw line down the stretch.
Timi E-Nunu had the task of guarding Wyoming's leading scorer, Justyna Podziemska, who entered Sunday's game averaging 14.3 points per game. Podziemska, a forward, scored 11 points, but her only three field goals came from beyond the 3-point line.
E-Nunu fouled out late in the game but frustrated Podziemska for much of the contest.
Flanagan said E-Nunu did a good job of disrupting Podziemska in the post.
"Timi's play on Justyna was crucial," he said. "She got out and picked her up. She's hard to guard, because you never know what she's going to do."
The teams went back-and-forth for most of the game, with Wyoming holding a 26-24 lead at halftime. The Lobos came out of the gate slow in the second half, and the Cowgirls built a 26-32 lead.
UNM went over five minutes without a field goal, but Katie Montgomery knocked down a shot with 8:53 remaining to give the Lobos a 36-35 lead. UNM would lead the rest of the game.
The Lobos have now won three in a row and five of their last six.
The win against Wyoming was a big boost, Marsh said.
"It's really good for our team, especially confidence wise," she said. "Hopefully, we'll continue to carry that over."
Women's basketball at Utah
Thursday, 7 p.m.
Salt Lake City
