Second-year apathy doesn’t exist as far as Lauren Taylor is concerned.
“Sophomore slump?” Taylor said about the jinx that often impedes second-year players’ progression. “Pssh.”
And why not? Against Loyola Marymount on Saturday, Taylor hit the 20-point plateau for the third time in the last four games, courtesy of a 20-point, four-rebound, four-assist performance at The Pit. In turn, the Lobos beat the Lions 74-55.
Let’s just say it was easy for Lobo head coach Don Flanagan to nitpick in a win.
The sound of Taylor clanging iron was less than harmonious for Flanagan. The 6-foot guard, who usually shoots a scintillating 41 percent from deep, was only 2-of-7 from 3-point land.
“If Lauren would’ve been hitting, she’d have had 30,” Flanagan said. “She usually hits those 3s, but, other than that, Lauren being in there creates a lot of opportunities for us, because she drives well; she passes well; she’s smart, and she can shoot the 3 and the pull-up.”
With point guard Amy Beggin still hobbled by a nagging ankle injury, Taylor took it upon herself to shoulder the brunt of the work.
Though she wasn’t sinking her 3-point shot, Taylor slashed through the lane, banking in a number of runners and layups of varying degrees of difficulty all while drawing fouls.
“I definitely could’ve hit a couple more 3s,” Taylor said. “(Flanagan) was a little upset with me. You work toward that. You don’t necessarily go for a 30-point game, but you go for hitting your shot.”
Not surprisingly, however, Taylor deflected any praise, pointing to the fact that it was a collective effort that set her up for individual success.
“We’re just playing well as a team, honestly,” she said. “We’re using screens better. We’re setting screens for each other. I didn’t get many of those shots on my own. I was getting screens from teammates. I was getting great passes from teammates. We’re working well together. That’s it.”
The Lions never really threatened, pulling to within 10 after being down as much as 21 in the first half. Marymount’s workhorse, Renahy Young, who scored 14 points in the first half off an eclectic mix of nifty drives to the basket, was straitjacketed in the second half. The Lobos limited her to three points, her first one coming off a free throw almost 12 minutes into the half.
Flanagan said Young preyed on UNM’s lethargic man-switch defense in the first half.
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“We’re switching on players, and one of the things that happens when you start switching is you might have a pretty good defender on her, and then you switch out and the other defender might not be quite as good or know as much about her,” he said, “I didn’t think we were aggressive enough on our switch. I told
everybody who had what points at halftime. I told them that No. 10 is the one that you have to make sure you can’t give her an easy opportunity.”
Beggin had 13 points — 10 of those coming in the second half — and gingerly ambled around with a noticeable limp.
But the platoon reserves filled in. Four Lobos hit double figures, including Beggin. Jessica Kielpinski graced the Lobos with a post presence, securing six rebounds in addition to her 10 points.
Sara Halasz, also a sophomore, had 13 points but lagged a bit defensively, Flanagan said.
Twice, after failing to close out on Loyola Marymount’s shooters, Halasz allowed the Lions to drain freebie 3s, prompting Flanagan to seat her on the bench.
Flanagan playfully jabbed at Halasz in his postgame remarks.
“She didn’t learn it after I told her what to do,” Flanagan said. “I told her, ‘Look, the most important thing is if we make a mistake we live with it … but don’t do it again in the same game. Wait a week or two before doing it. I can’t believe that she did it — it wasn’t even five minutes later.”
