LAS VEGAS — Luck be the UNM women’s basketball team tonight.
Already boasting two wins, the Lobos look to extend their unlikely Mountain West Conference tournament run in today’s semifinals where they’ll face second-seeded TCU at the Thomas & Mack Center. The top two seeds get byes to the semifinals, so this is the Horned Frogs’ first tournament game.
True or not, head coach Don Flanagan said his team has the advantage, even though it has played two games, and fatigue could be a factor.
“I’m telling our team that opponents are at a disadvantage,” he said. “We’re going to play that card. This is Vegas. We’re playing that card as long as we can play that card.”
TCU has won three straight, a streak that started with a 71-60 win over New Mexico at the Pit on Feb. 26. TCU senior Emily Carter averages 18.3 points a game and is in the top 50 nationally in scoring.
The Horned Frogs also have tournament experience on their side. Seven players have played in the MWC conference championship game. But UNM beat the Horned Frogs this season.
And the way Carter plays will likely determine the outcome. When TCU lost to UNM, Carter scored just nine points compared to 22 points in their win.
Flanagan said the Lobos will need to navigate through screens to stop the Horned Frogs from exploiting the Lobos’ defense.
“We have a young team,” Flanagan said. “They didn’t really understand all the screening that takes place in the Mountain West. So we’ve adapted quite well over the season. But it’s taken us a while to really get pretty good at this.”
Guard Jasmine Patterson has also gotten pretty good. She stepped up and has played like a seasoned veteran, leading all scorers with 21 points during the Lobos’ 65-57 first-round win against San Diego State.
In UNM’s latest win, Patterson chipped in 14 points in 30 minutes and grabbed five rebounds.
“She’s very relaxed. She’ll make a big play,” Flanagan said. “She doesn’t miss situations were you’d think that a freshman would be nervous.”
Guard Amanda Best has also made a late-season push. She dropped 15 points against Wyoming and grabbed eight rebounds. Her ball handling helped set the tempo in UNM’s tournament wins.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
“We’re playing together, talking on defense, all staying really positive with each other,” Best said. “And we all believe.”
Belief has led to a successful reality, albeit with a sprinkle of luck.
