Women's basketball to face NAU at Pit

Redshirt Junior Sara Halasz will play with the UNM women’s basketball team today for the first time in more than two years.
The fifth-year junior suffered a season-ending ACL tear in October 2010. After rehabilitation, Halasz re-injured the same knee in last year’s Lobo Howl scrimmage.

Halasz and the New Mexico women’s basketball squad will tip off the 2012 regular season versus Northern Arizona University at The Pit today at 7 p.m.

Halasz said her return to the court has been a long time coming.
“The emotions are just all out; it’s very exciting for me. I’m overjoyed and ready to go,” she said. “It was tough. It showed me a lot of things such as working hard, character and strength. Most importantly, it taught me not to take things for granted.”

Head coach Yvonne Sanchez said she wants the 5-foot-11-inch guard to play her part in the team’s attempt to defeat the Lumberjacks.
“Sara just needs to go out there and play,” she said. “She’s more anxious than anybody. The biggest thing is not to speed up the game too much — she has to let the play come to her. When she lets the game come to her, she’s a very good basketball player.”

The Lobos finished 11-20 last year, but fought to the Mountain West Tournament championship game against San Diego State and lost 57-43.

Sanchez said although the tournament performance helped program expectations, there are many differences between the 2011 and 2012 squads.

“You want to be careful comparing this year to last year,” she said. “But it is a big momentum swing for the expectations of this program. The expectations are winning championships. To get this program back to where it should be and needs to be is our goal.”

UNM won both exhibition games versus Northern New Mexico and Eastern New Mexico, which served to prepare the team for the regular season. But this season’s first regular-season matchup provides a different atmosphere for the team, Sanchez said.

“We have to keep the team concentrated,” she said. “They’re just ready to go out there and play. We have to keep them focused on what we want to do as a team and program.”

The freshman class is made up of five players: forward Alexa Chavez, guard Brea Mitchell, forward Jordyn Peacock, forward Khadijah Shumpert and guard Bryce Owens.

Owens has already made a mark on the offense. She started in both exhibitions, and against the Zias became the first Lobo to record 10 assists in a game since Mandi Moore in 2004.

Owens said she and the other freshmen are still finding their way and purpose on the team.

“The transition has been hard, but it’s getting better every day,” she said. “It’s something I’ll just have to keep learning and learning. We’re just trying not to get in the way of things. We want to work hard and do our part for the team.”

Women’s basketball vs. Northern Arizona
Today
7 p.m.
The Pit