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Winter break is usually the time when students trek back home for the holidays.
But in lieu of going home this break, the women’s basketball team took a monthlong road trip, which kicked off at the Pan American Center against in-state rival New Mexico State on Dec. 18.
The Lobos made the best out of a 39-22 first-half lead and cruised to a 68-44 victory.
Senior guard Caroline Durbin led the Lobos with 18 points, while junior guard Sara Halasz chipped in nine points, and 11 of the 14 Lobos who saw action scored.
The Aggies were paced by freshman guard Sasha Weber who scored 10 points, followed by sophomore guard Danesia Williamson with nine.
The Lobos didn’t handle the ball particularly well; with 19 turnovers they had just one more than the Aggies.
UNM quickly packed its bags and went down I-45 to battle UTEP at the Don Haskins Center on Dec. 20.
The big discrepancy with the Miners was at the charity stripe. UTEP attempted 29 free throws and made 20, compared to UNM’s three attempts and one conversion. The end result was a 60-45 loss for the Lobos.
UNM head coach Yvonne Sanchez said the officiating was one-sided.
“There isn’t much more to say without getting in trouble,” Sanchez said on her postgame radio show. “You’re going to get some of that when you go on the road. That’s going to happen.”
Durbin was the only Lobo in double figures with 16 points, and junior forward Deeva Vaughn aided with nine points.
The Miners tallied three players with double figures, led by junior forward Kayla Thornton’s game-high 22.
The Lobos’ next game wouldn’t come until Dec. 29 versus then No. 23 Colorado.
Whether the layoff was to blame or not, UNM simply did not show up to play at the Coors Events Center, figuratively speaking.
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The Buffaloes stampeded over the Lobos 84-39 in the final game of the 2012 calendar year for both teams.
Sanchez said she blames herself for the team’s weak performance.
“We haven’t gotten over the hump and that’s my job. I take it personal,” Sanchez said. “We are going to change some lineups and change some rotations and get some people with energy out there.”
Sophomore guard Antiesha Brown was the only Lobo in double digits with 10 points. Senior Jourdan Erskine grabbed seven boards to pace UNM in rebounding.
“(Brown) doesn’t back away from anybody,” Sanchez said. “I thought Jourdan Erskine gave us a lot of energy. She’s a gutsy player. Those two had a lot of energy out there and played well.”
Colorado had four players in double-digit scoring, led by guard Lexy Kresl with 20 points. All but one Buffalo who touched the court found the bottom of the net.
UNM now stands at 8-5 to start 2013 and face Mountain West Conference foe UNLV on Wednesday.
