Women's basketball: Deep bench should wear down opponents

sports@dailylobo.com
@Liam_CE

The key to the New Mexico women’s basketball season is in its bench.

Head coach Yvonne Sanchez said the two exhibition games have served the purpose of getting her team ready for the season opener. UNM begins the season Saturday against Loyola Marymount at The Pit at 3 p.m.

“I do think that we are ready now,” she said.  “In order for us to wear teams down our bench play has to be there and it has been.”

The Lobos were able to take both exhibition games at home rather easily.  UNM beat New Mexico Highlands by 33 points last Saturday and took down Western New Mexico by 38 on Tuesday night.  

UNM scored 35 of its 85 points from its bench as the Lobos were able to dominate Western New Mexico 85-47 in the final exhibition game.  Sanchez said that she was very pleased with her team’s play.

“Now I’ll watch film tonight and I will find something,” Sanchez teased. “But there’s nothing that sticks out for me that I can nitpick right now.”

UNM has a slight edge against Loyola Marymount taking five of the eight total games that the two have played.  However, the last time these two teams met in The Pit LMU was able to pull out a tight victory.

“They beat us at the buzzer the last time they came down the ramp in The Pit,” Sanchez said.  “I remember that dearly.”

Sanchez said that Loyola Marymount is a well-coached team and will be going to be ready to play.  UNM looks to provide some quality minutes from a profusion of different players.  

The Lobos were able to showcase their ability to play with a variety of personnel in their two exhibition matches.  Sanchez said that the depth of her group is going to play a key role during the season.     

“I just want to pace them, and I got a lot of people with double digit minutes,” Sanchez said.  “I really think we can wear people down that way.”