UNM WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Lobos look to rebound against last-place Spartans
UNM is coming off its worst offensive game of the season, a 63-35 loss at Boise State
Anyone for a throwback game?
No, the UNM women's basketball team won't be sporting special uniforms or raising a 1970s-era disco ball for Wednesday night's matchup against San Jose State at the Pit. Much more recent history will suffice.
Coach Mike Bradbury and the Lobos would be happy to flash back to Jan. 3, when UNM rolled to an 89-51 win over the Spartans in Northern California. A repeat performance Wednesday would suit the home team just fine.
New Mexico (16-8, 8-5 Mountain West) could certainly use an offensive breakout game to wash away the foul taste of Saturday's 63-35 loss at Boise State — by far the Lobos' worst offensive showing of the season and one of their worst shooting performances in recent years.
Further review of Saturday's game video did nothing to improve the Lobos' spirits, nor did it reveal a specific reason for UNM's offensive woes.
"No, we just couldn't make a shot," Bradbury said Tuesday. "I couldn't really tell you why. Our execution was decent and for the most part we got good shots. We just couldn't make anything. Sometimes missing shots gets contagious — the same way hot shooting does sometimes. We got the full brunt of that Saturday."
The Lobos will look to revive their offense in what could be a well-timed game. Struggling San Jose State (3-21, 1-12) brings many of the Mountain West's worst defensive numbers to Albuquerque and is allowing 79.1 points per game in conference play.
Asked how his team plans to attack San Jose State, Bradbury favored a throwback strategy.
"Similar to what we did last time," he said. "We'll attack in transition as much as we can. If it's not there, we'll reverse the ball and try to be aggressive against whatever defense they're in."
UNM did not shoot particularly well (40%) in round one against San Jose State, but dominated the boards (58-32) and racked up 25 second-chance points on its way to a comfortable win. Five Lobos scored in double figures, led by Cacia Antonio and Kaia Foster with 15 points apiece.
Bradbury would leave to see an equally balanced scoring effort Wednesday — particularly with critical games against Mountain West contenders Colorado State and Grand Canyon on the near horizon.
"We just need to play with the right energy, effort and discipline," Bradbury said. "We can't let one tough game turn into two or three."
That focus needs to extend to defense, Bradbury added, which has been the Lobos' strength in recent weeks. While San Jose State has struggled mightily on the defensive end, the Spartans have their share of weapons on offense. Versatile guard/forwards Maya Anderson and Amira Brown, who combined for 27 points against UNM on Jan. 3, are SJSU's most potent scorers.
Fans can expect to see plenty of 3-point shots Wednesday as the Spartans and Lobos rank first and second, respectively, in the Mountain West in 3-point shots attempted this season. The two teams have hoisted 1,246 3-point shots between them.
"San Jose State shoots a ton of 3's and they can put the ball on the floor," Bradbury said. "I thought we did a solid job defending them the first time (SJSU shot 29.8%), but they can be dangerous. We need to be focused defensively and, hopefully, get a few shots to fall."
