Mountain West seeding scenarios and more: Lobo women begin final stretch at Wyoming

The regular season will be over in a week, but it’s not winding down for the New Mexico women’s basketball team.

Not by a long shot. Not yet.

The Lobos open a critical stretch of three games in seven days Wednesday night, taking on Wyoming in Laramie’s Arena Auditorium — also known as “the Dome of Doom.”

It’s a key matchup for both teams as they try to secure favorable seeding positions for the upcoming Mountain West tournament. Wyoming (17-10, 11-4) is tied with Colorado State for second place with three games remaining but faces a brutal finishing schedule. The Cowgirls’ final three foes are fourth-place New Mexico, CSU and conference-leading UNLV.

UNM (16-12, 9-6) comes into Wednesday’s game on a three-game winning streak and is looking to secure a first-round tournament bye. The Lobos are one game ahead of fifth-place San Diego State in the loss column and two games up on Fresno State. UNM travels to Fresno, California to face the Bulldogs on Saturday and finishes at home Tuesday against Air Force.

Numerous scenarios are in play for the Lobos, but those are not topics of locker room conversations, UNM coach Mike Bradbury said Tuesday.

“We have not talked about it at all,” he said. “We need to focus on ourselves, try to win our next game on the schedule and hopefully keep building momentum. That’s enough for us to think about right now.”

Despite their recent winning streak, Bradbury does not believe the Lobos are at the top of their game. Last-place Utah State took a lead into the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game in the Pit before UNM rallied for a 73-65 win.

“We were pretty awful,” Bradbury said, “slightly better in the fourth quarter, but it was not a good performance. We need to be a lot better to give ourselves a chance against Wyoming.”

UNM has been able to raise its level of play in recent matchups with the Cowgirls, having won four straight in the series including a 73-67 victory in the Pit on Jan. 8. But Wyoming’s roster and playing style create matchup problems for opponents, and the Cowgirls are particularly tough at home, where they are 9-2 this season.

“It’s always about discipline and execution against them,” Bradbury said. “They make you play defense for 30 seconds at a time, even longer if you don’t keep them off the boards, and if you miss an assignment they score.”

Wyoming’s offense revolves around MWC Player of the Year candidate Allyson Fertig, who handles the ball on most possessions. The 6-foot-3 senior post leads the league in scoring, rebounding and blocks and can make opponents pay for double teams with her adept passing.

“She can score, she can pass, everything goes through her,” Bradbury said, “but I think Wyoming’s guards are as good as I’ve seen them, too. They’re a tough team to defend.”

UNM fared well against Wyoming in the Pit by attacking the basket with Destinee Hooks and Viané Cumber, who combined for 36 points. The Lobos have been unfazed by playing in Laramie in recent years, as well, winning four of their last five games in the “Dome of Doom.”

“We know each other so well and most of our games against (the Cowgirls) come down to the last few possessions,” Bradbury said. “We’ve just made a few more plays in the last couple years. Hopefully, we can put ourselves in that possession again.”

SEEDING POSSIBILITIES: UNM could move up to a No. 2 or No. 3 seed for the MWC tournament with a 3-0 finish, but only if Wyoming and/or Colorado State falter in the final week. The Cowgirls visit the Rams on Saturday. CSU’s other remaining games are at Nevada and at San Jose State.

The Lobos can secure a top-five finish by winning two of their last three. Fresno State finishes at San Diego State, ensuring that one of UNM’s two closest pursuers will take at least one additional loss.

New Mexico could still finish among the top five with a 1-2 finish, depending on other outcomes. The Lobos will almost certainly be seeded No. 6 or lower if they lose their final three games.