They cry after losses, cheer when they win and play with passion second to none.
They are the UNM women's basketball players - the other Lobo hoops team in town and the only one worth cheering for this season.
The Lobos secured a three-point halftime lead against the University of Notre Dame Saturday before a 12-minute drought effectively handed them a 58-44 loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
But win or lose, the UNM women's performance this season that earned them their first at-large bid in school history proved that this group has arrived on the national scene. More important, the Lobo women did so with class, hard work and dedication. Those traits were once a sports clichÇ but have become hard to find in an era saturated with overrated prima donnas. If anything, the Lobo women lack the confidence needed to push them over the top.
March madness has ushered in a busy basketball weekend, but many of the city's sports talk show callers are still focused on the UNM men's basketball program despite the women's strong performance. While it is easier to bash rather than praise, the women still deserve their fair share of attention.
The Lobo women averaged the fifth-largest crowds in the nation this year, and it is clear why fans flocked to a group that deserves support.
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The men's basketball team finished with a 16-14 record, 2.17 overall grade point average and was rocked by controversy. The women finished 22-9, posted a second place finish in the Mountain West Conference after being picked to finish fifth and earned a 3.19 grade point average.
So I offer my heartfelt congratulations to the UNM women's basketball team for surging to national prominence without losing its integrity along the way.
Iliana Lim¢n
Editor in chief
