That will occur today against Stanford, picked No. 1 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. It will be the first time in UNM’s history that it will face three ranked opponents one after another in a single season.
“If you’re a competitor, you just want to win,” UNM head coach Yvonne Sanchez said. “We play to win and we prepare to win.”
Stanford was ranked the sixth-best team in the nation by the Associated Press, and that was before knocking the AP No. 1 UConn Huskies off of a 47-game winning streak. Following the 88-86 OT win, many regard Stanford as the top team in the nation. The AP Top 25 won’t be released until today.
Sanchez arranged the rigors of her schedule at the opening part of the season for the purpose of preparing the team early in the year. With plenty of basketball left in the young season, Sanchez said she wants the Lobos to have fun in these types of situations.
“I tell my kids to embrace it,” Sanchez said. “We have 26 games left and we’ve had a great schedule.”
Junior guard Bryce Owens said the immediacy of the difficult schedule will not only help the older individuals on the team improve, but will accelerate the learning of the underclassmen, especially the four freshmen.
“We can’t play scared and we can’t back down,” Owens said. “It’s just another game; it’s just another team, just like we are.”
New Mexico (0-3) has struggled in the season’s early stages. The Lobos opened the season up in Chicago with the Maggie Dixon Classic.
The team dropped all three games, but was acquainted with some serious competition. UNM dropped a 61-59 loss to UTPA (4-2) on Nov. 14, the first game of the season, and was able to walk away knowing that they are never out of a game. The squad was a possession away from victory despite trailing by as much as 18 points.
Then the Lobos took on then-No. 5 Texas A&M (4-0) and provided them with a competitive game. The Lobos only trailed by one point at halftime before the Aggies pulled away with a 66-52 victory.
Against the second ranked opponent in as many days, UNM stumbled on a 97-59 loss to then-No. 18 DePaul (4-1). The Lobos had 39 turnovers in the loss due to DePaul’s full-court press.
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“We learn from our mistakes and gain confidence,” Owens said. “As we continue to practice and we continue to communicate and build team chemistry, on and off the court, we’ll be able to figure out those wins.”
Owens said her teammates are not getting down on themselves. One of the positives, she said, is that the team is focusing on the day-to-day progress and not dwelling on what could have happened.
“We’re keeping our heads up,” Owens said. “We’re not looking at the losses and the things we did wrong too much ... We just get ready for the next day.”
The next tough test is here, and Sanchez said she is confident her team will play tough in the home opener after gaining the experience of facing two top-25 teams. She said the worry of playing arguably the best team in the nation won’t be as prominent now that the team has seen a hefty dose of competition.
“We’ve already played (Texas) A&M; we’ve already played DePaul,” Sanchez said. “It’s a fun way to open up The Pit.”
Liam Cary-Eaves is the assistant sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Liam_CE.
