The quality of UNM’s post play is the least of the team’s worries. After New Mexico’s 78-41 rout over Western New Mexico on Wednesday night, the Lobos biggest question mark is who head coach Yvonne Sanchez will appoint as the starter down low.
Two of last season’s starters watched the game from the bench. Seniors Khadijah Shumpert and Alexa Chavez were both wearing jeans at the end of the bench, Shumpert with an illness and Chavez rehabbing a foot injury.
That did not affect UNM’s ability to dominate the paint without two of the team’s best forwards. UNM scored 56 of their 78 point inside, compared to WNMU’s 12.
“Our post play is really good and we have a lot and we’re pretty deep. And that was without two of our best players,” Sanchez said. “So it’s going to be a problem for me figuring out who to play and when. I don’t mind that problem.”
Junior Kianna Keller and redshirt junior Whitney Johnson both received the starting nods for UNM and played well in UNM’s first look at outside competition, but it was freshman Jaisa Nunn who stole the show.
Nunn was 9-13 from the field, good for 18 points, and seven boards (six offensive), in her 23 minutes of play on the night. The freshman not only scored the game high, but she also took the most shots.
“Jaisa has really done well,” Sanchez said. “… She just mixes it up in there. She had 18. She’s pretty good, she’s pretty good.”
The true freshman center said she came down the ramp with some anxiety, but said once the game got going, her nerves settled.
Although the starting spot beside Shumpert is up for grabs, Nunn is not thinking about how to get more playing time. She said she just wants to help the team.
“I’m not trying to be just by myself, just for that starting spot,” Nunn said. “It’s more of if I get in, I’ll work my hardest and if I’m not, I’ll work on my game.”
After being called over to the bench late in the fourth quarter, Nunn received an applause of admiration as she trotted to the bench after fans got their first look at what the freshman can do.
While Nunn may have gotten the majority of the attention, Kianna Keller certainly made her case for an extended amount of playing time. The 6-foot-4-inch forward swatted five balls, collected six points, and snagged 10 boards.
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“She’s coming into her own. She’s always been a good help defender,” Sanchez said. “But I liked the fact that she looked to score.”
Sanchez said in previous years, she has seen timid behavior from the tallest person on the squad, but the head coach said she has bared witness to the growth in confidence from her junior forward.
Lobos support APD
The New Mexico basketball team came down the ramp in warm-ups honoring the deaths of Albuquerque Police Department Officers Gregg Benner and Daniel Webster. The black warm-ups read: “Never Forget” over the right pocket and the hash tag “#weareabq” underneath.
“It was a good opportunity for us to honor not only Officer Webster, but Officer Benner and everybody else,” Sanchez said. “I didn’t know either of them, but I’m sure they’re up there kind of going look at what we’ve done. We’ve united a community together, and I think that’s pretty cool.”
Instead of Sanchez’s normal game attire, the head coach never changed out of the t-shirt honoring the Albuquerque Police Department.
“The response from the community has been great, and the police and law enforcement need to know we support them,” Sanchez said. “They come to our games, they’re out in the rain shuffling traffic, and it was a good way for us to honor them.”
Liam Cary-Eaves is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo he can be reached at assistantsports@dailylobo.com or on twitter @Liam_CE.
