The annual Lobo Howl marked the unofficial start of New Mexico basketball Friday night — the women’s team hit the floor first, showing off the group’s talent and its fun side as well.
The lights dimmed as each player charged onto the court after being introduced to the Lobo faithful. They ran drills, interacted with fans and even put on a choreographed dance routine. Energy was high and the experience was new for several of the members on the team.
First-year head coach Mike Bradbury said the team had a lot of fun Friday and enjoyed being in front of the Lobo fanbase. He said that the energetic environment is one of the things that brought him to Albuquerque.
“It was amazing, you know, I thought it was great,” he said. “For women’s basketball to get that kind of support...that doesn’t happen very many places.”
Freshman guard Mykiel Burleson is another newcomer to the team. She said she knew the Howl was something New Mexico was known for, and had been looking forward to Friday night for a long time.
“It was just a great experience to be a part of it, especially for the first time,” she said.
Burleson, a Texas native, joined the Lobos after she ended her high school career playing in the Nike Championships. She said the teams were so tough on that stage, but she enjoyed the high level of competition and the experience.
The guard said her favorite part of the night was the dancing, as the team was able to show a different side of the team to fans that they might not otherwise see, especially if they’re not students anymore. Burleson said fellow guard Cherise Beynon was the one who grabbed the reins for that portion of the event.
Beynon, a junior, has emerged as a leader on the team. She led the team in several categories last season, including assists, steals and three-pointers.
The junior guard said there has been a little bit more pressure that has come with being one of the main leaders as the team tries to fit all of the pieces together in preparation for the upcoming season.
“I just have to be more vocal with my teammates, have a strong work ethic and encourage them,” she said. “As a team, we need to work together to win the game.”
Bradbury inherited only one senior — forward Kianna Keller— from last season’s roster.
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But he said Keller is a hard worker, and senior transfer Richelle van der Keijl knows the system. Bradbury said that, along with the leadership of Beynon and Laneah Bryan, has helped with the transition.
Beynon said one of the keys to success will be to avoid scoring droughts, as the team was prone to do last season. She said the team will also need to play smart on offense and limit turnovers.
Bradbury’s offensive system might be a remedy for both. It seems to be predicated on pace, creating and taking open shots early.
“Everything we do is fast and it involves a lot of rhythm,” he said. “The intensity is really high.”
The new head coach said the team will try to simulate a real game day environment as much as possible, saying there’s a good chance there will be a freshman in the starting lineup.
New Mexico’s first exhibition game will take place Nov. 1 against Fort Lewis at WisePies Arena aka the Pit at 7:00 p.m.
Robert Maler is the sports editor at the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers cross country, football, tennis and track and field. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @robert_maler.
