The Lobos cut through an emotional post-game celebration with a stern warning.

"We can't let up or lose our focus now," senior guard Julie Briody said. "We still have more work to do."

The University of New Mexico women's basketball team already has done remarkable work.

The Lobos rattled off eight consecutive wins, including a 75-54 thrashing of TCU on Sunday afternoon in The Pit, to move into a tie for second place in the Mountain West Conference standings. BYU is one game ahead of the Lobos and Utes with an 11-3 record.

The victory over TCU served as an enjoyable farewell for UNM's three seniors, Briody, Timi E-Nunu and Katie Montgomery, who were playing their final regular season game in The Pit.

The win gave the Lobos' push for an NCAA Tournament at-large booth a big boost.

Jerry Palm, who operates Collegerpi.com, told The Tribune last week the TCU game was a must-win for both teams seeking to improve their tournament stock.

The Lobos picked up both the emphatic win over the Frogs on CSTV and clinched their seventh straight 20-win season, another factor that could sway selection committee members.

It's all a huge leap forward from the Lobos' 0-3 start in conference play, when UNM was desperate to simply win a game.

"Man, it really is a far cry from where we started," Briody said. "It's amazing to see that we still have a chance at a conference championship after all we've overcome."

UNM enters the final week of the regular season with the easiest schedule of the conference leaders, with games at UNLV (12-14, 6-8) on Thursday and at San Diego State (12-13, 5-9) on Saturday.

Utah (17-10, 10-4) plays at BYU (20-7, 11-3) on Thursday and hosts Wyoming (18-8, 9-5) on Saturday.

The Cougars follow their rivalry game against the Utes with a regular season finale at TCU (19-9, 9-5) on Saturday.

UNM coach Don Flanagan says the team's final two games on the road won't be easy, citing UNLV's and San Diego State's athleticism throughout their lineups and their recent play. UNLV knocked off TCU last week and SDSU holds a win over Utah.

"There's no easy games out there," Flanagan said.

While the Lobos held a double-digit lead over TCU much of the game and notched a 21-point victory, the Frogs did expose a few of UNM's flaws.

When TCU switched to a zone defense, the Lobos' offense went from a high-energy attack to pure molasses.

"I just have to get them to move more," Flanagan said. "The key to beating that kind of defense is to pass the ball quickly and keep moving, but we still have these moments where we just stop. We stand still and don't attack."

The Lobos picked up two shot-clock violations when the Frogs deployed a full-court press and zone defense combination.

The defensive tactics also helped generate 25 UNM turnovers, the second highest this season by the Lobos behind the 26 they gave up in a 67-49 loss at Arizona State No. 12.

"We need to take better care of the ball," said junior guard Brandi Kimble, who had seven turnovers.

Flanagan said the turnovers are troubling because they usually generate huge points for fast-breaking teams like TCU, UNLV and San Diego State.

"When you give up that many turnovers, it can decide the game and cost you a win," he said.

The coach also will be asking his players to display more of the aggressiveness and energy the Lobos unleashed on TCU.

Briody led the Lobos with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Kimble also notched a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Junior guard Dionne Marsh added 15 points and senior guard Katie Montgomery chipped in 12 points to give UNM four players in double-digit points.

Hobbs High standout Adrianne Ross led TCU with 24 points, but no other Frog scored in double figures.

"We need another terrific effort like this against UNLV and San Diego State," Flanagan said. "You have to match their intensity. You can't rest or let up against them."