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Women's NCAA Tournament: Will to win
With the Mountain West title behind them, the Lobos are hungry for their NCAA seeding, and a national championship
The Lobos earned an automatic bid to the Women's NCAA Tournament by winning the MWC tournament. They learn their seeding, who they will face and where they will play during the women's selection show at 6 tonight on ESPN. Visit lobozone.com after the selection show for the Lobos' reaction to their spot in the NCAA bracket.
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Yr. Site Opp. Score
1998 Norfolk, Va. Nebraska L, 76-59
2002 Knoxville, Tenn. Notre Dame L, 58-44
2003 Albuquerque Miami W, 91-85 (OT)
2003 Albuquerque Miss. State W, 73-61
2003 Albuquerque Texas Tech L, 71-48
2004 Albuquerque Florida L, 68-56
2005 Knoxville, Tenn. Purdue L, 68-56
2006 Tucson Florida W, 83-59
2006 Tucson Baylor L, 87-67
Record: 3-6
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The Lobos aren't ordering their championship rings yet.
Why wait?
The University of New Mexico women's basketball team plans to engrave more than a Mountain West Conference Tournament title on their jewelry.
"We're not done winning yet," senior forward Timi E-Nunu said. "We get to put NCAA Tournament wins on those rings, and we definitely want to add those this year."
The Lobos are oozing optimism after completing a dramatic and remarkable turnaround this season.
UNM was on a four-game losing streak early in January, a time when Lobos coach Don Flanagan admits he wasn't sure the team was good enough to make the National Invitational Tournament.
Then the Lobos learned to emphasize their strengths and managed to win 13 of their final 15 games, including a sweep of three games in the conference tournament culminated by Saturday's 63-49 victory over Brigham Young in the championship.
"I'm impressed and really proud of this team," Flanagan said. "I always said they were very hard workers. They practiced hard even when we were losing, but they made the decision they were going to win games. They had the will to win and that helped them overcome some of their weaknesses."
The Lobos looked anything but weak, plowing through UNLV, Wyoming and BYU en route to the tournament title.
With the championship, UNM earned the Mountain West's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
"I think we are playing our best basketball of the year and playing so well as a team," senior guard Katie Montgomery said. "It's like something just clicked. We're real hungry and determined when we step on the floor. I'm not sure we've ever been playing this well heading into the NCAA Tournament, so it's really exciting."
The Lobos will learn their spot in the NCAA Tournament bracket and first-round matchup during the women's selection show broadcast live at 6 p.m. tonight on ESPN.
"It's so much nicer this year knowing we're already in the tournament," senior guard Julie Briody said. "I don't care who we play or where we play. I'm just happy we're in."
Junior forward Dionne Marsh said she would prefer to land in Texas near her relatives, but freshman guard Amy Beggin would love to play in her home state of Minnesota.
"It's a dream come true to play in the NCAA Tournament, so I can't complain no matter where we go," Beggin said.
Of course, the Lobos would prefer a favorable seeding.
They are especially eager to dodge the latest predictions on ESPN.com, which list the Lobos as a No. 9 seed playing No. 8 seed Temple in Pittsburgh on Sunday. If they won, UNM would advance to face No. 1 seed Tennessee.
"I don't know where we'll end up, but we definitely want to avoid the eight and nine seeds," Briody said. "We know we can compete against anyone, but it would be tough hitting a No. 1 seed so quickly."
Flanagan wouldn't speculate about potential matchups.
Instead, he is focused on making sure the Lobos are ready for whatever the NCAA selection committee throws their way.
"The first thing we're going to do is rest," Flanagan said. "We've taken Sunday and today off because they're really banged up right now. They took a beating playing three really physical games in four days."
Flanagan said the next task will be highlighting what the Lobos did right in the Las Vegas and the flaws that need to be corrected.
UNM ran its offense efficiently, moving without the ball and setting solid screens Flanagan had been hoping for all year.
The Lobos played typical smothering defense and handled both brawny half-court attacks and run-and-gun offenses with ease.
"They finally did some things I had been watching in practice all year but had never seen in games," Flanagan said.
The coach also would like to address a few problems.
UNM failed to attack the basket on offense, allowing BYU to mount a second-half comeback in the championship game.
The Lobos also shot poorly from 3-point range throughout the tournament, a performance that has to improve against tougher NCAA competition.
"This was a terrific tournament for us, but we have to step up our play in the NCAA Tournament," Flanagan said. "It's another level of competition. But I like the way we've been rising to challenges this year. I like our chances."
