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Dionne Marsh (from left), Brandi Kimble and Timi E-Nunu watch the NCAA selection show at coach Don Flanagan's house. The women Lobos learned Monday that their first-round foe will be Wisconsin-Green Bay, a team that has won 25 consecutive games. The Phoenix also recruited two current Lobos out of high school - Amy Beggin and Eileen Weissmann.

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Catch the net cutting, trophy collection and an interview with Coach Don Flanagan about the Lobos' victory over BYU to win the MWC tourney. Watch »

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Lobos Amy Beggin and Eileen Weissmann grinned when Wisconsin-Green Bay flashed on the television screen.

The University of New Mexico freshmen would especially love to notch a win over the Phoenix during the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Both players were recruited by Wisconsin-Green Bay but chose to attend UNM.

Beggin, who hails from the Minneapolis area, and Weissmann, who is from Chicago, have a natural rivalry with all things from the neighboring state of Wisconsin.

"We just can't lose to them," Beggin said. "There's no way that can happen. It's bragging rights and pride for us."

The freshmen had the most emotional response to UNM's seeding in the tournament. The Lobos watched the selection show Monday at UNM coach Don Flanagan's house in the Northeast Heights.

The Lobos (24-8) were awarded a No. 8 seed and will face No. 9-seed Wisconsin-Green Bay (28-3) at 5 p.m. Sunday in Hartford, Conn.

If UNM advances, it will likely face No. 1 seed Connecticut (29-3) on the Huskies' home court.

"Once you get into the tournament, every game is tough," senior guard Katie Montgomery said. "I think if we keep working hard and play with same fire we have been lately, we'll be fine."

Flanagan was hoping to avoid a quick collision with a No. 1 seed and play in a warm climate.

He was shut out on both fronts.

Before even considering UConn, Flanagan said he wasn't thrilled by the prospect of taking on Wisconsin-Green Bay.

The Phoenix are ranked No. 21 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll and have won 25 consecutive games, the second longest-winning streak in the nation.

They went 16-0 in the Horizon League and won the conference tournament.

"Wisconsin-Green Bay is a really tough first-round matchup for us," Flanagan said. "They're a very blue-collar team. They work very hard, and I've seen them upset a lot of Pac-10 schools on the road. This was not a very easy draw for us.

"And if we do advance, then we play UConn. That obviously would be another tough game, but it's also a chance to play in the national spotlight and would be a great opportunity for our team."

Wisconsin-Green Bay is led by 6-foot-2 senior forward Nicole Soulis, who averages 16.8 points per game and is the Horizon League's player of the year.

"I know they've had a lot of success, and they're a good team," Weissmann said. "They emphasized all of their conference championships when they were recruiting me, but I was pretty set on getting out of the area and I loved New Mexico."

Beggin said the Phoenix are comparable to Wyoming and BYU, two teams the Lobos just beat in the Mountain West Conference tournament.

The biggest difference may be the numbers Wisconsin-Green Bay puts up on offense. The team averages 76.8 points per game and fires 48.2 percent from the field.

"I know they're a pretty physical team," Beggin said. "But we've been playing so well lately. I think we're ready for them."

The upside of heading cross country to Connecticut is that it will be a homecoming for Flanagan, who grew up in East Hartford.

"I have a lot of family members who just made the trip to Las Vegas and will be very happy to get to watch us play again," Flanagan said. "We'll definitely need them in our corner."

Montgomery's older brother, Bob, also lives near Hartford and will bring another contingent of Lobos fans.

"I know my brother will be pretty excited," Montgomery said. "And I'm pretty sure we'll have some other fans there. We always seem to have fans around, no matter where we go."

Wisconsin-Green Bay players told reporters they knew little about the Lobos but are eager to improve their postseason record.

The Phoenix are 1-9 overall in NCAA Tournament games. UNM is 3-6 in the NCAAs, with two of those victories coming in The Pit.

"It's nice to be in, but we didn't work hard just to get here," Soulis told the Associated Press. "I think we'll make some noise. Hopefully, we'll turn some heads."