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This was a season of glory the Wyoming Cowgirls long ago carved out in their minds and in their future.

It was a season in which they would be loaded, experienced and talented while teams like New Mexico, Utah and Brigham Young would be in minor reloading modes.

In some ways, the Cowgirls have nothing to complain about.

They are 18-3 and ranked No. 22 in the Associated Press poll.

They are in decent shape to convince an NCAA Selection Committee they deserve an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. And don't count them out of the Mountain West Conference tournament. They are good enough to win it.

But then came two nasty, back-to-back hiccups: a home loss to Utah, a pounding at Brigham Young.

Hey, this shouldn't have happened to a Wyoming team with five senior starters and one of the best all-around players in the MWC in 6-foot Hanna Zavecz.

The Cowgirls have to be angry. And here comes one of their top MWC rivals - New Mexico - into Arena Auditorium Sunday giving the Cowgirls a great opportunity to redeem and convince in front of a national TV audience.

"They'll get after us. It will be a challenge," said Lobos senior Dionne Marsh. "We're going to have to play as well as we did in our last two games."

The Lobos are coming off romps over UNLV and Colorado State, two of the MWC whipping posts this season.

It won't be that easy in Laramie, especially since Wyoming is having a pack-the-gym promotion to show off for CSTV.

"I kind of like the opportunity to play in front of somebody else's fans," said Lobos coach Don Flanagan. "I think it would be a good experience for our players and I think we'll be motivated to play."

The game offers a lot to both Wyoming and UNM.

The Cowgirls need to reprove to people that they are a special team, a MWC power this year. If they lose to the Lobos, Wyoming's confidence will have taken three shots in a row to the chin.

The Lobos turned the MWC corner at 4-4 and lost three games in The Pit. They did not beat a team ahead of them in the MWC standings.

It would be nice for UNM's confidence if they could beat either Wyoming, Utah, BYU or TCU before the MWC tournament.

"The first time we played (Wyoming), we weren't playing particularly well at that time of the year and they were playing at their best," said Flanagan. "We're playing better now and we're shooting better now."

Said UNM's Angela Hartill: "It would be nice to beat them at their house. We have to go in there and be aggressive. I think every game from here on in will be tough for us."

The really tough thing for the Lobos is that three of the teams UNM needs to beat will be greeting Lobos on their homecourt - at Wyoming, at BYU, at TCU. Those teams all spanked UNM in The Pit. The Lobos do get to play host to league-leading Utah.

But the MWC tourney will not be played in The Pit. The Lobos need a significant road win and Wyoming might provide the Lobos their best shot at one.