UNM women's basketball: Lobos spend Thanksgiving in sunny Florida

Nov. 26—It won't be a relaxing holiday weekend for the UNM women's basketball team, venue notwithstanding.

The Lobos departed for sunny Florida early Wednesday, but there's no guarantee they'll have time for sunscreen or a trip to the beach. Instead, UNM will compete in the two-day Florida Gulf Classic, taking on Chicago State and Cincinnati on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

The itinerary included a lengthy day of travel and late practice on Wednesday, early practice Thursday and a 9 a.m. tip-off Friday against the Cougars. The Lobos will be back on the court Saturday at 1:30 p.m. against the Bearcats before returning home.

There will be a break for Thanksgiving dinner at the team hotel on Thursday.

"It'll be busy," Lobos coach Mike Bradbury said, "but we're looking forward to it. Playing two games back-to-back is good preparation and it's spending a few days together is good for the team. Both these teams like to play fast, too, so it will be a good challenge for us."

The Lobos (5-2) will be looking to shake off a cold shooting day that unraveled into an 82-57 loss to Texas Tech on Sunday. UNM was a frosty 7-for-31 from 3-point range and never seemed to find any sort of offensive rhythm as its four-game winning streak came to an end.

Bradbury credited the Lady Raiders for speeding up his team's offense, but he doesn't want to see repeat performances this weekend. Both Chicago State and Cincinnati prefer to push the pace and create turnovers, which also has been New Mexico's plan of attack.

"We're going to press and go after them both," he said. "We just have to do a better job on the offensive end, fighting for our shots and finishing when we get them."

Step one will be a breakfast-time contest against Chicago State, a first-time opponent for the Lobos. The Cougars (1-5) feature a sophomore-loaded roster that has been inconsistent thus far. Just one player, guard Keona McGee, has started every game.

"They have stretches where they're really good," Bradbury said, "but they also dry spells, which we know something about unfortunately. Hopefully, we be disruptive on defense and keep them from getting in a rhythm."

Bradbury admittedly knows more about Cincinnati (2-4), which is coached by his former assistant coach Katrina Merriweather. The two were together at Wright State, where Merriweather took over as head coach when Bradbury moved to New Mexico.

The Bearcats also have a young squad, but Bradbury reads little into their slow start. Cincinnati, he said, is a team with plenty of Big 12-level talent.

"They've just played a brutal schedule," he said, "but they're going to be really good. They have three fast, athletic guards who can really shoot the 3, and they're big at the (5 position) and good on the boards. They'll be a big test for us defensively."

Cincinnati averages 81 points per game but has been vulnerable on the defensive end. The challenge for UNM will be shooting well enough to take advantage of UC's defense.

UNM goes into the tournament relatively healthy with only freshman Kaia Foster (broken finger) unlikely to play. Bradbury did not rule out possible rotation changes this weekend as he seeks to jump-start the Lobos' offense. Destinee Hooks, Alyssa Hargrove, Cacia Antonio, Joana Magalhães and Clarissa Craig have started the last four games for UNM.