Gators, Lobos are familiar foes in first-round matchup

3/16/2006 2:09 AM

It's been two years since Florida made the NCAA tournament, but it should be familiar with its first-round opponent when play begins Saturday at the McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz.

The sixth-seeded Gators (21-8) face No. 11 seed New Mexico (21-9) in the first round of the Albuquerque regional.

In 2004, the schools met on the Lobos' home court in a first-round matchup, won by the fifth-seeded Gators 68-56.

``There are a few different players than when we played before, but it's going to be a battle,'' said Florida coach Carolyn Peck, who won a national title with Purdue in 1999. ``I think when you get into the NCAA tournament, there is never an easy game.''

This is the first 20-win season for the Gators since 2000-01, and Florida will be looking to advance past the second round for the first time since 1997-98.

The Gators have four seniors that will be making their second NCAA tournament appearance. Florida started the season 13-1, but finished 8-7, including an 88-70 loss to Kentucky in the SEC tournament quarterfinals.

Senior Dalila Eshe, who leads Florida with 14.3 points and 7.3 rebounds, was selected to the All-SEC first team, while freshman Sha Brooks earned second team All-SEC honors.

Brooks averaged 13.3 points and led the Gators with 60 steals and 56 3-pointers.

``We feel like weve accomplished a lot, but we have a bunch more to get done,'' Eshe said. ``The four seniors have already been there, so we can take the freshmen down the path and show them what to expect the next three years.''

Florida defeated LSU and Tennessee during the season, both in overtime. The Tigers earned a No. 1 seed in the San Antonio regional while the Volunteers are seeded second in the Cleveland regional.

``They were great wins for us and have really helped our program,'' senior Brittany Davis said. ``I think it speaks volumes about this team and the fighting desire it has.''

The Lobos will be making their fifth straight NCAA tournament appearance. After winning the Mountain West Conference tournament the last three seasons, New Mexico was upset by UNLV in the quarterfinals and settled for an at-large bid this year.

Sophomore Dionne Marsh, a first-team All-MWC performer, leads the Lobos with 15.4 points, and averages 4.6 rebounds. New Mexico also relies heavily on junior Katie Montgomery, who is averaging 10.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists, and senior Abbie Letz, who averages 10.5 points and 7.5 rebounds.

New Mexico lost to Purdue in the first round last season and is 2-5 all-time in tournament play. The Lobos' best performance in the tournament came in 2003, when they advanced to the regional semifinals.

Florida has won both meetings between the teams.

The winner faces either No. 3 seed Baylor or 14th-seeded Northern Arizona in the second round Monday.