近距离内射合集

Keiara Curtis willingly traded the beaches of Hawaii for residency in the Pit.

Why, you ask?

The University of New Mexico women's basketball team's transfer guard knew the question was coming. Her answer was all about basketball.

Curtis, a 5-foot-8 guard from Seattle, made the most of her lone season in the islands. She appeared in all 33 games for the University of Hawaii, becoming a starter at midseason and earning a spot on the Big West All-Freshman team by averaging 10.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in conference action. Curtis' play helped spark the Rainbow Wahine to a 22-11 record.

But longtime UH coach Laura Beeman announced her retirement at season's end, prompting Curtis to enter the NCAA transfer portal.

"(Beeman) retiring changed my perspective a little bit," Curtis said, "not knowing who was going to step in. But I also wanted to be in a more competitive environment and have a change of scenery 鈥� just try something different."

Enter Amy Eagan, who was hired as UNM's head coach in late March and had numerous roster spots to fill. Eagan, as it turned out, had studied Curtis鈥� game while coaching at Lindenwood. The Lions played three games in Hawaii's Thanksgiving tournament last season, including one against the Rainbow Wahine.

"You can learn a lot about a player when you coach against them," Eagan said. "I remember being impressed with Keiara, so when we saw her name in the portal, we started watching film. Her development last year was unbelievable, and that really got our attention. She was like a different player from the start of the season to the end."

Pit stop

Eagan and her staff convinced Curtis to come to Albuquerque for a visit. Her first trip to the city included one significant highlight.

"The Pit," she said. "Just being so big and impressive 鈥� and when they showed me how many fans come to the games and things like that, it was amazing."

Curtis said she didn't remember playing against Lindenwood until UNM's coaches brought it up, but she was quickly impressed with Eagan and her staff and saw herself fitting in with the Lobos.

"The coaches being very supportive and making it fun was a big thing," she said. "They're always willing to talk and discuss things 鈥� even just how you're feeling. I feel like that's an important part of my growth in basketball and my growth as a person."

Curtis got her start in basketball by following her older brother, Kenny, into various sporting ventures. Kenny went on to play collegiate basketball, while Keiara ultimately chose hoops over softball at Washington's Belarmine Prep School.

"I really like softball and kind of wish I'd stuck to it more in high school," she said, "but eventually you have to choose and I found my passion with basketball."

Quick study

Curtis' love for the game and competitive nature are paying off this summer as she works to learn Eagan's system. Curtis' quickness and ability to score from 3-point range (38.5% accuracy and 42 makes last season) or off the dribble mesh well with the Princeton-based offense Eagan and assistant coach Jordan Mellott are installing.

Eagan has been particularly impressed by Curtis' anticipation and decision-making.

"There's still a lot of thinking going on, but she can really play," Eagan said. "She's got a high basketball IQ, excels at reading the defense and is probably our strongest player coming off ball screens. Keiara's a really good defender, too. She can be an impactful player for us." 

Curtis said she takes pride in being able to make good decisions on the fly.

"Yeah, the thing about this system is you have to find the easiest ways to score," she said. "There are so many different reads, so many different people who can be open. Once you learn the ball-screen coverages and make the right reads coming off ball screens, it should be pretty easy to score every time."

In addition to learning a new system, Eagan wants the slender Curtis to work on getting stronger so she can withstand the physical rigors of Mountain West play. Curtis said she's looking forward to competing in the Mountain West 鈥� a league that will now include her former school, Hawaii.

That means a road trip back to the islands, along with numerous games in the Pit. The best of both worlds, perhaps?

"Well, it was nice having a beach so close," Curtis said, "but there's a lot of travel playing over there, too. It'll be fun seeing my old friends and teammates, but so far, I love being here in New Mexico. It's great."

NOTES:  The NCAA's recently adopted 5-for-5 eligibility rule could extend the careers of three seniors on UNM's 2026-27 roster. Drew Jordon, Gracie Kelsey and Gracy Wernli will be playing their fourth collegiate season and would be eligible for a fifth under the new rule. Redshirt senior Mila Reynolds will play her fifth and final season in 2026-27.

"We're making sure everything is approved for (Jordon, Kelsey and Wernli)," Eagan said. "Once that's done, we'll meet with them and see what their plans are 鈥� whether they want to play a fifth year or are ready to try something else. It will obviously affect our recruiting either way, but I'm glad they have options."