An old rivalry will spark again on Wednesday night as the UNM men’s basketball team is back at home this week to host the University of Texas at El Paso Miners — a team that used to play the Lobos on a regular basis.
The last time the teams met in the regular season was in 2009, when the Lobos lost 73-60. They also squared off during the 2011 National Invitational Tournament, where New Mexico took a 69-57 win in the first round.
UNM head coach Craig Neal said he is glad for the chance to play UTEP again.
“The proximity of El Paso to here, we’ve played them for a long time. It was time to get them back and I’m looking forward to it,” he said.
The Miners have had some ups and downs on their way to a 2-4 record in 2016. UTEP enters Wednesday’s contest on a three-game losing skid.
Although the Miners haven’t been too lucky in the last few games, Neal said their head coach, Tim Floyd, is more than capable of turning things around.
“Tim does a great job, he always has,” Neal said. “He’s coached all over the country. He’s coached in the NBA at the highest level. I’m sure he’ll have his guys ready, so they are a dangerous team.”
Guard Dominic Artis, who has been on the court for 215 minutes this season, leads UTEP with 94 points, averaging nearly 16 per game.
“I like Dominic Artis, their point guard. He is a good player,” Neal said.
Another player the Lobo coach is keeping an eye on is Matt Willms, whom he described as “a tough matchup” since he is 7-feet-1-inch and left-handed. He is the third-highest scorer on the team, averaging 12.7 ppg.
The Lobos have been a little more successful than the Miners this season, currently holding an overall record of 5-3. Home court advantage could be a big factor as the Lobos have yet to lose a game at WisePies Arena.
UNM is coming off a 74-79 loss at Illinois State. Forward Tim Williams, one of the leading scorers this season, didn’t play in that matchup and may not be ready to go on Wednesday either.
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“I don't know when Tim will be back.” Neal said during Monday’s press conference. “He's at an appointment right now and we'll know more after practice. That concussion protocol, that's a serious deal…he has to do so many exercises and so many things before he’s cleared so we’ll see what happens.”
With Williams absent, guard Elijah Brown stepped up to lead the team with 21 points. Brown had been resting a hamstring injury during preseason, but got back on the court as soon as the season began.
Neal said his team showed a few old bad habits during the second half of the Illinois State match. However, he said he also saw some progress and hopes that the Lobos keep up positive habits when they face their old rivals.
Isabel Gonzalez is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. She mainly covers men’s soccer and basketball. She can be reached at sports @dailylobo.com or on Twitter @cisabelg.
