If the Lobos are to finally beat a Division I team, tonight is their night to shine.
Coming off three losses in a row to D-I competition, the Lobos will look to earn a victory as they play host to the Sacramento State Hornets.
In what should have been an easy victory in preseason forecasts, now seems far from easy. The Lobos are coming off three straight defeats, including a devastating loss to Texas Tech in which they collapsed in the final minutes of the second half.
"We just got to bounce back," Javin Tindall said. "I know I keep saying that, but that's life."
If the Lobos are to get their season rolling, tonight's game is a must win. This game will be the last before the semester break and their last without two potential starters, Danny Granger and Troy Devries, who will be eligible to play Dec. 21 against Coppin State.
Before looking ahead, the Lobos must concentrate on getting their first "real" victory over a hot Hornets team.
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Sacramento State, a member of the Big Sky Conference, comes into the match riding a four-game winning streak with victories over Dominican, Cal State Fullerton, San Jose Christian and the Cal Poly Mustangs. The Hornets' only defeat was at the hands of No. 17 Stanford in their season opener.
The Hornets are led by seniors Joseth Dawson and Brandon Guyton. The 6-foot-1 guards are averaging 14.3 and 11.8 points per game, respectively. The big man in the paint is senior Tony Champion, who is a 6-foot-10 powerhouse, weighing in at 260 pounds.
The Lobos will once again rely on their trio of scorers, as their bench has produced a paltry one point in the last three games combined.
In the past two games, the bench has seen few minutes, largely due to the fact that McKay has lost the confidence in his bench.
"We've shortened our bench as a necessity," McKay said.
Against Tech, the bench contributed zero points and three rebounds in 35 minutes of action. If the Lobos are to succeed, the bench will need to contribute and give the starting five some rest so they can shoot well down the stretch.
Tindall, scorched Tech for 27 points and six assists. It was a sweet redemption after his miserable shooting performance last week against New Mexico State when he shot two of 13, scoring only five points.
David Chiotti, on the other hand had his worst game of the season, although his stats don't suggest it. He finished the game with 11 points and four rebounds.
With this game being the last before a two-week break for UNM, the team is desperate for a victory. A win will give the Lobos some much-needed confidence heading into the thick of the season.
A victory combined with the additions of Granger and DeVries, will make the semester break an optimistic one, a loss could decimate the psyche of the young team.
Tip-off against Sacramento State is set for 7:05 p.m. at The Pit and the game can be heard live on 770 KOB-AM.
