by Steven Fernandez
Daily Lobo
The UNM men's basketball team is riding a three-game winning streak against rival New Mexico State University.
Saturday's game in Las Cruces will be no cakewalk for the Lobos, however.
In the 194-game history between the two programs, NMSU (1-3) is 55-39 at home against UNM (4-1).
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Lobo players said part of the reason it is hard to win in Las Cruces is because of the fans. Senior post David Chiotti said Aggie fans bring a lot of energy to the game.
"Any time they come up here or we go down there, there's always going to be things said. There's going to be talking between the players, and between the fans and players," he said.
Despite the disparity in records, the Lobos are not taking the Aggies lightly. No matter what others might think, guard Kris Collins said it will be a tough game Saturday.
"They're a good team," he said. "I don't think their record shows how good they are. We have to go in there and be focused, and hopefully if we play well offensively and defensively, we'll come out with a win."
UNM is 4-0 at home this season, with its only loss coming at Kansas State.
Road woes are nothing new for UNM. The Lobos went on a 27-game losing streak on the road from 2002-2004. Oddly, that streak came to an end last season in Las Cruces with an 84-66 victory.
"We just have to establish a road win this year," Collins said. "I think that would be a good environment to get one in. Especially in a big rivalry game, that's what we have to look forward to - trying to get a big road win."
The rivalry is especially significant for senior guard Mark Walters, who is an Albuquerque native. He said he grew up watching the games, and it's a neat experience being able to play in this matchup.
"Growing up in Albuquerque, you're always cheering for UNM," he said. "When you're involved and you have a say in the outcome of the game that's big. The New Mexico State fans say stuff about you and your family and you get more involved in that rivalry. You have more invested into it and you want to come out with that win."
Walters said the Aggies present a tough challenge every time they play because of the amount of effort they put into each game.
"People think they are down this year, but they're still good," he said. "They're playing really hard so we just have to match their intensity and not get outworked."
While they only have one victory at this point in the season, the Aggies have outscored their opponents 285-276 in four games combined.
Collins said he is excited about getting back to the rivalry and trying to come out on top.
"I'm looking forward to playing this game and hopefully coming out 1-0 to start this year's rivalry," he said.
