by David J. Chavez
Daily Lobo
The UNM men's basketball team has been unbeatable at The Pit so far this season.
The Lobos will finally get a test of what they can do on the road when they head to Texas to take on the University of Texas-El Paso on Sunday.
The Miners are 3-3, while the Lobos are 5-0. It's the best start ever for head coach Ritchie McKay, and UNM's best start since the 1998-99 season, when it went 8-0 to open the year.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
UNM is coming off a 79-76 win over New Mexico State on Tuesday at The Pit. UTEP fell to Chicago State 86-82 after being down by as many as 16 points Wednesday in
El Paso.
McKay said UTEP is going through some tough times but has the players to give the Lobos a challenge.
"They have a new system and new coach, so they're still finding themselves, but they're a very talented team," he said. "It's a great rivalry, and they have a team that plays very well at home. It's a big game for us because it's our first road test, and it would be nice to get some confidence early."
Forward Aaron Johnson said putting together a great season depends heavily on winning road games.
"It's going to tell us where we are right now," he said. "Going on the road is something that you got to do to be a successful team and win championships. That's what we want for us, so we have to win on the road."
The game will be a homecoming for freshman Roman Martinez. The 6-foot-6-inch forward from El Paso is averaging 4.8 points per game and 3.4 rebounds per game.
Martinez is looking forward to going home to play, but it's not going to change his game, he said.
"It feels good," he said. "I'm real excited, and I can't wait to get out there and play. To me, this is just another big game on our list, and I'm not going to do anything out of the ordinary. I'm going to keep playing my role and see what happens from there."
Tuesday's win over NMSU was the closest contest for the Lobos this season. Before that game, UNM's average margin of victory was 34 points, and it had won each game by at least 24 points, including victories over two Big 12 teams.
The Lobos head into Sunday's game shooting 53 percent from the field and 41 percent behind the 3-point line. They have outrebounded their opponents 211 to 184.
Martinez said the team will need to keep its momentum going into a hostile atmosphere.
"We need to create energy and play hard, because when we score that big bucket, there's not going to be any loud cheers," he said. "We need to take their biggest punch, let the crowd roar, and just keep on playing our game."
Johnson said the Lobos' chemistry this season has been one of the biggest reasons for their success.
"Our biggest strength right now is our unity, and no matter what happens, we're together," he said. "That's something that you can't really teach. When you have all units working together, it's hard to be beaten."
Men's basketball at UTEP
Saturday
1 p.m.
El Paso, Texas
