Basketball - The Daily Lobo

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Lobos gear up to face Air Force once more

Kyle Tomasi | February 4

The New Mexico men’s basketball team will have another tough go-around with the unique Princeton offense when the Lobos face the Air Force Falcons for the second time this year. Second-year head coach Craig Neal said the team will not prepare for the Princeton offense any differently this time around. The Lobos have always prepared for the offense as a whole rather than for any personnel.

Sports

Walk-on defies expectations, fulfills dreams

Kyle Tomasi | February 4

Walk-ons typically are not expected to play much during the season. Junior college transfer Tim Jacobs was supposed to fit that role too until some teammate injuries and his solid play bumped up his playing time early this season. Jacobs knows about the stereotypes surrounding the term walk-on but doesn’t let that affect him when he puts on the cherry and silver uniform.

Sports

Lobos ready to defend record on home court

Liam Cary-Eaves | February 4

By Liam Cary-Eaves New Mexico is no longer accepting comparisons to last season’s club. UNM is one of the hottest teams in the conference, riding a three-game winning streak and having won six of the last seven games. Head coach Yvonne Sanchez said the team has adopted a new character of its own and has moved past the troubled 11-19 record (6-12 Mountain West) of last year.

Sports

Men's Basketball: Lackluster Lobos steamroll San Jose State

Kyle Tomasi | February 2

Head coach Craig Neal was anything but pleased in spite of New Mexico’s 67-41 blowout over San Jose State on Saturday night. He said his team is supposed to be getting better on a daily basis, but he didn’t feel they accomplished that in Saturday’s 26-point romp at WisePies Arena. “I thought that was a very average performance from my team,” Neal said. “I thought they came out in the first four minutes and played really good, (but) we still had a lot of mental breakdowns offensively. We still had a lot of mental breakdowns defensively — I’m a little concerned about that. You can’t play to your opponent.”

Sports

Injuries plague young Lobo men's team

Kyle Tomasi | January 30

For the first time in recent memory, New Mexico men’s basketball has had a hard time finding a consistent rotation due to injuries and an inexperienced team. Second-year head coach Craig Neal said his team is getting better every day, but still needs to work on mental errors. He said he expects a lot out of his young guys, and won’t settle for little mistakes being made this far into the season.

Sports

Defense key to women's winning streak

Liam Cary-Eaves | January 30

After a slow start to the season against tough competitors, the New Mexico women’s basketball team has been scorching hot as of late, winning five of its past six games. Head coach Yvonne Sanchez said the defense has been the key component to UNM’s recent success.

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez cheers on the Lobos during a basketball game last season. Martinez donated $10,000 to Hugh Greenwoods Pink Pack on Monday afternoon.

Sports

Governor donates to UNM Cancer Center

Kyle Tomasi | January 28

Senior guard Hugh Greenwood’s “Pink Pack” received an unexpected gift from a state figure on Monday afternoon to go toward the UNM Cancer Center. New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez presented UNM men’s basketball head coach Craig Neal with a $10,000 check to be given to Greenwood’s campaign, money that was unused from a privately-collected inaugural fund.

Sports

Women's basketball: Under pressure, UNM rallies in second half

Liam Cary-Eaves | January 26

New Mexico turned to its leaders to fight through a major first-half deficit in a 60-54 victory over Wyoming on Saturday. Nothing was falling in place for the Lobos in the first half as the team went into the locker room trailing 28-19. A halftime speech from head coach Yvonne sparked a fire among her unit, and the Lobos stopped committing silly turnovers in the second half. “I told my leaders Antiesha (Brown), Khadijah (Shumpert) and Bryce (Owens), I challenged them at halftime,” head coach Yvonne Sanchez said. “They responded. I am really proud of those three because everyone kind of jumped on their back and said ‘We’re with you.’”

Sports

Men's basketball: Mean Tweets of Vegas motivate road victory

Kyle Tomasi | January 23

Fueled by comments from a crude Twitter account, senior guard Hugh Greenwood led New Mexico to a 71-69 victory over UNLV at the Thomas and Mack Center Wednesday night. UNM has now won 11 of its last 13 games in Las Vegas, including the Mountain West Tournament. Greenwood finished with 22 points on a career-tying six 3-pointers. He also added eight rebounds and two assists. Greenwood, whose mother has cancer, said an anonymous Twitter account was posting jokes about cancer all week and taking shots at the Greenwood family. He credited his huge game to this account. “Credit to him for getting us this win tonight,” Greenwood said. “That’s what motivated me.”

Sports

Women's basketball: Lobos face top-shot Cowgirls

Liam Cary-Eaves | January 23

After a dramatic home win against Mountain West foe UNLV, New Mexico will play host to a strong-shooting Wyoming team on Saturday. Head coach Yvonne Sanchez said UNM’s defense will not have as gritty of a physical battle as it did in the 63-60 victory over the Rebels (6-11, 3-3 MW). However, Sanchez said the Lobos will need to cover the Cowgirls’ shooters in order to be successful. “It’s hard to play Wyoming zone because they have such good shooters,” Sanchez said. “They can shoot from deep, so we will have to guard them deep.”

Sports

Women's basketball: Lobos claim victory over UNLV Rebels

Liam Cary-Eaves | January 22

New Mexico’s toughness and solid bench play carried the Lobos to a thrilling 63-60 victory over UNLV at WisePies Arena Wednesday night. UNM was forced to play with a thin lineup after three starters and a key reserve had early exits, but head coach Yvonne Sanchez said she never experienced an uneasy feeling filling vacant spots with her reserves. “I just had a boat load of confidence in whoever I put in,” Sanchez said. “It was one of those games I thought our defense just did a nice job.”

Sports

Lobo women face tough Rebels in MW showdown

Liam Cary-Eaves | January 21

New Mexico will have its hands full when the Mountain West’s most potent female basketball scoring duo steps onto the Wise Pies Arena floor tonight. UNLV’s senior point guard Danielle Miller, along with senior guard Alana Cesarz, are a frightening tandem. Miller averaged 19.1 points a game, best in the Mountain West, while Cesarz has the fourth most points in the conference at 15.9 points per contest.

Sports

Consistency the next challenge for Lobo men

Kyle Tomasi | January 21

Consistency has been the Achilles’ heel for New Mexico this season, and the Lobos have yet to find their “go-to” guy after sophomore guard Cullen Neal went down with an ankle injury on Nov. 20. Seniors Deshawn Delaney and Hugh Greenwood have been looked at for leadership throughout the season but have struggled at times during the season. The two are combining for 23.5 points per game.

Sports

Lobo men suffer first MW home loss this season

Kyle Tomasi | January 20

Two dominant performances by Boise State’s James Webb III and Derrick Marks doomed New Mexico in a 69-59 loss at WisePies Arena Sunday afternoon. The Bronco duo scored a compiled 54 points on UNM, marking the Lobos’ first home loss in Mountain West play this season.

Sports

Lobos looks to keep flawless MW home record

Kyle Tomasi | January 16

Injuries and setbacks aside, the New Mexico men’s basketball team have turned a lot of heads early in Mountain West play having only one loss through five contests.

Sports

A cycle of confidence, wins for Lobo women

Liam Cary-Eaves | January 16

Following the 70-47 rout over Air Force, New Mexico rolls into Boise State riding a three-game conference winning streak. The streak is the longest since February of the 2009-10 season. New Mexico’s victory in Colorado Springs was the first road win of the year for the Lobos. Head coach Yvonne Sanchez said the streak has given the team an abundance of confidence.

Sports

Men's basketball: Lobos overthrow Air Force

Kyle Tomasi | January 15

The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team kept its undefeated home record in Mountain West play after Wednesday’s win against the Air Force Falcons. The Lobos (12-5, 4-1 Mountain West) defeated the Falcons 60-48 behind an upcoming leader on the Lobo squad. Freshman Sam Logwood scored a career and game-high 17 points on an efficient 6-9 shooting to go along with three rebounds and three assists. “I just went out there and just did what coach told me to do,” Logwood said. “Yesterday he told me to just shoot the ball, don’t be hesitant and I’m trying to listen to him... I just went out there and played my game.”

Sports

Lobo men hit their stride during away games

Kyle Tomasi | January 14

New Mexico head coach Craig Neal said San Diego State and Utah State may be the two toughest environments in the conference. After that challenging back-to-back road slate, the Lobos will be back in their home venue tonight to face the Air Force Falcons.

Sports

Lobos take first loss in MW slate

Kyle Tomasi | January 7

Saying Tuesday’s game between New Mexico and San Diego State was a defensive affair would be an understatement. Suffocating defense by the Aztecs downed a streaking Lobo team in the third game of conference play, 56-42. UNM (10-5, 2-1 Mountain West) dropped its first conference game of the season to SDSU 56-42. The Lobos couldn’t find an answer to a smothering Aztecs defense.

Sports

Women's basketball: Team leader has her own pace on, off court

Liam Cary-Eaves | January 6

New Mexico guard Chirrisse Bryce Owens has never bowed to the standards of anyone else, and that mentality provided the junior starter with a unique leadership role on and off the court. At a young age, Owens said, she decided she was going to have her own style. Owens was named after her mother, but the only child out of DeSoto, Texas, said she was not a fan of that name and began going by Bryce. Chirrisse and Howard Owens acknowledged their daughter’s desire, so they began to call her Bryce. After earning McDonald’s High School All-American recognition, Owens moved into a major role on the UNM women’s basketball program and was named a starter in her freshman campaign for the Lobos.