Basketball - The Daily Lobo

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Men's basketball: Young Lobos soon to experience 'The Show'

Kyle Tomasi | January 6

New Mexico and San Diego State have both been atop the Mountain West Conference in recent memory. Because of this, one question starting to get thrown around is: Are the Lobos and the Aztecs rivals? Redshirt sophomore guard Devon Williams refused to answer the question after Saturday’s game, instead asking for the next question with a big smile on his face. The Lobos will face the Aztecs today at Viejas Arena in San Diego, California. UNM (10-4, 2-0 Mountain West) won its second game of conference play on Saturday night, knocking off undefeated Colorado State in WisePies Arena, aka The Pit. This was the second of a two-game home stand to open conference play.

New Mexico center J.J. N'Ganga, 0, goes up for a block during the game against Central Arkansas on Dec. 17 at WisePies Arena. The Lobos defeated the Bears 76-55.

Sports

Delaney leads UNM to win over UCA

Kyle Tomasi | December 18

Delaney finished with a game-high 22 points, tallied 13 rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals in the Lobos 76-55 rout against the Central Arkansas Bears Wednesday night at the Pit.

Sports

Lobos overthrow Crusaders in first road win

Kyle Tomasi | December 8

Though the team that played Saturday’s game may not have featured championship-caliber defense, they still won an important game for the New Mexico men’s basketball team. The Lobos defeated Valparaiso 63-46 in Valparaiso, Indiana, behind a stingy defense from the opening tip. This was the first true road win of the season for UNM. UNM (5-3) held Valparaiso to a mere 30.2 percent from the floor (16 of 53) and 13.6 percent from 3-point range (3 of 22). This was the lowest field goal percentage allowed by the Lobos so far this season and the lowest by the Crusaders since Jan. 22, 2000.

Sports

Basketball: Rio Rivalry intensifies

Liam Cary-Eaves | December 8

An inability to take care of the ball plagued the New Mexico women against New Mexico State in Sunday’s 70-59 loss. Despite out-rebounding the Aggies 41-25, New Mexico (1-7) dropped the Rio Grande Rivalry game in the only meeting between the two teams  this season. UNM came into Sunday’s matchup averaging 21 turnovers per game, which is a major problem for a team that doesn’t force that many. UNM turned the ball over 23 times in  Las Cruces compared to the Aggies’ 14.

Lobo junior guard Tim Jacobs, 25, attempts to get past Aggie sophomore guard Travon Landry, 0, during the game against New Mexico State University at WisePies Arena on Wednesday night. The Lobos defeated the Aggies 62-47.

Sports

Basketball: Lobos take a chunk out of Aggies

Kyle Tomasi | December 4

New Mexico fans saw a young team mature right before their eyes on Wednesday night. UNM (4-3) defeated the NMSU Aggies 62-47 in the Lobos’ first game at the newly named WisePies arena, filled with 15,335 cheering Lobo (and a handful of Aggie) fans. Junior College transfer and junior walk-on Tim Jacobs played his best game of his young Lobo career. He notched nine points on 4-7 shooting and had four assists. He made multiple plays down the stretch that don’t show up in the stat sheet, as well.

New Mexico sophomore forward Josie Greenwood, 3, takes possession of the ball during Sunday’s game against UC Riverside. The Lobos will play against Texas tonight in Austin, Texas at 6 p.m.

Sports

Tough schedule prepares women's team for conference

Liam Cary-Eaves | December 3

After a quick break from top-tiered opponents, New Mexico will jump right back into the fire tonight against No. 4 Texas. Head coach Yvonne Sanchez said she is getting her team ready for conference play by scheduling one of the toughest schedules in the nation. The Longhorns will be the fourth nationally ranked team New Mexico (1-5) has faced in the opening seven games of the season.

Lobo redshirt sophomore guard/forward Devon Williams, 12, makes a slam dunk during the game against USC on Sunday afternoon. The Lobos will host New Mexico State tonight at 7 p.m.

Sports

Lobos struggle in wake of injures

Kyle Tomasi | December 3

Adversity has badgered a young New Mexico team early this season, something that head coach Craig Neal predicted before the team’s first exhibition game. Now the Lobos will host in-state rival New Mexico State University on Wednesday night in the newly renamed WisePies Arena aka The Pit.

Men's basketball coach coach Craig Neal makes his opening statement during a press conference at recently rebranded WisePies Arena on Monday afternoon. Neal, along with UNM President Robert Frank, Vice President for Athletics Paul Krebs and WisePies marketing consultant Season Elliott, made the announcement of the $5 million deal with WisePies Pizza & Salad to rename The Pit.

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WisePies gets naming rights to The Pit

Kyle Tomasi | December 1

The Pit has been a legendary name of UNM's basketball venue since it opened in 1966. Fans will have to break their habit of calling it that starting now. WisePies Pizza and Salad agreed to give $5 million over 10 years to support the UNM Athletics Department through the newly established WisePies Fund. Through this donation, The Pit will now be called WisePies Arena aka The Pit for the duration of those 10 years.

New Mexico guard Cherise Beynon (0) drives past a UC Riverside defender during the UNM Thanksgiving Tournament championship game Saturday evening at The Pit. The Lobos fell to 1-5 on the season with a 70-62 loss to the Highlanders.

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Women's basketball: Key players' absence hamper Lobo chances

Liam Cary-Eaves | December 1

Sloppy defense and mental errors plagued New Mexico in Saturday's 70-62 loss against UC Riverside. Head coach Yvonne Sanchez said finishing runner-up in the Lobos' annual Thanksgiving Tournament was disappointing because her team didn't show up to play like it had against tougher opponents. "We need to find people who are going to step up on the defensive end," Sanchez said. "That's what lost the game for us."

Lobo junior center J.J. Nâ€™Ganga sits on the court after falling backward during the game against USC at the Pit on Sunday afternoon. The Lobos lost to USC 66-54.

Sports

Men's basketball: Trojan invaders sack Pit

Kyle Tomasi | December 1

The new-look New Mexico men's basketball team had a hard time finding its rhythm in Sunday's game against the USC Trojans. UNM played nine men, five of whom are new to the program this year. The Lobos lost 66-54 in front of a season-high 14,404 fans. "That was a tough one; that was probably the worst one since I've been here in eight years," said second-year head coach Craig Neal."But give (USC) credit, they made plays and we didn't make plays. We did everything that we thought we could do."

Sports

Two Lobos injured during tournament

Kyle Tomasi | November 26

After a tough go in Puerto Rico, the New Mexico menâ€™s basketball team is hoping to fix many of the problems that have been troubling them when it returns to The Pit to face USC.

Lobo junior guard Bryce Owens signals to her team during the game against Stanford at the Pit on Monday night. The Lobos will host Boston University on Friday at 7 p.m. at the Pit.

Sports

Lobos open weekend tournament with four losses

Liam Cary-Eaves | November 26

New Mexico will take a break from playing ranked opponents in search of its first win of the 2014 campaign. After three consecutive games against top-25 teams, the Lobos (0-4) will face off against Boston University (2-2) on Friday night at 7 p.m. to open its annual Thanksgiving Tournament. Stephen F. Austin and UC Riverside will also make the trip to Albuquerque to compete in the tournament.

Lobo redshirt senior guard Antiesha Brown wipes her face after missing all of her free throws during the last minute of the game against Stanford at the Pit on Monday night. Despite a potential upset, the Lobos lost to Stanford 70-65.

Sports

Lobo upset bid falls short against Stanford

Liam Cary-Eaves | November 25

The stage was set for New Mexico to upset the No. 5 Stanford. The Lobos were down 66-65 as guard Antiesha Brown stepped to the line with two free throw attempts and only 20 seconds left in the contest. Brown sent both off of the iron and UNM lost 70-65 to Stanford on Monday night at The Pit.

Sports

Aggies rally to overtake UNM in second half

Kyle Tomasi | November 24

Missing its leading scorer, the New Mexico men’s basketball team dropped its second game of the season to Texas A&M in the fifth-place game of the ESPN Puerto Rico Tip-Off on Sunday. The Lobos (3-2) led 31-26 at halftime but couldn’t stop a second-half rally by the Aggies. The Aggies defeated the Lobos 64-51 behind Danuel House’s 18 points, 11 coming in the second half.

Lobo freshman guard Cherise Beynon dribbles past Eastern New Mexico defenders during the exhibition game at the Pit on Nov. 9. The Lobos will host top-ranked Stanford at 7 p.m. tonight at the Pit.

Sports

Lobo women prepare for toughest challenge yet

Liam Cary-Eaves | November 24

The New Mexico women’s basketball team has played two top-25 teams in the opening three games, but will face its best opponent to date. That will occur today against No. 1 Stanford. It will be the first time in UNM’s history that it will face three straight ranked opponents in a single season. “If you’re a competitor, you just want to win,” head coach Yvonne Sanchez said. “We play to win and we prepare to win.”

Sports

Goodman sparks Lobos past George Mason

November 22

On a night where sophomore guard Cullen Neal did not play due to an ankle injury and senior guard Hugh Greenwood struggled shooting the ball, the New Mexico men’s basketball team found a new star in the making. Junior college transfer Jordan Goodman scored a career-high 19 points on 7-10 shooting from the floor as UNM defeated the George Mason Patriots 69-58 in the ESPN Puerto Rico Tip-Off. It looked as if Goodman wanted to silence a lot of critics after not producing too much in the first three games.

Sports

Lobos fall to Boston College in season's first setback

Kyle Tomasi | November 21

The New Mexico men’s basketball team faced some of the adversity head coach Craig Neal has talked about on Thursday afternoon against Boston College. Early foul trouble with guard Devon Williams and center Obij Aget forced Neal to play some of the new faces in a 69-65 loss to the Eagles at the ESPN Puerto Rico Tip-Off.

Former Lobo redshirt senior center Ebony Walker holds two basketballs while waiting to start a passing drill during Lobo Howl at the Pit on Oct. 17. Women’s basketball head coach Yvonne Sanchez announced that Walker has been released from the team following her arrest for a domestic dispute earlier this month.

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Basketball: Walker dismissed after domestic violence arrest

Liam Cary-Eaves | November 20

The New Mexico women’s basketball team will remain without its starting center for the 2014-15 season. Head coach Yvonne Sanchez dismissed Ebony Walker from the team after Walker was charged with domestic violence following an alleged altercation with Tredarius Moten on Nov. 4. “The decision was made with thoughtful consideration for Ebony and our basketball program,” Sanchez said.

Lobo senior guard Hugh Greenwood, 3, attempts to run past Titan redshirt junior guard Alex Harris, 23, during the game against Cal State Fullerton at the Pit on Sunday night. The Lobos are playing three games at a tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico from Thursday to Sunday.

Sports

Lobos bound for Puerto Rico basketball tourney

Kyle Tomasi | November 19

The New Mexico men’s basketball team will play its first game away from The Pit this week when it faces Boston College in the ESPN Puerto Rico Tip-Off.

Lobo junior guard Arthur Edwards, 5, tosses the ball to lobo senior guard Deshawn Delaney, out of frame, during the game against Cal State Fullerton at the Pit on Sunday night. The Lobos defeated Cal State 67-59.

Sports

Turquoise-clad Lobos topple stubborn Titans

Kyle Tomasi | November 17

On a night full of turquoise-accented jerseys the New Mexico men’s basketball team found itself in a dogfight with Cal State Fullerton. The Lobos led almost the entire game, but could never seem to shake the pesky Titans. Five straight free throws by sophomore guard Cullen Neal sealed the game for the Lobos in a 67-59 win on Saturday at the Pit.