Basketball - The Daily Lobo

Redshirt junior forward Tim Williams attempts to rebound a ball away from a Fresno State player Saturday night at WisePies Arena. Williams rebounded six balls and scored 18 points against the Bulldogs. The Lobos ended up losing 92-82.

Sports

Men's basketball: Defense comes up short again

Thomas Romero-Salas | February 29

New Mexico’s defensive effort continued to fall off on Saturday. For the third straight game, UNM’s defense in the second half became problematic. Fresno State took advantage of the Lobos’ lack of effort for a 92-82 win at WisePies Arena. UNM has allowed opponents to score an average of 49 points in the second half of the past three games, resulting in a three-game losing streak. After spending most of the Mountain West season near the top of the standings, UNM now sits in fifth place with two games left in the regular season.

Senior guard Bryce Owens looks past a Colorado State player to make a play Wednesday night at WisePies Arena. The Lobos lost to Fresno State Saturday night 51-43.

Sports

Women's Basketball: Sluggish offensive night for Lobos

Liam Cary-Eaves | February 29

It took the Lobos 30 minutes to get any sort of offensive production against Fresno State on Saturday afternoon. The slow start plagued New Mexico, who dropped the contest 51-43 in Fresno, California, despite a fourth quarter offensive surge. The offense was led by forward Khadijah Shumpert, who put together a sound 22 point and nine rebound showing in the loss.

Sophomore guard Jayda Bovero drives to the net around a Colorado State player Wednesday night at WisePies Arena. The Lobos will play Fresno State Saturday at 3 p.m..

Sports

Women's Basketball: Lobos still biding for first round bye

Liam Cary-Eaves | February 26

New Mexico head coach Yvonne Sanchez said Wednesday night’s 49-48 loss to No. 25 Colorado State still stings. With just three games left, two of which are on the road, UNM will have to quickly shake off the tight affair in order to obtain a bye in the first round of the Mountain West tournament. “As heartbreaking as last night was, and still kind of is, we had to move on,” Sanchez said in Thursday’s press conference.

Redshirt sophomore guard Elijah Brown drives to the net Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016 at WisePies Arena. The Lobos will play Fresno State this Saturday at WisePies Arena at 8 p.m..

Sports

Men's Basketball: Fan expectations not too high, Neal said

J.R. Oppenheim | February 25

It isn’t all “rainbows and unicorns,” Craig Neal said. He knew these Lobos would have ups and downs this season. But when you’re the head coach for a program that draws as much local attention as New Mexico does, expectations come with the territory. Ahead of Saturday’s showdown with Fresno State, the UNM head coach said he understands that.

Senior Guard Bryce Owens reacts to the final play of the UNM v. CSU game on Wednesday night at WisePies Arena. The Lobos lost in the last three and a half seconds of the game, 49-48.

Sports

Women's Basketball: Lobos fall just short in final seconds vs. No. 25 CSU

Liam Cary-Eaves | February 25

It came down to the final shot, but New Mexico’s hopes of upsetting No. 25 Colorado State at WisePies Arena on Wednesday night were dashed with senior Khadijah Shumpert’s last second miss. The Lobos outscored the top team in the conference in the first and final quarter of the contest, but the squad’s offensive lull in the middle quarters of the game gave CSU (25-1, 15-0 MW) the advantage it needed in what resulted in a 49-48 thriller.

Redshirt sophomore Cullen Neal prepares to pass the ball Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016 at WisePies Arena. The Lobos will play Fresno State this Saturday at 8 p.m..

Sports

Men's basketball: Lobos drop 10th game away from Albuquerque

J.R. Oppenheim | February 23

Another road trip, another two losses for New Mexico. The Lobos’ woes away from WisePies Arena continued Tuesday night in an 86-69 loss at Colorado State in Fort Collins, Colorado. The latest setback marked the 10th loss outside Albuquerque’s city limits, including seven losses in true road games.

Sports

Women's Basketball: Lobos face big test against nationally ranked CSU

Liam Cary-Eaves | February 23

Saying that Colorado State has not fared well at WisePies Arena would be an understatement. In Albuquerque, the Rams have tallied only a single win at the mile-high venue dating back to 1998. However, this year, CSU (24-1, 14-0 MW) has remained unscathed in conference play and has rallied off 21 consecutive wins. Oh, and the Rams have joined the nation’s top 25 because of it.

Sophomore guard/forward Sam Logwood closes his eyes as he walks back to the bench Wednesday night at WisePies Arena. The Lobos lost to Air Force 76-72.

Sports

Men's Basketball: Lobos fall at Air Force for third straight time

J.R. Oppenheim | February 20

Clune Arena at the Air Force Academy has become a difficult place to play since February began. New Mexico is the latest victim to fall at the Falcons’ home venue, letting a nine-point lead slip away in a 76-72 loss at the academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Lobos (16-11, 9-5 MW) endured their third straight setback at Clune Arena over the last three seasons, as the Falcons now have two straight home wins.

Senior forward Khadijah Shumpert shots for the net while being defended by Utah State players Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016 at WisePies Arena. The Lobos will play Air Force this Saturday at 2 p.m..

Sports

Women's Basketball: Lobos hope to continue MW push in Saturday's Lobos Love Pink game

Liam Cary-Eaves | February 19

New Mexico has ridden a roller coaster of a season, to say the least. The Lobos have been unable to put together more than a three-game winning streak all season, but haven’t rode more than a three-game losing streak either.

Sports

Men's Basketball: After big comeback, Lobos travel to Air Force Saturday

J.R. Oppenheim | February 19

Guard Elijah Brown said a single game, either a win or a loss, won’t define New Mexico. Don’t get him wrong.

Senior guard Bryce Owens works the ball inside against a Utah State player Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016 at WisePies Arena. The Lobos beat Boise State 70-60.

Sports

Women's Basketball: Lobos make statement with double digit win against Boise State

Liam Cary-Eaves | February 18

New Mexico ended its two game road trip on a high note after a 70-60 victory on Wednesday night. The significance of beating the Broncos on the road was great as the Lobos are still in the hunt to finish among the top five teams in the conference and a first round bye in the MW tourney.

The Lobos storm the court to celebrate after their victory against Boise State for the second place position in the Mountain West Conference Wednesday night at WisePies Arena. The Lobos beat Boise State 80-78.

Sports

Men's Basketball: Lobos rally from 15 points down to beat Boise State

J.R. Oppenheim | February 18

New Mexico found itself down 15 points to Boise State with 6:01 left to play Wednesday night. Several hundred of the 12,434 fans in attendance started filing out of WisePies Arena. That proved to be a mistake. The Lobos pulled off the biggest late-game comeback in school history to lock down second place in the Mountain West standings, utilizing a 19-2 run to prevail 80-78. Boise State, who had been one half game behind UNM heading into the contest, fell back to fifth.

New Mexico head coach Craig Neal gestures to his team during a game at WisePies Arena on Saturday. Regarding Neal's allegations of threats made against his son, Cullen, UNMPD Chief Kevin McCade in a statement said "we want to emphasize that we consider them to be of a serious nature and entirely consistent with how Coach Neal characterized them to the media and police."

News

UNMPD calls threats against Cullen Neal serious

J.R. Oppenheim | February 17

UNM Police Department officials deemed threats made to Cullen Neal as “of a serious nature and entirely consistent” with head coach Craig Neal’s description last week, UNMPD Chief Kevin McCabe said in a statement issued Wednesday afternoon. During his pregame press conference last Thursday, Craig Neal said that Cullen Neal, his son and the starting point guard on the New Mexico men’s basketball team, had received death threats that caused him to switch phone numbers and delete his accounts on social media platforms.

The Lobos huddle together before a free throw Wednesday night at WisePies Arena. The Lobos will play Boise State this Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Boise, Idaho.

Sports

Women's Basketball: Youth need to step up as conference winds down

Liam Cary-Eaves | February 17

The time for New Mexico to grow up is right now. With just five games left in the season, head coach Yvonne Sanchez said she is going to trim playing time for some players until they can prove they deserve it.

Redshirt sophomore guard Elijah Brown lets the ball slip past his hand while playing UNLV Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016 at WisePies Arena. The Lobos will play San Jose State this Saturday at 4 p.m..

Sports

Men's Basketball: Lobos' stretch run may impact MW tourney seeding

J.R. Oppenheim | February 17

New Mexico’s back-loaded Mountain West schedule could have implications on the conference tournament seeding process. Five of the Lobos’ next six opponents are all positioned in the top half of the conference standings. These are Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Nevada. The Lobos also have a date against a feisty Air Force squad in there.

Redshirt sophomore guard Cullen Neal (left) sits along side teammates as the starting line up is called Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016 at WisePies Arena.

Sports

Men's Basketball: Fans at WisePies Arena get behind Cullen Neal

J.R. Oppenheim | February 15

Cullen Neal’s statistics didn’t factor much into Saturday afternoon’s game against San Jose State: six points, three rebounds. But his presence resonated throughout WisePies Arena. Neal, the starting point guard for the New Mexico basketball team, received uproarious support from fans during the game just days after his father, head coach Craig Neal, said that he has received death threats. In his press conference heading into the game this past Thursday, Craig Neal said his son changed his phone number twice and deleted social media accounts due to continuing and increasingly harsh criticism that, he felt, crossed the line.

Senior forward Alexa Chavez attempts an inside jump shot while being defended by Utah State players Wednesday night at WisePies Arena. The Lobos lost to San Jose State this past weekend 59-58.

Sports

Women's Basketball: Last second turnover plagues New Mexico in Spartan loss

Liam Cary-Eaves | February 15

It came down to the final seconds, but New Mexico’s second-half surge fell just short in a 59-58 loss to San Jose State on Saturday. The Lobos’ six-point second quarter on the road proved to be too big a hole to climb out of, yet UNM still managed to make the contest an intriguing one. “You score six points in the second quarter, that’s just not going to cut it,” head coach Yvonne Sanchez said in her post game radio interview. “We didn’t come out with the same fire that we had in the first quarter.”

Sophomore guard Xavier Adams leaps to the net past San Jose States Jaycee Hillsman Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016 at WisePies Arena. The Lobos beat San Jose State 74-58.

Sports

Men's Basketball: Lobos move forward, clamp down on San Jose State

J.R. Oppenheim | February 13

Head coach Craig Neal often talks about always moving forward and not focusing on the past. His Lobos are doing a better job in that regard. Following back-to-back losses at San Diego State and Utah State, New Mexico responded and shut down San Jose State’s offense in a 74-58 victory.

Sophomore guard Cherise Beynon breaks away to the net Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016 at WisePies Arena. The Lobos will play San Jose State this Saturday at 3 p.m..

Sports

Women's Basketball: Sanchez tightening the bench with new look

Liam Cary-Eaves | February 12

The days of getting everyone into the game is over. New Mexico head coach Yvonne Sanchez said she has given players opportunities to take advantage of, but simply haven’t gotten it done.

Opinion

Sports Column: Stop the hate against Cullen Neal

J.R. Oppenheim | February 11

The vitriol against Cullen Neal needs to stop. Believe me, I didn’t want to embroil myself in this back-and-forth debate over Cullen Neal, whether he plays too much, whether his dad favors his son.