The social media and baseball stars, the Savannah Bananas and Party Animals, made their Albuquerque debut to a sold-out crowd at Isotopes Stadium, bringing Bananaland to the Land of Enchantment. The teams played on April 20 and 21, selling out the stadium both days. Banana Ball is different from your ...
Home to a hockey team in the desert, the Outpost Ice Arena is where the New Mexico Ice Wolves reside – a Tier II junior ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) in the South Division. The team was founded in 2019, and since then they have been getting down and dirty competing against nine other teams across the South Division from Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Colorado. The organization has recruited players from all over, including defenseman Luca Ricci from Montreal, Canada who is amazed at the amount of support the team received when he first arrived in New Mexico.
The City of Albuquerque hosted a celebration for the recently crowned champions of the Mountain West men’s basketball tournament this past Thursday, April 11. Mayor Tim Keller and the men’s basketball team came out to greet and spend time with the fans. Keller presented two trophies to the Lobos: a golden Lobo hand and the official winning basketball. Keller spoke about what the accomplishment meant, not only to the fans, but to the city itself.
The baseball team lost two games against Sam Houston State University over the weekend. In Friday’s matchup, the Lobos lost a high scoring game 23-14 and lost Sunday 14-3. Saturday’s match was canceled due to high winds. The game will not be rescheduled.
New Mexico United had their fifth game of the 2024 season, hosting the El Paso Locomotives, and took home a roller coaster 3-2 victory. The last 15 minutes of the game saw a nail biting close finish with both teams each scoring two goals. United came off a great victory against the Rising Phoenix FC, and will now go on with a two-win streak. Head Coach Eric Quill talked about what got his team through the game. “It was a roller coaster night. (We came) out of the gates hot (after) scoring that first goal and then, for some reason, we let them take over,” Quill said. “We regrouped at halftime and settled down, played more of our brand and then they saw some life with those two goals, 2-1 at 88. But we showed real character with our subs coming on, which is (an) outstanding mentality.”
The champions of the Mountain West Tournament, the University of New Mexico men’s basketball team traveled to Memphis, Tennessee to face off against the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Lobos were not able to take home a victory as the Tigers knocked them out early in the tournament with a dominant performance. While it was a disappointing outcome, Head Coach Richard Pitino talked about how much growth the men’s basketball program has had in the last three years, and how proud he is of the players this season.
The University of New Mexico men's basketball team earned their first Mountain West Championship since 2014. Over Spring Break, the Lobos won four games in four days to secure a spot in March Madness. The championship run was the result of a balanced effort from the team but was fueled by Tournament MVP Jaelen House. Three Lobos were named to the All-Tournament team: House, Jamal Mashburn Jr. and JT Toppin.
The University of New Mexico women's basketball team suffered a 67-56 loss to the San Diego State Aztecs in the Mountain West Conference tournament. The game took place on Monday, March 11 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Lobos were the No. 2 seed facing the No. 6 seed Aztecs. The Lobos did finish the season with multiple regular season honors. Backcourt duo Aniyah Augmon and Nyah Wilson were both named to the All-Conference Team. Augmon also earned the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year Award and made the All-Defensive Team. Wilson earned the Newcomer of the Year award and Head Coach Mike Bradbury was awarded with Coach of the Year.
New Mexico United swept the field against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds achieving a 1-0 victory in their Mar. 9 season opener. The match could be a sign for a successful season to come. The win avenges last season’s Sep. 23 loss to Riverhounds which allowed the Riverhounds to attain the USL championship’s best record in 2023 dubbed the Player’s Shield. United’s victory over the top team could point to a successful season, Greg Hurst said — a United forward. “I think it's a big statement. Obviously Pittsburgh were rowing (doing well) last year, and had a great run in the championship. There's a real statement that we came out here at the home opener and got one past them,” Hurst said.
The University of New Mexico men's basketball team had their final home game of the regular season where they defeated the Fresno State Bulldogs on Wednesday, March 6. It was also senior night for four players who got time to shine on the court for their final game at The Pit. The Lobos took the game 79-58, ending with a 21-point lead. Head Coach Richard Pitino expressed how proud he was of his team on an emotional night. “Great way to send off the seniors,” Pitino said. “Defensively, we were terrific tonight – rebounded the ball extremely well, which only got better in the second half. I’m really proud of the guys. Sitting at 22-8 and 10-7.”
The University of New Mexico women's basketball team lost to the Nevada Wolf Pack 83-82 for their final regular season game at The Pit. After an Aniyah Augmon jump shot put the team up by two points with four seconds remaining, Nevada's Lexie Givens rebounded a missed three-pointer for a layup and gave her team the win with an and-1 free throw. The Lobos fell to 11-6 in conference play but are in second place overall in the conference standings with one regular season game remaining. Wyoming also has a record of 11-6 but the University of New Mexico swept the Cowgirls in the season series. With a win on Tuesday, the Lobos could clinch the second seed for the conference tournament, but if Wyoming and Boise State win their respective games and the Lobos lose, they will fall to the fourth seed.
The women’s basketball team was able to eke out a 66-63 win against the San Diego State Aztecs at The Pit on Wednesday, Feb. 28. The Lobos are now in second place in the Mountain West Conference with a record of 20-9 and 11-5 in conference play with two games remaining in the regular season. Last time these teams met, the Aztecs were able to beat the Lobos 60-53. With this win, the Lobos have now split the season series. To beat San Diego State, Head Coach Mike Bradbury said they have to play their best.
The Lobo men's basketball team hosted the Colorado State Rams on Wednesday, Feb 21 and got a great 68-66 win thanks to some Donvon Dent (#2) heroics before a tough 78-77 loss on Sunday, Feb. 25 against the Air Force Academy Falcons. The Lobos would go onto play against the Air Force Falcons on Saturday, Feb. 24 where they heartbreakingly lost by one point. It was a hard-fought loss in The Pit as both teams kept the score close the entire game, but the Lobos couldn’t bring it home by the end. Head Coach Richard Pitino talked about just how important the Colorado State game was, not just for his team but for the Rams as well.
The rodeo – the quintessential showcase for cowboys and cowgirls. Anyone can be a cowboy, but the rodeo hasn’t always been considered an inclusive space for Black Americans. The search results for “famous cowboys” include names like Billy the Kid, Jesse James, or Buffalo Bill. The similarity between these individuals is that they’re all white. Bill Pickett, also known as the Dusky Demon, came along and changed that. Born in 1870, Pickett was an African American cowboy who introduced bulldogging, or steer wrestling, to the modern rodeo, according to Britannica. Today, most rodeos in the United States and across the world showcase this event. Pickett was one of the first Black cowboys to break into the traditionally white space of western rodeo.
The narrative of the Land of Entrapment is being challenged by New Mexico United’s team and fanbase, through the work the team does off the field. The documentary Underdog Uprising, which highlights United’s unique and committed fanbase, will be available for streaming on the Very Local app on Feb. 28. The documentary covers the work United and its supporters do to impact their community and how they challenge the underdog identity, according to Carlos Tenorio II, President of New Mexico United’s supporters’ group, The Curse. “We’re at the bottom of the good lists and the top of the bad lists… It doesn’t always have to be like that,” Tenorio said.
Pedro Lopez is at the helm once again as the manager for the Albuquerque Isotopes 2024 season. Before he went off for Spring Training in Arizona, Lopez hosted a brunch where he expressed gratitude and explained what he wanted to achieve in the coming season. The event took place on Feb. 17 at the clubhouse in Isotopes stadium where the guests were served a diner-style breakfast array of foods, all of which were made by the head chef of Isotopes park. During the meeting, Lopez talked about the new and upcoming prospects that the Isotopes have on their hands going into this season, with high aspirations for Bradley Zimmer and infield players.
The women's basketball team took care of business against the San José State Spartans as they blew them out 72-51 on Wednesday, Feb. 14. The Lobos remain in third place in the Mountain West conference with five games left of the regular season. Last time these two teams met up, the Lobos beat them on the road 65-54. With their latest win, the Lobos have now swept the Spartans – improving their record to 18-8 and 9-4 in conference play.
The Lobo men’s basketball team hosted the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ Runnin’ Rebels on Saturday, Feb. 10. They came into the match tied for the #1 team in the Mountain West Conference after defeating the Wyoming Cowboys. The Rebels were able to take down the Lobos for the second home loss of the season at 80-77. The Lobos had hoped to take their revenge on the Rebels after the Jan. 9 83-73 loss, but came up short.
Solutions by The State News
