There aren’t usually many people swinging broad swords or spears on the floor of Johnson Gym. No, it wasn’t a reenactment of any sort but a demonstration of several fighting styles at the 4th Annual Martial Arts Expo at UNM. Several martial arts were on display including: karate, Japanese jujutsu, mixed martial arts, judo, fencing and Shoa-Lin Kung Fu.
There is no more debate about who will lead the Lobos onto the court for opening night. Head coach Yvonne Sanchez has named her starting five as New Mexico awaits the season tip on Friday at 8 p.m. against Houston Baptist. After an offseason with question marks surrounding the five and three spots, guard Jannan Otto and center Whitney Johnson will join guard Bryce Owens, forward Khadijah Shumpert and guard Cherise Beynon as the first players with playing time in the 2015-2016 campaign, according to Sanchez.
However unlikely it seemed at the beginning of the season, New Mexico is just three wins away from earning a spot in the Mountain West Championship game. All UNM has to do is win its remaining three games of the season against Boise State, Colorado State and Air Force – the latter two are at home – to secure a spot. The Broncos are 30-point favorites over the Lobos when the teams match up this Saturday in Boise, Idaho.
The Lobos will finally get the opportunity to run in front of their home crowd as they compete at the NCAA Mountain Regional Cross Country Championships on Friday. At the beginning of the season coach Joe Franklin outlined two main goals: win the Mountain West Conference Championships, and earn a spot to compete in nationals. The women completed the former on Oct. 30 in Reno, Nevada, and now both teams have a chance to participate in nationals.
Just last week the Lobos were in position to make a run at the No. 2 spot in the conference. This week New Mexico is fighting to stay above .500. At the tail end of UNM’s four-game home stand, the Lobos couldn’t put together a win when they really needed one. Barring a major meltdown from one of the three teams ahead of UNM in the standings, New Mexico will look to maintain a fourth-place spot in the conference.
New Mexico opens the regular season with two exhibition games under its belt. Texas Southern doesn’t have any. That makes a scouting report for Friday’s game a little tricky. In his press conference before the 2015-16 season begins for real, Lobo head coach Craig Neal said Texas Southern will be one of the toughest season-openers the team has had. He added that the Tigers feature a number of transfers, which makes it a little difficult to evaluate.
The UNM men’s soccer team fell 1-0 to the No. 17 South Carolina Gamecocks during the Conference USA Quarterfinals Wednesday night. Head coach Jeremy Fishbein described the loss as “gut-wrenching.” The Lobos (8-6-4) saw a lot of the ball, outshooting the Gamecocks 12-9, and 5-3 with shots on goal. But their efforts were not enough for a win.
After what could be described as a less-than-ideal regular season, the Lobos sneaked through to clinch a spot in this year’s Conference USA Championship. The Lobos had trouble during the regular season of conference play, only winning two matches. However, they say they are ready to take advantage of the opportunity presented to them.
Sitting on the bench last year, Tim Williams became familiar with the atmosphere of WisePies Arena. And now that the exhibition schedule is in the books, he knows what it’s like to play before the Albuquerque crowd. Williams, a junior transfer from Samford University, got his first-game experience as a member of the New Mexico men’s basketball team after sitting out last year. The NCAA's eligibility rules require all transfers to sit out one year before they can play for their new teams.
Sometimes it takes more than skill to garner a victory. New Mexico’s defense kept UNM in Saturday’s game against Utah State, but Head Coach Bob Davie said the Lobos were due for some good fortune during the squad’s 14-13 victory. The game was by no means a fluke, Davie said. But if it weren’t for some favorable bounces, a missed field goal and timely penalties, things could have been different for New Mexico late in the contest.
Colorado State’s size posed big problems for New Mexico’s offense in a 3-0 sweep at Johnson Center on Saturday night. The Rams (21-3, 14-0 MW) showed why they are still the top team in the Mountain West after sweeping the Lobos for the second time this season.
As the preseason comes to a close, women’s basketball Head Coach Yvonne Sanchez said she feels confident about her team’s ability to succeed going into the regular season. The Lobos faced New Mexico Highlands for their second and final exhibition game of the preseason, in which they dominated in an 80-39 victory. The team comes off a strong first exhibition game in a 78-41 win against Western New Mexico.
New Mexico’s defense has finally reached its potential. After weeks of inconsistent play, the Lobos’ defense shut down Utah State in a 14-13 win at University Stadium on Saturday. UNM made several big plays and held USU to just 294 total yards of offense. USU had a chance to take the lead late in the fourth quarter, but kicker Brock Warren missed a 41-yard field goal to give UNM (5-4, 3-2 Mountain West) the win.
The Lobos season is not yet over following a crucial 3-0 win over the Florida Atlantic Owls on Senior Night Friday. With this win the Lobos clinched their spot in this year’s Conference USA tournament. It was an important win, but by no means an easy one, especially since the first half was not so hot for the Lobos.
Craig Neal needs a leader. Through both of the team's preseason exhibition games, the young UNM men’s basketball team showed its immaturity and lack of leadership, the head coach said after his team edged out Rogers State 80-69 Friday night at WisePies Arena, aka The Pit.
For the first time in nearly a decade, New Mexico has a legitimate shot at making a bowl game. The Lobos head into the final four games of the season with a 4-4 (2-2 Mountain West) record, meaning they’re just two wins away from bowl eligibility.
UNM forward Lindsey Guice kept New Mexico's Mountain West women's soccer tournament championship hopes alive, but a change at goalkeeper gave San Jose State an advantage in a shootout. The Lobos fell out of the tournament in heartbreaking fashion Thursday night in San Diego, losing the PK battle by three scores to two. It propelled the Spartans to the championship game against either San Diego State or Colorado College, who played later Thursday.
New Mexico’s quest to rise in the Mountain West fell short in a five set heartbreaker against Wyoming on Thursday night in Johnson Center. It was a roller coaster of a night for the Lobos as a whole, as the squad couldn’t find any sort of consistency on the night.
The quality of UNM’s post play is the least of the team’s worries. After New Mexico’s 78-41 rout over Western New Mexico on Wednesday night, the Lobos biggest question mark is who head coach Yvonne Sanchez is going to start. Two of last season’s starters watched the game from the bench. Seniors Khadijah Shumpert and Alexa Chavez were both wearing jeans at the end of the bench, Shumpert with an illness and Chavez rehabbing a foot injury.
New Mexico will rely on both of its main quarterbacks down the stretch. Head coach Bob Davie has decided that both Lamar Jordan and Austin Apodaca will split playing time with just four games remaining on the schedule. The Lobos' next opponent is Utah State, who they play this Saturday at University Stadium.
Solutions by The State News
