Sports

Sports

Ex-player's mayoral win is our loss

Isaac Avilucea | November 7

I almost regret not exercising my right to vote - almost. Trust me, if I didn't have to politicize a basketball column, I wouldn't. But this isn't my doing. It's Kevin Johnson's fault. The former Phoenix Suns' point guard, whom I will still remember as the guy Horace Grant blocked in the '93 NBA Finals between the Chicago Bulls and the Suns, beat out incumbent Heather Fargo to become Sacramento's first black mayor.

---

Sports

Sophomore's potential emerges early in season (Slideshow)

Ryan Tomari | November 3

Rafael Neda is the future of the UNM baseball team. The sophomore is a native of Obregon, Mexico, where he grew up playing baseball. "I had great coaches when I was younger," he said. "And I think that helped for my love of baseball." Neda, the right-handed catcher for the Lobos, played high-school ball at Amphitheater High in Tucson, Ariz.

---

Sports

Senior tackle looks back on his years at the line

Ryan Tomari | November 3

Since walking on, senior nose tackle Wesley Beck has been noted for his gridiron smarts. After all, football runs in his family - Beck's father, Curlin, played tailback at West Virginia from 1979-82. Senior defensive tackle Jeremiah Lovato, who has been Beck's roommate for three years, said he will remember Beck's intelligence.

---

Sports

Utah keeps UNM from victory in close game

Isaac Avilucea | November 3

All the sideline towel-twirling ended up being nothing more than a formality, as the UNM football team was gut-checked 13-10 by the No. 9 Utah Utes on Saturday in its home finale. On a night where upset brewed like a cup of coffee, the difference was a blocked field goal.

---

Sports

Seniors hope to upset No. 8 Utah

Isaac Avilucea | October 31

You know what they say: You dug your own hole - now lie in it. And that might just be the best thing for the UNM football team to do. For some reason, the Lobos have a propensity to fall behind early against Utah. But even more fascinating is UNM's ability to resurrect themselves and upset the Utes.

---

Sports

Players confident about championship run

Mario Trujillo | October 31

The Mountain West Conference Championships for women's cross country is shaping up to be a two-pony race. Of the nine teams running in Saturday's championship in San Diego, only UNM and BYU are nationally ranked. The UNM women's team climbed four places to 23rd in the nation after last week's 10th-place finish in the NCAA Pre-Nationals at Indiana State.

---

Sports

Sports shop chooses service over quick cash

Isaac Avilucea | October 31

"Always over-deliver and under-promise." That's the motto co-owners Steve Horton and Chris Byrd teach their employees at Pro Image in Cottonwood Mall. The store, which opened Oct. 11, sells sports apparel, including jerseys, hats, T-shirts and professional and college sporting goods.

---

Sports

Senior never takes eye off winning games

Mario Trujillo | October 29

For five UNM women's soccer players, Friday's game against UNLV could be their last. But senior forward Hannah Hand has played with that approach her whole career. "I haven't changed anything since I was a freshman," Hand said about her game-time mentality.

---

Sports

Adjusting to field, enduring roster cuts challenge squad

Isaac Avilucea | October 29

UNM baseball is back - not necessarily in full swing, but in bunt mode. The Lobos squared off Tuesday in Game 2 of a five-game series of intrasquad scrimmages. Ken Jacome's Big Red Machine ran Chad Tidwell's Silver Slammers through the press 10-4. Jacome is the Lobos' recruiting coordinator, and Tidwell is a pitching coach.

---

Sports

Column: Celtics, Hornets will duke it out in Finals

Ryan Tomari | October 29

In the midst of MLB Commissioner Bud Selig pushing the World Series to Thanksgiving, computer systems posing for a Texas and Penn State date in Miami for the BCS National Championship game and Kerry Collins quarterbacking the only undefeated team in the NFL, what about the NBA? The NBA season kicked off Tuesday in the homes of the two teams that played in the 2008 NBA Finals: the defending-champion Boston Celtics and the runner-up Los Angeles Lakers.

---

Sports

Three close calls, three UNM wins

Brandon Call | October 27

It wasn't the prettiest win for the UNM volleyball team Saturday, but the Lobos overcame sluggish play to edge San Diego State 25-23, 25-23, 25-23 in front of more than 1,800 fans at Johnson Gym. Unlike their previous win over the Aztecs on Sept. 25 - a 25-14, 25-22, 25-12 shellacking in San Diego - the Lobos had to dig deep for the 3-0 victory.

---

Sports

UNM ties Aztecs, remains strong in double overtime

Loretta Cardenas | October 27

The UNM women's soccer team was tested on Senior Night, when the Lobos battled SDSU to a 1-1 tie in double overtime. "They showed a lot of character in overtime," head coach Kit Vela said. "We never quit and we never gave up. We were the aggressors. We kept pushing, pushing, pushing; we just couldn't get anything for the effort.

---

Sports

Lobos edge out Stanford with shrewd shooting

Ryan Tomari | October 27

The UNM men's soccer team wasn't about to let an underachieving Stanford steal a win on Friday. The Lobos beat the Cardinals 2-1 at the UNM Soccer Complex. With the win, UNM improved to 7-5-2 overall and 3-2 in the Mountain Pacific Soccer Federation. Stanford, which came into the game winning only one match in its last eight games, fell to 3-8-2 overall and 1-3-1 in the Pac-10.

---

Sports

At a young age, she came out swinging

Ryan Tomari | October 24

Morgan Grantham has come a long way since getting her first set of golf clubs as a kindergarten graduation present. Grantham remembers having a knack for hitting balls. But it took a nurturing mom to convince her that her dog wasn't the best target at which to blast tennis balls.

---

Sports

Runner makes up for lost time

Mario Trujillo | October 24

A half marathon is just another stroll in the park for Edgar Hernandez. The UNM freshman finished second out of 996 competitors in the half marathon run of the Duke City Marathon on Sunday, ending the day in first place in his age bracket. Hernandez blazed through the course in 1:11:25.

---

Sports

Lobos volley for breast cancer cure

Brandon Call | October 24

The UNM volleyball team swept UNLV on Thursday during "Volley for the Cure" night at Johnson Gym. More than 1,700 fans packed the stands, and players warmed up in pink T-shirts to honor the fight against breast cancer. To put the cherry on top of the night, the Lobos beat the Rebels 25-13, 25-19, 25-18.

---

Sports

Lobos slip to BYU in hard-fought battle

Loretta Cardenas | October 20

The BYU Cougars lived up to their name Saturday at the UNM Soccer Complex, pouncing on opportunities. The Lobos had a strong performance, tying the game in the second half, but lost 2-1. The loss dropped the Lobos to 7-5-4 overall and 2-3-0 in the Mountain West Conference.

---

Sports

'Out of hand'

Ryan Tomari | October 20

The UNM football team mauled San Diego State on Saturday at University Stadium. In a lopsided affair, UNM obliterated the Aztecs 70-7. Head coach Rocky Long said he couldn't remember ever winning by such a large margin. "The game got out of hand," he said.

---

Sports

Howl lets players show off skills to set season's tone

Ryan Tomari | October 20

Basketball racks lined the court as the steady sound of 3-pointers shredding nylon sent the crowd into a frenzy. Friday night at The Pit signaled the return of college basketball with the annual Lobo Howl. "We just wanted to let the teams run up and down the court a bit and let the fans get a first look at the players," men's head coach Steve Alford said.

---

Sports

UNM sets up for success with sweep of Air Force

Brandon Call | October 20

The sizzling UNM volleyball team was too hot to handle Saturday night. The Lobos blazed past Air Force 25-9, 25-13, 25-18 in front of 2,086 fans at Johnson Gym. With the win, UNM improves to 15-4 overall and 5-3 in the Mountain West Conference. Air Force drops to 5-16 and 0-8.