The UNM women's basketball team's season ended in heartbreak, but it was a memorable season to leave a promising future. The Lobos fell 61-60 to West Virginia on Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, ending a thrilling, if unexpected, postseason run.
Life hasn't always been a walk in the ballpark for senior pitcher Kelly Ninemire. Although Ninemire - a Prosper, Texas, native - has thrived in her two-year stint with the UNM softball team, she has had her share of adversity. One week before Kelly signed a letter of intent with the University of Arkansas, her grandfather died.
Dionne Marsh and Brandi Kimble had dominant performances, and the UNM women's basketball team survived a thriller to win the 2008 Mountain West Conference Tournament Championship. The No. 4 Lobos beat No. 6 San Diego State 62-59 on Saturday to win their second straight MWC Tournament and earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
LAS VEGAS - The UNM women's basketball team showed again Wednesday that its defense can give it a chance to win any game. The Lobos beat No. 5 seed BYU 59-41 in the first round of the Mountain West Conference Tournament. Thanks to teamwork on defense, the Lobos held the Cougars to just 17 first half points.
LAS VEGAS - The UNM men's basketball team let fate slip out of its own hands and will have to hope its regular season was enough to impress the NCAA selection committee. The No. 3 Lobos lost an 82-80 heartbreaker to No. 6 Utah in overtime Thursday in the first round of the Mountain West Conference Tournament.
Dionne Marsh established herself as the most prolific scorer in UNM history after her 26-point performance at The Pit on Saturday. The senior post needed 11 points to pass Abby Garchek as the school's career scoring leader and did so in the Lobos' 76-45 win over Colorado State.
It hasn't been a typical year for the UNM women's basketball team, but the Lobos are playing their best basketball at the most important time of the season. UNM routed Colorado State 76-45 on Saturday at The Pit in the final game of the regular season. "I'm happy to go into the tournament with this win," head coach Don Flanagan said.
The UNM softball team extended its win streak to nine games Saturday, defeating Georgetown and Wright State. The Lobos beat the Hoyas 5-4 in the first game before knocking off Wright State 8-4. UNM head coach Ty Singleton said he was impressed with his team's performance.
If the UNM men's basketball team's credentials aren't impressive enough, it will get to add another impressive number to its résumé this weekend. The Lobos play their final regular season game Saturday at Colorado State and will tie a school record with eight road wins if they beat the Rams.
Staff report Dionne Marsh can have a historic night in the final regular-season home game of her career on Senior Night. When the UNM women's basketball team hosts Colorado State on Saturday at The Pit, Marsh will have a chance to become the Lobos' all-time leading scorer.
In the final moments of a big game, a star athlete falls to the ground with an injury. The game stops. The crowd becomes silent. An athletic trainer rushes to the scene. In the world of sports, athletes stand at the forefront of recognition. Their every performance is analyzed.
Welcome to another edition of "From the Sports Gutter." This week, the topic is the NBA. The MVP race is heating up between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Also, this season has seen more blockbuster trades than usual, which is making for some thrilling playoff races.
The UNM men's basketball team used a stout defense to knock off UNLV 59-45 on Tuesday at The Pit. The sold-out crowd of 18,018 - the second consecutive sold-out game - made it an emotional win on Senior Night, senior guard Jamaal Smith said. "For our crowd to come out this year and support us like they have is just incredible," he said.
The way UNM head coach Steve Alford sees it, J.R. Giddens locked up the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year Award in his final collegiate home game. The senior was the catalyst in the Lobos' 59-45 win against UNLV on Tuesday at The Pit. Giddens finished with 17 points, 15 rebounds and five assists on Senior Night and left to a standing ovation and chants of "MVP" when he was taken out of the game in the final minute.
The No. 64 UNM women's tennis team snapped a two-match losing streak with two wins at home this weekend. The Lobos defeated Boise State and Western Michigan to improve to 5-4 on the season. "We came back from Louisiana, and especially with that second loss, and I told the team, 'We need to have a good two weeks of practice,'" head coach Kathy Kolankiewicz said.
When UNLV came into The Pit on Feb. 2, Amy Beggin went off for a career-high 26 points, and the UNM women's basketball team cruised to a 96-64 win. But when the Lobos travel to UNLV on Tuesday, coach Don Flanagan said he will be more concerned with how his sophomore point guard handles the ball than how many points she puts up.
The UNM men's basketball team has a chance to make a statement before entering the Mountain West Conference Tournament when it faces UNLV on Tuesday at The Pit. In the first meeting this season, the Rebels beat the Lobos 79-60 at the Thomas and Mack Center, which is hosting the MWC Tournament for its second consecutive year.
Softball UNM used solid pitching and defense to sweep Oklahoma State at home this weekend. The Lobos improved to 9-5 on the season and have won five games in a row. UNM won Friday's season-opener 5-4 in dramatic fashion, as Sara Loeffelholz hit a walk-off double in the seventh inning to break a 4-4 tie.
Tuesday night's battle with UNLV will mark the last regular-season home game in the careers of J.R. Giddens, Jamaal Smith and Darren Prentice. Here is a breakdown of the seniors' final seasons: J.R. Giddens Giddens has been outstanding this season, averaging 15.
Solutions by The State News
