Last weekend at Isotopes Park was hectic for the UNM baseball team. UNM pitcher Will Kerr threw a complete game, and Brian Cavazos-Galvez broke out of his early season struggles as the Lobos swept Vermont in a four-game series, improving to 18-10. Coach Ray Birmingham said it was important that his team didn't underestimate its opponent.
When Chris Parkes played tennis in his hometown of Southport, England, he was used to seeing his little brother cheer for him on the sidelines. Fast forward a few years later, and the Parkes brothers cheer for each other on and off the court as UNM tennis players.
The dugouts, like ghost towns, are deserted. All that remains in the stadium is an oasis of neatly trimmed grass and a pile of dirt beneath a slender piece of rectangular rubber. Even after all those rambunctious fans had piled out, Lobo utility man Dane Hamilton stayed to practice.
Maybe it's the slight variation between the school colors - red and maroon. Maybe it's because NMSU is so close to El Paso, and the Aggies come in with a Texas-sized chip on their shoulders. Or maybe - with the Rio Grande Rivalry as an added incentive - the Lobos and Aggies just want to get their hands on those state bragging rights.
Men's track and field Anthony Fairbanks was named Mountain West Conference Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Week after he broke the conference record in the javelin throw. The junior hit a mark of 224-11, which broke the MWC record by 2 1/2 feet. As of Tuesday, the distance is the fourth-best in the nation.
The women's NCAA basketball Sweet 16 field is complete, and Pittsburgh and Vanderbilt are moving on after winning first-round games held at The Pit this week. No. 6 seed Pittsburgh pulled off the only considerable upset of the games played in Albuquerque, knocking off No.
It's March Madness, and what a crazy year it has been. Let's go over some of this year's upsets. Duke vs. West Virginia The outcome of this one, a 73-67 Mountaineer upset, was predicated on Duke's inability to shoot the 3-pointer. Because Duke lacks a strong interior presence, it was heavily reliant on the transitional buckets and 3-pointers.
All season long, UNM head basketball coach Steve Alford talked about building a program rather than just building a season. So, if Lobo fans can look past the gut-wrenching end to postseason play, there should be plenty to get excited about in upcoming seasons.
After UNM lost nine of its last 10 games, head coach Ray Birmingham sounded off about the Lobos recent woes. "It'll test you," he said. But Birmingham was quick to downplay the team's struggles, choosing instead to focus on how he coaches his team through adversity.
The No. 5 seed West Virginia Mountaineers squeezed passed the No. 12 seed Lobos 61-60 at The Pit in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament. The Lobos had trouble containing the Mountaineers' offensive threats, UNM head coach Don Flanagan said. "They are very difficult to defend and have a lot of weapons," he said.
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.
Solutions by The State News
