In the first week of action back on the diamond, both Jared Mang and Nathaniel Garley took home the first weekly Mountain West awards, the conference announced on Monday. Mang was named MW Player of the Week, while Garley was named MW Pitcher of the Week.
The University of New Mexico men's basketball team looked pretty good in California for at least one half when it faced Fresno State a couple of weeks ago, but saw the game slip away thanks to some lengthy scoring droughts and spotty play. New Mexico (11-14, 5-8 MW) probably liked its chances if it could be more consistent this time around — play just a little bit better for a little bit longer. The Lobos did, and held a led deep in the second half, but saw the same outcome duplicated when it fell to the Bulldogs 81-73 on Saturday night at Dreamstyle Arena aka The Pit.
California hasn't been kind to the University of New Mexico women's basketball lately, as the team just dropped two of three games there this month. New Mexico (20-4, 10-3 MW) dropped a close one, 61-59, to San Diego State on Feb. 6, which snapped a six-game winning streak. And though the Lobos got back on track with a win over San Jose State on Wednesday, they faded Saturday in the second half in a 77-70 loss at Fresno State.
San Jose State stood toe-to-toe with the University of New Mexico men's basketball team for a while, but the Lobos eventually wore the Spartans down and cruised to a 32-point blowout on Wednesday evening. New Mexico (11-13, 5-7 MW) registered the first points of the game after sophomore point guard Keith McGee drilled a 3-pointer to open the scoring. But Noah Baumann answered right back to tie things up, one of eight first-half ties along the way.
After a strong start at the plate, in which the University of New Mexico baseball team had as much as a 4-0 lead on No.8 Oregon State, it was pitching in the final innings that led to the Lobos’ demise. New Mexico (0-1) gave up three runs in the seventh and three in the bottom of the ninth, ultimately surrendering a victory to the Beavers (1-0), 6-5, on Friday afternoon in Surprise, Arizona. It was the season opener for both teams.
What word best describes this year’s baseball squad — it depends on who you ask. Jared Mang, a captain and senior outfielder for the University of New Mexico baseball team, described this Lobos team as “competitive.” If you ask Justin Watari, a junior infielder, he’ll say “chemistry.” And if you ask head coach Ray Birmingham how to describe this season’s team, he’ll give you a witty, yet informative, take on his players.
The University of New Mexico baseball team held its "First Pitch Banquet" on Friday afternoon as the team welcomed an ESPN personality to the local baseball community and attempted to raise funds for the upcoming season. UNM baseball head coach Ray Birmingham said he is tasked with raising $150,000 every year through donations and the banquet was a step toward accomplishing that goal.
The New Mexico Softball team started their season off at the New Mexico State Classic in Las Cruces this weekend, playing three games over two days and recording a 2-1 record to start the season. Victories over UTEP and Creighton were followed by a one-run defeat to the Aggies on Saturday afternoon.
85-58. It was the score of the game on Jan. 5 earlier in the season. One that favored the New Mexico Lobos and embarrassed the then-unbeaten No. 6 Nevada Wolf Pack. But it was also reportedly a score that was shown to the Wolf Pack players during practice leading up to Saturday's rematch in Reno, Nevada — an apparently effective tactic that motivated the players in a rematch they had probably been eyeing for a while.
Jayla Everett was apparently feeling down after coming off of a rough game against San Diego State on Wednesday night. She said she knows what she’s capable of and that performance didn’t meet her standard. And on Saturday afternoon inside Dreamstyle Arena - The Pit, she showed why she is deserving of having the respect of her coaches and teammates, as they placed their confidence in her and were rewarded with a 24-point performance in a wire-to-wire 85-74 win over the Nevada Wolf Pack.
Dreamstyle Arena aka The Pit has historically been a tough place for opponents to get a win, but that hadn't been the case for the University of New Mexico men's basketball team so far this season. New Mexico (10-12, 4-6 MW) entered Tuesday evening's game against San Diego State with a losing record, 5-6, at home. And the Lobos started to fall behind early — another undesired trend — trailing by double digits within the first five minutes of the game.
An ice cold shooting afternoon was too much for the Lobos to overcome in a school day matinee game against the San Diego State Aztecs, as UNM fell for the third time this season, 61-59. UNM failed to record a field goal in the final 3:49 of the game, which was a microcosm of the issues that plagued them all night. Apart from Jaisa Nunn, who had another terrific performance, scoring 27 points and adding 11 rebounds for her third straight double-double. She shot 10-17 from the field, while the rest of her teammates were a combined 12-52, good for a 31 percent shooting percentage, the team’s worst of the season.
The University of New Mexico track and field team showed some teeth this weekend while competing in the Albuquerque Collegiate Classic home meet. New Mexico clocked a collection of personal bests and brought home three wins by the end of the competition at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
The University of New Mexico men's basketball team seemed to fall apart in the second half, creating a large deficit it was unable to overcome in a 82-70 road loss on Saturday evening. New Mexico (9-12, 3-6 MW) got the start it wanted. A defensive stop to begin the game, followed by a quick layup from Makuach Maluach opened the scoring for an early 2-0 lead. UNM didn't just "stay in the game" or "hang around" against the Bulldogs. The Lobos got an opportunity to do something it hasn't enjoyed often this season — play from ahead.
The University of New Mexico women's basketball team ran its current winning streak to six, fending off several runs by the Fresno State Bulldogs to take an 82-73 victory at Dreamstyle Arena. Saturday afternoon's "Pack The Pit" game accomplished its branding goal, drawing over 8,000 fans for the 2 p.m. tip. And New Mexico (18-2, 8-1 MW), perhaps drawing on some of the energy in the crowd, played really well defensively from the outset. UNM forced four missed shots and created a turnover before Nike McClure, typically a defensive specialist, secured the first bucket minute and a half into the game.
The University of New Mexico women's basketball team ran its current winning streak to six, fending off several runs by the Fresno State Bulldogs to take an 82-73 victory at Dreamstyle Arena. Saturday afternoon's "Pack The Pit" game accomplished its branding goal, drawing over 8,000 fans for the 2 p.m. tip. And New Mexico (18-2, 8-1 MW), perhaps drawing on some of the energy in the crowd, played really well defensively from the outset. UNM forced four missed shots and created a turnover before Nike McClure, typically a defensive specialist, secured the first bucket minute and a half into the game.
The University of New Mexico women's basketball team had been receiving votes in the Coaches Poll for several weeks. Now, the Lobos are getting some recognition with some nods to crack the AP Top 25 Poll. New Mexico (17-2, 7-1 MW) already have a better record than over half of the schools in the Top 25, and have a chance to put another quality win under its belt if the Lobos can take down the Fresno State Bulldogs on Saturday. UNM has won 16 of its last 17 games and is currently riding a five-game win streak dispatching of some of the conference's tougher opponents.
The University of New Mexico women's basketball team had been receiving votes in the Coaches Poll for several weeks. Now, the Lobos are getting some recognition with some nods to crack the AP Top 25 Poll. New Mexico (17-2, 7-1 MW) already have a better record than over half of the schools in the Top 25, and have a chance to put another quality win under its belt if the Lobos can take down the Fresno State Bulldogs on Saturday.
The Lobo men's basketball team overcame a sizable halftime deficit and even took a late lead — appearing to be in line for an improbable come-from-behind victory before a series of unfortunate events erased all of that. New Mexico (9-11, 3-5 MW) fell behind early — something Lobo fans have probably grown accustomed to by now — trailing 22-8 to Utah State a little more than halfway through the first half. There wasn't a lot to be cheerful about outside of a 9-0 run that encompassed back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers — one from point guard Keith McGee and a pair of triples from sophomore Makuach Maluach. That spurt and eight free throws accounted for all but 10 of New Mexico's 27 first half points. Senior guard Anthony Mathis was held scoreless, the team shot just 27.6 percent and UNM was probably fortunate to be trailing by just nine points at the half. But something happened after halftime and UNM looked like a completely different team. Head coach Paul Weir said the team spoke at halftime about playing basketball the right way — something that didn't happen in the first half. Despite what he described as looking young and not playing fundamentally sound in the opening frame, the team And for at least 20 minutes, the team exhibited the heart, grit and and passion that Lobo fans have been clamoring for all year. UNM big man Carlton Bragg poured in a turnaround jumper to open the scoring in the second half, but Utah State's Sam Merrill drilled a 3-pointer to push the lead back to 10 points — something he and his teammates did on five more occasions over the first seven minutes or so of the second half, denying the Lobos opportunities to mount a comeback. New Mexico had played much better in the second half up to that point, but still found itself trailing 50-40 with 12:51 to play after Merrill knocked down yet another 3-pointer.
The New Mexico Women’s Basketball team went into Logan, Utah with a big opportunity in front of them, and they took advantage of it with a 68-64 win over the Utah State Aggies and reclaimed first place in the Mountain West. The Lobos entered the day tied with the Aggies for second place in the conference, one game behind the Boise State Broncos for first place, but the Broncos suffered their first loss in conference against Wyoming in Laramie.
Solutions by The State News
