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Sports

Men's Basketball: Lobos to open MW Tournament play against Wyoming

Robert Maler | March 7

The 2018 Mountain West Men's Basketball Championship got underway on Wednesday and the University of New Mexico men's basketball team began the tournament in a good spot — enjoying a first-round bye and waiting for two other schools to compete for the chance to play the next day against New Mexico. New Mexico (17-14, 12-6 MW) earned a bye week by defeating Fresno State in its regular season finale on Wednesday, securing the No. 3 seed in the tournament in the process. That allowed the Lobos to sit back and watch Wyoming and San Jose State — two schools which UNM swept during the regular season — play in the final first-round game of the day. Seeding held on day one of the tournament as the No. 8 hometown UNLV Rebels outlasted No. 9 Air Force in overtime, 97-90, in the opening game and No. 7 Utah State downed No. 10 Colorado State later by a 76-65 margin.

Cherise Beynon drives past Taylor Rusk during the second half of Tuesday night's game against Wyoming at Thomas & Mack Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Lobos lost 66-69.

Sports

Women's Basketball: UNM falls to No. 3 Wyoming in quarterfinals, ending MW tournament run

Matthew Narvaiz | March 7

LAS VEGAS — Through its first six quarters of play in the 2018 Mountain West Tournament, the University of New Mexico women’s basketball team looked like the team that started 13-0 on the season — but just like the regular season, the momentum came to a screeching halt. New Mexico ran roughshod over San Jose State in the opening round, blasting the Spartans 84-54. Things appeared to be going the same way against Wyoming in the second round matchup, as the Lobos sprinted out to a 33-18 halftime advantage. In the second half, though, UNM faltered. And after scoring just 18 points and shot 29 percent in the first half, Wyoming dominated by scoring 51 points in the second half of play en route to a 69-66 win over the Lobos at the Thomas & Mack Center on Tuesday evening.

Sports

Men’s Tennis: UNM places third in Mountain Pacific Invitational

Matthieu Cartron | March 6

The University of New Mexico men's tennis team took third in the annual Mountain Pacific Invitational after beating Brown University 4-1 on Sunday in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Mountain Pacific Invitational is an eight-team tournament that consists of singles competition only on day one, and doubles play being introduced into the fold on the following day — guaranteeing all schools a total of three matches.

Jasmine Smith drives to the basket for the Lobos during the second half of the game on March 5, 2018 at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Lobos won 84-54.

Sports

Women's Basketball: Lobos crush San Jose State 84-54 in MW Tournament opener

Matthew Narvaiz | March 5

LAS VEGAS — A well-balanced performance from the University of New Mexico women’s basketball team helped it grab a win in the first round of the 2018 Mountain West Tournament over the No. 11 seed San Jose State Spartans. UNM (23-9), the conference's No. 6 ranked team, got big performances out of its starters to dominate the Spartans (7-23) en route to an impressive 84-54 victory. Junior post Jaisa Nunn had 19 points and nine rebounds to lead the Lobos, while senior guards Tesha Buck and Cherise Beynon had 18 and 14 points, respectively. Beynon led New Mexico in rebounding with 11 boards on her way to a double-double.

Sports

Women’s Basketball: Lobos to face San Jose State in first round of Mountain West Tournament

Matthew Narvaiz | March 4

On Monday, the University of New Mexico women’s basketball team will play in the first round of the Mountain West Tournament against San Jose State. UNM (22-9), after a 10-8 performance in the conference this season, entered the tournament as the sixth seed, whereas the Spartans are the eleventh seed—the lowest of all seeds in the tournament. The winner of the matchup between UNM and SJSU (7-22, 4-14 MW) will then move on to play third seeded Wyoming on Tuesday, since they locked in a bye for the first round. Entering Monday’s first round tip-off, the Lobos have had a late trail of success. In its last two games, UNM has won both while also getting big performances from some of its players in the process.

Sports

Men's Basketball: A look at the swan song for three Lobo seniors

Robert Maler | March 4

Three seniors with very difficult career arcs played their last regular season finale in a Lobo uniform on Saturday at Dreamstyle Arena. They apparently didn't want the moment to end — opting to give the fans five additional minutes of basketball to appreciate their career contributions. The University of New Mexico men's basketball team led for almost the entirety of the game, but found itself tied up at the end of regulation after squandering a seven-point lead in the final minute of the second half. The Lobos got big contributions from everyone, but when the outcome was no longer in question — head coach Paul Weir gave fans an opportunity to show gratitude and his seniors a chance to savor the moment.

Mihok’s training gloves are set and ready for use.

Sports

Growing ABQ’s fighting community: Former Lobo athlete trades field for ring

Aleks Mihailovic | March 4

Editor’s Note: This story was originally published on Sept. 26 and written by New Mexico News Port reporter Aleks Mihailovic.

Troy Simons drives past Fresno State's Sam Bittner during Saturday's game at Dreamstyle Arena, aka The Pit. The Lobos won 95-86 in overtime.

Sports

Men's Basketball: Lobos pull away from Bulldogs 95-86 to finish third in Mountain West

Robert Maler | March 4

Slated as a preseason selection to finish ninth in the Mountain West, the University of New Mexico men's basketball team finished the season far from it — knocking off the Fresno State Bulldogs in overtime on Saturday night to overtake third place in the conference standings. New Mexico ensured itself of a winning record this season, finishing the regular season 17-14 overall and going 12-6 in Mountain West play. The Lobos also extended their season-high winning streak to five with the 95-86 win over the Bulldogs, but three will be the important number moving forward. UNM will shift its attention to next week's 2018 Mountain West Men's Basketball Championship in Las Vegas Nevada, where it will compete as a No. 3 seed and hope to win three games in three days to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Sports

Men's Basketball: Lobos and Bulldogs vie for MW 3rd seed on UNM Senior Night

Robert Maler | March 3

Three University of New Mexico men's basketball seniors will try to cap the regular season with a win on Senior Night in what will likely be the last game they ever play at the Pit. Joe Furstinger and Sam Logwood are Lobo veterans, while Antino Jackson, a senior transfer, was added to the roster in the offseason to handle duties at point guard. The three have played their part in turning things around after a rough start to the season and now have their team in the thick of things in the Mountain West. That trio will be recognized following Saturday's matchup against Fresno State, a release said.

Sports

Women’s Basketball: Beynon, Buck and Nunn lead UNM to win over Fresno State on the road

Matthew Narvaiz | March 3

It took the entirety of the game, plus some, for the University of New Mexico women’s basketball team to pull out a victory on the road at Fresno State, 93-89. And the Lobos got scoring out a trio of players such as Cherise Beynon, Tesha Buck and Jaisa Nunn in the process. Beynon led UNM with a triple-double performance, putting up 22 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. It marked her third triple-double of her career. Buck, however, was a problem on offense for the Bulldogs. She scored a team-high 30 points while going 12-of-23 from the field. She also had two threes, though she took a total of 10 of them.

Sports

Baseball: Lobos dealt 9-5 loss in conference home opener

Robert Maler | March 3

The University of New Mexico baseball team was dealt its first home defeat after Nevada broke the game open with a big inning and held on for the win on Friday night at Santa Ana Star Field. UNM sophomore pitcher Justin Slaten shouldered the loss as New Mexico (4-4-1, 0-1 MW) fell in its conference opener to the Wolf Pack by a score of 9-5. Nevada (4-4, 1-0 MW) got on the board in the top of the first inning, plating a run after Grant Fennell was able to double home Daniel Perry in the top of the frame.

Sports

Men's Basketball: Lobos pummel Rams to ensure first-round bye in MW Tournament

Robert Maler | March 1

Things got out of hand quickly as the University of New Mexico men's basketball team thoroughly dominated Colorado State in the first half — and then coasted to victory to sweep the regular season series against the Rams. New Mexico (16-14, 11-6 MW) was unrelenting in its quest to lock up a first-round bye in the upcoming 2018 MW Men's Basketball Championship, jumping all over Colorado State in the early going. The Lobos had an answer in the second half for seemingly every run the Rams tried to make and picked up a 108-87 victory for a season-high fourth straight win. In the first meeting between the schools, Colorado State turned the ball over 24 times on the way to an 80-65 loss on Jan. 27 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

From left to right: Cherise Beynon, Laneah Bryan, Tesha Buck and Alex Lapeyrolerie pose with coaches during senior night on Feb. 27, 2018.

Sports

Women's Basketball: Four seniors play their last game at the Pit

Matthew Narvaiz and Cameron Goeldner | February 28

And then, it was their last. Four seniors, all guards, stepped onto the Pit floor for the last time, as players for the University of New Mexico women’s basketball team. Seniors Cherise Beynon, Laneah Bryan, Tesha Buck and Alex Lapeyrolerie had a mix of emotions, they said, but a positive outcome in a season in which they broke records, beat the unbeatable and have become a sisterhood. And that sisterhood will stand the test of time, Lapeyrolerie said.

Senior Tesha Buck dribbles against two players from Colorado State on Feb. 27, 2018 at the Dreamstyle Arena. The Lobos won 54-48 against Colorado State.

Sports

Women’s Basketball: Lobos cap senior night with a win over CSU

Matthew Narvaiz | February 28

In the University of New Mexico women’s basketball team’s final game at The Pit this season, a strong performance from senior guard Cherise Beynon led the Lobos to a win over Colorado State, 54-48, in front of a crowd of 5,088 screaming fans. Being their last game, it also doubled as “senior night,” in which four Lobos Beynon, Tesha Buck, Alex Lapeyrolerie and Laneah Bryan stepped onto the Pit floor. Lapeyrolerie, who tore her ACL in a game against Air Force a few games ago, also suited up in her uniform. And, to the crowd’s delight, was awarded her spot in the starting lineup. She looked out into the crowd and hugged her teammates before leaving the court shortly after to let the game get started.

Mike Shields, owner of Omni Strength, trains Duane Yardman-Frank at the Omni Strength gym on Feb. 23, 2018.

Sports

College students can reap benefits from bodybuilding

Sherri Barth | February 28

Not everyone has the desire or the drive to be a world-class bodybuilder, but college students and other community members may find it rewarding. Sam Schrader, a multi-title bodybuilding champion and University of New Mexico medical student, said he has experienced both mental and physical gains from the sport. “I absolutely think that keeping a consistent training schedule has been unbelievably important to my resilience in the face of an increasingly demanding academic schedule," he said. "I think that it’s become as important to my emotional wellness as it is to my physical fitness.”

Ricky Hernandez Tong returns a shot during the Lobos’ match against the University of California, Santa Barbara Feb. 25, 2018. UNM beat UCSB, 4-3

Sports

Men’s Tennis: Weekend split leaves Lobos 6-4

Matthieu Cartron | February 28

The University of New Mexico (6-4) fell 4-2 on Friday to the University of Utah (14-1) before taking down the University of California, Santa Barbara (5-4) on Sunday in a dramatic 4-3 win. In doubles play against the University of Utah, the Lobos appeared to be on their way to snatching the doubles point from the Utes after the duo of seniors Bart Van Leijsen and Jorge Escutia beat Utah junior David Micevski and freshman Randy Cory 6-4. But soon after, junior Ricky Hernandez-Tong and sophomore Dominic West fell to junior Joe Woolley and senior Egbert Weverink 6-4, and on court three Utah junior Dan Little and sophomore Azat Hankuliyev quickly followed up with a 6-4 win over UNM freshman Stepan Holis and senior Sean Baklini to give the Utes the doubles point.

Sports

Football: Former Lobo picks up pair of Hall of Fame honors

Robert Maler | February 26

Former University of New Mexico football player Brian Urlacher has been busy lately, picking up Hall of Fame selections for his collegiate and professional playing careers. Urlacher was already a member of UNM's Ring of Honor, but joined the ranks of the College Football Hall of Fame in December of 2017. He was a versatile player for New Mexico, logging plays as a linebacker, safety and on special teams as well. During his time at UNM, he garnered All-American honors twice and amassed some impressive statistics.

Sports

Sports Issue: Students use protein to help build muscle

Marco Torrez | February 26

Protein is consumed to help aid muscle repair and increase muscle growth, but protein itself does not constitute a negative repercussion unless the consumer mismanages their protein intake. Protein consumption is a common aspect of many people’s normal workout procedure. The amount of different kinds of protein that is available to people ranges from organic, to powder, to shakes and to bars. Kurt Escobar, a UNM Ph.D. student and undergraduate professor specializing in Exercise Science at the University of New Mexico, said the idea that different forms of protein have different varying levels of effectiveness is not true.

Opinion

Sports Issue: Column — How I got into sports reporting

Matthew Narvaiz | February 25

Growing up I was always into sports. Playing them, watching them but, most of all, talking about them. I remember in my younger days watching College Gameday with Lee Corso and always looking forward to waking up at 9 a.m. to hear him and his crew’s predictions on the upcoming college football games. To me, that’s where the real fun was. Growing up, for most of my elementary and middle school years, I had dreams and aspirations of being on Sportscenter and talking about the day’s highlights. But like time, change in myself—and my interests—was always inevitable. I was still just a young boy, learning new things about myself each and every day. Being on Sportcenter, being an anchor on set, wasn’t for me. What was for me, though, was still being involved in sports somehow and someway.

Opinion

Sports Issue: Column — Let's talk about paying collegiate student-athletes

Danielle Prokop | February 25

First off, I don’t care about college sports, but I do care about college athletes. I don’t have a “team,” and I’ve never been to a game. However, that does not take away from the fact that people are placing themselves into a brutal arena, unpaid for the work they do, for the sake of entertainment. Athletes are working 40 hours a week minimum at their sport — a full-time job on top of classes. They are limited by schedules and practices. Athletes cannot control their image, endorse products or receive payment for autographs unlike other “amateurs." This arbitrary rule is enforced across sports, not just the money-makers like football or basketball.