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Women's Basketball: Lobos drop first conference game of the season at UNLV

Matthew Narvaiz | January 12

A 5-0 start against Mountain West competition was not in the cards for the Lobo women’s basketball team, as it couldn’t climb out of an early hole Wednesday in Las Vegas, Nevada. New Mexico (8-7, 4-1 MW) fell 56-42 to the UNLV Lady Rebels, its only blemish so far in conference play. The Lobos did not shoot well in the game, especially from behind the arc. The team shot a measly 21.9 percent, hitting just 14 of its 64 attempts. UNM also missed all 19 of its 3-point attempts – denoting the first time the Lobos have failed to make at least one 3-point basket in a game this season. UNLV (12-5, 3-2 MW) shot 30.9 percent from the field and went 10-of-29 from 3-point land.

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Men's Basketball: Lobos give up second half lead again, losing streak hits three

Isabel Gonzalez | January 11

Another second-half lead slipped away from the UNM men’s basketball team, costing the Lobos victory again at WisePies Arena on Tuesday night. Although New Mexico (9-8, 2-3 MW) was the favorite to win, UNM wasn’t able to close things out and deliver, and instead was dealt a 71-66 loss to the UNLV Rebels (9-9, 2-3 MW). The 2017 year looked promising for the Lobos, who pulled off a 68-62 road upset over San Diego State on Jan 1. But they haven’t won a game since and are mired in a three-game losing streak. In the previous game, the team blew a 25-point lead in the span of 11 minutes in a 105-104 overtime loss to Nevada. Prior to the UNLV game, head coach Craig Neal said the players had energy and were looking forward to being back on the floor. But that energy faded down the stretch again. The head coach seemed unsure about what’s been going on with the team and tried to analyze what happened in the second half. "We just couldn't get it going," Neal said. "It looked like we didn't have any oomph in our step. It looked like we were in quicksand all night.”

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Women's Basketball: UNM could make history with fifth straight conference win

Matthew Narvaiz | January 11

The New Mexico women's basketball team will look to make it five straight conference wins on Wednesday, making it the best start in the program’s history. UNLV (11-5, 2-2 MW) will likely be a tough task, though. The team is 5-1 at home this season, most recently pulling out a 55-53 overtime victory over Utah State, a team that played the Lobos tough last week. t recently coming off of an overtime win, 55-53, at home over a Utah State team that tested the Lobos (8-6, 4-0 MW) early on at WisePies arena aka The Pit. But the Lady Rebels will be short-handed against the Lobos on Wednesday evening, with two players being suspended for a fight that broke out in the Utah State game – it left UNLV with just six players left to play in their overtime win.

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Men's Basketball: Lobos look to bounce back from tough loss, hosts UNLV

Isabel Gonzalez | January 10

The Lobos will be looking to rebound from a stunning loss and regain their focus at WisePies Arena as they host the UNLV Rebels in a Tuesday night showdown. New Mexico (9-7, 2-2 MW) may have lost a lot Saturday night after falling in overtime to Nevada 105-104. The team blew a 25-point lead with 11 minutes remaining, is no longer undefeated at home and may have lost its confidence. “I’ve never seen anything like that,” UNM head coach Craig Neal said. “I’ve never been a part of what happened the other night. You gotta give them credit. We just didn’t finish the game.”

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Men's Basketball: Lobos collapse in final minutes, losing in one of the greatest comebacks in NCAA history

Isabel Gonzalez | January 8

Players and coaches ecstatically jumped up and down, filling The Pit’s red tunnel in a lively celebration after an historic comeback Saturday night — but it was the opposing team in blue that pulled it off. Nevada (14-3, 3-1 MW) stunned New Mexico (9-7, 2-2 MW) by dealing the Lobos their first loss of the season at WisePies Arena 105-104 in overtime after an improbable comeback. The game was back and forth during the first two minutes. New Mexico went on top 8-7 after a jumper by Jalen Harris at the 15:51 mark, and the Lobos continued to build on the lead, which lasted for most of the game. By halftime, New Mexico was up 44-31 and seemed to be playing solid in almost every aspect of the game.

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Women's Basketball: Lobos open 4-0 in Mountain West play for first time

Matthew Narvaiz | January 8

The Lobo women's basketball team made history with its win over the Nevada Wolfpack Saturday evening, winning a game that went down to the wire in Reno, Nevada, 69-63. New Mexico (8-6, 4-0 MW) has won its first four conference games for the first time ever in Mountain West play. The Lobos accomplished the feat before, but it was as a member of the Western Athletic Conference in the 1998-99 season. Nevada (6-9, 0-4 MW) went the opposite direction, failing to pick up its first conference win and dropping its second straight at home and fourth consecutive loss overall. The first quarter started out in favor of the Lobos with a quick layup from freshman guard Mykiel Burleson, who scored 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting in the first quarter alone.

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Men's Basketball: After suffering first conference loss, UNM faces another tough road test

Isabel Gonzalez | January 7

The Lobos have talked all season about the importance of defense and on Saturday against the Wolfpack, it will be even more important. New Mexico (9-6, 2-1 Mountain West) is hosting Nevada, a team that is known for its strong offense. The Wolf Pack has averaged 77.8 points per game, propelling the team to a 13-3 overall record and 2-1 in the conference. It is likely to be a tough challenge, but head coach Craig Neal said he thinks his players are capable of getting the win. “My philosophy is that we match up good with everybody, if we play like we did San Diego State,” he said.

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Women's Basketball: Lobos travel to Nevada seeking fourth straight conference victory

Matthew Narvaiz | January 7

The New Mexico women's basketball team started 3-0 in the Mountain West for the first time since the 2008-09 season and will try for four straight conference wins as it travels to Nevada. Last season, New Mexico (7-6, 3-0 MW) swept Nevada (6-8, 0-3 MW). In its first matchup last season, the Lobos escaped with a 51-47 win in Reno, Nevada. And then followed it up by dominating the Wolfpack in WisePies Arena aka The Pit, 66-42. The Lobos enter Saturday’s matchup on a three-game winning streak, most recently defeating a tough Utah State team in which the Lobos made a comeback bid to capture a double-digit win, 78-67.

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Men's Basketball: UNM dealt first conference loss at Utah State

Isabel Gonzalez | January 6

Some say good things come in threes—but three was not a lucky number for the Lobo men’s basketball Wednesday night. New Mexico shot over five percentage points better than its opponent from the floor, but 3-pointers and limited or no playing time to three key players cost the team what would’ve been its third straight conference win. Instead, the cherry and silver fell 79-75 to the Utah State. "This is only our first loss," UNM head coach Craig Neal said in a release. "It's a long conference season and hopefully we can have everyone back. We just have to play a little smarter and a little more mature. It was a perfect opportunity for us to come in here and get a win...but we didn't take advantage of that."

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Women's Basketball: Lobos complete comeback bid against Utah State to improve to 3-0 in MW

Matthew Narvaiz | January 5

The Lobo women’s basketball team was faced with adversity Wednesday night against Utah State, but it pushed past it and came out victorious for another conference win. New Mexico (7-6, 3-0 MW) overcame a five point halftime deficit to defeat Utah State (8-6, 1-2 MW) by double digits, 78-67. The outcome of the game wasn’t necessarily representative of how the game was played for much of the night though. The teams found themselves in a shootout, with Utah State getting the better end early on.

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Basketball: Lobos face another conference road test against Utah State

Isabel Gonzalez | January 4

After pulling off an upset over San Diego State in sunny California, the Lobos will try to make it three in a row in the much colder location of Logan, Utah against the Utah State Aggies. New Mexico (9-5, 2-0 MW) have started well in Mountain West Conference play, winning its first two games. But its opponent hasn’t been so fortunate, as Utah State (6-7, 0-2 MW) is mired in a three-game losing streak. In their most recent games, the Lobos got by the Aztecs, 68-62, while the Aggies lost 78-73 to Air Force. Although two Utah State players scored more than 20 points, Koby McEwen with a career-high 22 points and Jalen Moore with 21, their efforts were not enough. The Falcons controlled the game, leading for all but 20 seconds.

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Basketball: Lobo women eye third straight Mountain West victory

Matthew Narvaiz | January 3

The UNM women's basketball team will attempt to start 2017 off the same way it ended last year—seeking another conference win at home Wednesday night. New Mexico (6-6, 2-0 MW) posted back-to-back wins for the first time since opening the season 2-0 and can improve to 3-0 to open conference play with a win over Utah State (8-5, 1-1 MW). The Lobos lead the all-time series over Utah State 13-6, in a rivalry that dates back to the 1974-75 season. Last season, the two teams split the conference series with each team winning on its own home floor. Utah State took round one, 72-59, in Logan, Utah, but New Mexico exacted revenge by taking a 73-70 win at WisePies Arena.

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Basketball: Defense and free throws help Lobo men complete second half comeback

Isabel Gonzalez | January 2

The new year started on Sunday, and the UNM men’s basketball team wasted no time getting new results in 2017. New Mexico (9-5, 2-0 MW) hadn’t been successful in getting a win against San Diego State since March 15, 2014. But on Sunday afternoon, the team walked away with a 68-62 comeback victory. The result snapped the Aztecs’ four-game winning streak and helped the Lobos jumped out to an early 2-0 mark in Mountain West Conference play.

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Basketball: Women crush Aztecs to open MW play at 2-0, improve to .500 on season

Matthew Narvaiz | January 2

The Lobo women’s basketball team finished 2016 in the best way possible, dominating the San Diego State Aztecs, 85-42 on Saturday evening. New Mexico (6-6, 2-0 MW) improved to .500 on the season with the victory over San Diego State (5-7, 0-1 MW). It is the first time the Lobos have started 2-0 in conference play since the 2008-09 season. Junior guard Cherise Beynon headlined a supercharged performance. She had 23 points – the fifth time this season she’s scored over 20 – nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals. She finished just one rebound shy of a double-double, but probably could’ve pushed for a triple-double had she not have been taken out midway through the fourth quarter.

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Basketball: Men look to go 2-0 in conference play

Isabel Gonzalez | January 1

The Lobos finished 2016 with a bang and are looking to start the new year the same way. The UNM men’s basketball team is heading to "the Golden State" to face the San Diego State Aztecs (5-7, 0-1 MW), a team that has had a hot hand in a four-game winning streak. New Mexico (8-5, 1-0 MW) has several ups and downs so far during the 2016-17. It managed to stay undefeated at home with a 7-0 record, but have picked up some painful losses on the road including a 77-46 one to the Arizona Wildcats.

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Basketball: Women take down Fresno State in conference opener, now shift focus to San Diego State

Matthew Narvaiz | December 31

The Lobo women's basketball team clinched their first road win of the season in the team’s conference opener at Fresno State, 80-54 on Thursday evening. New Mexico (5-6, 1-0 MW) got a balanced performance, especially on the offensive end. Only six players scored in the game, but half of them registered double-digits scoring early and often. Junior guard Cherise Beynon – who has struggled with her shot at times this season – put up a team-high 20 points. She also dished out six assists and brought down nine rebounds, one shy of achieving her fourth double-double of the year.

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Basketball: Men's basketball opens conference play with a win over Fresno State

Isabel Gonzalez | December 29

The UNM men’s basketball team opened up Mountain West Conference play on Wednesday night on a good note. The Lobos took down the Fresno State Bulldogs 78-73 increasing their undefeated home record to 7-0 at WisePies Arena aka the Pit. The victory marked New Mexico’s sixth consecutive in Mountain West openers and eighth straight when opening conference play at home. Head Coach Craig Neal said he thought it was a good game for his players, who were bouncing back from a painful 31-point loss at No. 18 Arizona last week.

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Basketball: Women's team begin conference play at Fresno State

December 29

The Lobo women's basketball team will get back to business Thursday in its first conference game after nearly a week off during the holidays. The Lobos (4-6) and Fresno State (7-4) have played each other very evenly in the series history, but last year the Bulldogs earned a sweep over the Lobos. Fresno State won its first matchup 69-65 at WisePies Arena and then won again later in the season 51-43 on its home court. The pair of wins gave the Bulldogs a 10-9 overall advantage and improved their home record to 7-1 against the Lobos. New Mexico has not won a road game all season (0-3) and will likely be eager to buck that trend.

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Basketball: Conference play could be a fresh start for Lobos

Robert Maler | December 28

Many teams view conference play as marking the start of a new season—which could be a good thing since the Lobos will likely want to put their subpar start behind them. New Mexico (7-5) has been underwhelming so far this season during non-conference play, but has a chance for a new beginning when it faces Fresno State (8-4) Wednesday night. The Lobos have played well at times this season, but an injury to a key player and some streaky performances seem to have the team still searching for some answers.

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Basketball: Women's basketball misses opportunity to improve to .500 on season

Matthew Narvaiz | December 22

The Lobo women’s basketball team couldn’t end its non-conference schedule with a win, losing to the Marquette Golden Eagles by a score of 62-52 Wednesday afternoon. Marquette improved to 9-2 on the season, while New Mexico dropped to 4-6 heading into its conference schedule next week when it travels to face Fresno State on Dec. 31. The Golden Eagles took an early lead in the first quarter, going up 22-15 on a Danielle King layup. But a UNM junior guard Cherise Beynon layup with 38 seconds trim the lead to five. She later had a chance to make it a single possession game, but missed a jumper at the end of the quarter.