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Sports

Men's Basketball: Lobos win tight exhibition contest against ENMU

Robert Maler | November 6

New Mexico’s second exhibition game of the season on Friday was anything but a walkthrough, as the men’s basketball team experienced a myriad of woes, especially in the first half. The Lobos took the scenic route and ended up with the result most probably expected — a lop-sided 88-66 victory. But the final score was not indicative of how tight things were for much of the game. Head coach Craig Neal said Eastern New Mexico deserved a lot of credit for the way it played Friday night. The team played hard, played to win and took it to the Lobos from the opening tip.

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Men's Basketball: Lobos show off balanced offensive attack in preseason rout

Matthew Narvaiz | November 4

Jordan Hunter, on a 4-for-4 shooting night from beyond the arc, put UNM over the 100 point mark in the Lobos’ dominating 113-57 win over Western New Mexico in an exhibition match at WisePies Arena on Wednesday. The Mustangs started the game off with a 2-pointer from Guard Eddie Giron. But Hunter quickly capitalized on the Lobos’ first scoring drive with a trey to put them ahead 3-2 a minute into the game. From there, the Lobos never looked back. After the Hunter 3-pointer put the Lobos up, the lead only increased from there. At the half, New Mexico had built a huge advantage and led 59-27.

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Men's Soccer: Lobos gear up for Senior Night battle with Old Dominion

Isabel Gonzalez | November 3

Friday night marks “senior night” and the final game of the regular season for the UNM men’s soccer team. After already securing their spot at the Conference USA Championship, the Lobos will be looking to end this chapter with a victory over the Old Dominion Monarchs. The Lobos punched their ticket to the championship tournament after securing a 2-1 victory over the then-No. 25 South Carolina Gamecocks on Sunday. Senior midfielder Chris Wehan opened up the scoring in the first half, and senior forward Niko Hansen scored the winning goal in the second. New Mexico currently holds a 9-6-1 overall record and stands 3-3-1 in conference. They are fifth in the C-USA standings with 10 points.

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Women's Basketball: Kiana Keller's strong character stands tall

Robert Maler | November 3

New Mexico women’s basketball forward Kiana Keller may not be the tallest person on the team anymore, but her work ethic and strong character still stand head and shoulders above most. After winning a program-best 13 conference games during her sophomore year, the team had a bit of a down year last season and failed to qualify for postseason play. But the six-foot-four-inch senior said this team is mentally stronger than they were before, and ready to achieve a lot of goals. Keller’s goals — a winning season, a conference title and an NCAA tournament appearance — all focused on the team rather than on her as an individual. Keller said it has been a little weird being considered a team leader, because she’s always felt like the baby on the team growing up in the program. But being the oldest of four siblings may have helped her ability to guide and mentor the younger players on the team.

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Football: Lobos look to even the score against Nevada

Robert Maler | November 3

New Mexico football has an opportunity to earn bowl eligibility for the second year in a row as it hosts Nevada at University Stadium on Saturday night. The Lobos (5-3, 3-1 MW) hope to avenge a 35-17 loss that the Wolfpack (3-5, 1-3 MW) dealt them last season, one that head coach Bob Davie said is still etched in his memory. The team is riding a three-game winning streak after outlasting Hawaii 28-21 on Saturday, but the head coach said he isn’t even considering looking at the scope and impact of what four in a row could mean for the program. “What happened last year in Reno, Nevada was personal — they whipped us,” Davie said. “Nothing matters other than playing this game this week.”

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Sports

Women's Basketball: Five Lobos score in double-digits as UNM routs Fort Lewis in exhibition play

Robert Maler | November 2

Hannah Sjerven stepped to the free throw line, crouched into her shooting stance, released the ball and banked in the 100th point as the crowd erupted. The freshman center rattled home her second free throw attempt as well, scoring the final points of the 101-48 rout of Fort Lewis in the first women’s basketball exhibition game of the season Tuesday night in WisePies Arena, aka the Pit. Head coach Mike Bradbury, who is in his first year at the helm for the Lobos, said the crowd of 4,433 provided a great game day atmosphere and the team got what it wanted out of the game.

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Women's Basketball: Mike Bradbury to make debut as Lobos head coach on Tuesday night

Bo Yu | November 1

New Mexico women’s basketball will officially kick off its 2016-2017 season with a pair of exhibition games, hosting its first opponent, Fort Lewis, on Tuesday in WisePies Arena aka The Pit. The Lobos were selected No. 6 in the Mountain West preseason poll, with a total of 176 votes, including one first-place vote. Fort Lewis was tabbed eighth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference preseason poll, with 111 points.

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Men's Soccer: Lobos remain undefeated at home with 2-1 win over South Carolina

Isabel Gonzalez | October 31

The New Mexico men’s soccer team grabbed a big win on Sunday night after earning a 2-1 decision over the No. 25 South Carolina Gamecocks. With the win, the Lobos (9-6-1, 3-3-1 Conference USA) remain undefeated at home. They now have 10 points and hold on to the fifth spot in the conference standings. South Carolina (9-6-1 overall, 4-2-1 C-USA) dropped to third with 13 points. The Charlotte 49ers (11-2-1, 6-1 C-USA) currently lead the conference with 18 points.

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Volleyball: Lobos win third straight in conference play

Bo Yu | October 30

New Mexico volleyball continued its revenge campaign to sweep San José State in Johnson Center on Saturday. The Lobos (14-12, 4-8 MW) climbed two spots to No. 8 in the Mountain West conference after sweeping the Spartans (10-14, 3-9 MW) 25-17, 25-17, 25-20 to extend their winning streak to three-straight in conference play. “It’s a great weekend for us, and we moved up a couple spots in the conference,” New Mexico head coach Jeff Nelson said in an interview.

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UPDATED: Men's Basketball: Lobos warm up for new season

Isabel Gonzalez | October 30

Before the official season kicks off on Nov. 11, the Lobos are warming up with two exhibition matches this week. Preseason has been an exciting time for the program so far. New Mexico was selected to finish third in the Mountain West for the 2016-17 season in the conference's preseason poll. Two Lobos made the Preseason All-MW Team: redshirt junior guard Elijah Brown and redshirt senior forward Tim Williams.

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Cross Country: Women win 9th straight conference title

Bo Yu | October 30

Both New Mexico cross country teams repeated the solid performances many have come to expect of them, with one squad protecting its crown in the Mountain West Championships on Friday in Kuna, Idaho. The women’s team finished on top with 42 points to hoist its ninth consecutive MW title, while the men’s team also showed a solid performance, placing fifth in the championship.

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Women's Soccer: Lobos sign off on 2016 in style

Matthieu Cartron | October 30

Despite being eliminated from the Mountain West Conference tournament, the Lobos demonstrated character and spirit in their final game of the season, winning in overtime 2-1 to beat San Diego State. For the Lobos, it was the final career game for seniors Brooke Webster, Ruth Bruciaga, Annie Wheeler, Olivia Ferrier, Katie Hinman, Victoria Archuleta and Maddie Irwin. The game was no longer about qualification, rather an opportunity for the team and seniors to sign off in an honorable fashion. Not surprisingly, the seniors ran the show.

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Football: UNM wins in Hawaii for first 3-game win streak since 2007

Robert Maler | October 30

The New Mexico defense shined in Saturday’s 28-21 triumph over Hawaii, scoring late in the game to preserve the win and give the Lobos their first three-game winning streak since 2007. The defense finished the game the way it started — by making a stop on fourth down to kill a Hawaii drive.

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Men's Soccer: Team looks to finish season with momentum before C-USA tourney

Isabel Gonzalez | October 30

The New Mexico men’s soccer team looks to finish strong with two matches remaining before the Conference USA tournament gets rolling. The Lobos will finish their regular season with two games in Albuquerque, where they are currently undefeated with a 6-0-1 home record.

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Volleyball: Lobos continue winning streak to silence Bulldogs 3-2

Bo Yu | October 29

The New Mexico volleyball team rebounded in the final two games to revenge Fresno State 3-2 in Johnson Center on Thursday. The Lobos (13-12, 3-8 Mountain West) have begun finding the win column, notching  three victories in their last four matches.

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Women's Soccer: Lobos to play season finale, can't make MW tourney

Matthieu Cartron | October 28

The New Mexico women’s soccer team was eliminated from postseason play after a match it didn’t even play in. Unfortunately for the Lobos (8-7-3, 4-5-1 MW), a 0-0 decision between Wyoming and San Diego State on Sunday means that, regardless of what happens during the last day of conference play, the Lobos cannot qualify for the Mountain West Conference tournament.

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Men's Soccer: One goal gives the Lobos two spots in C-USA standings

Isabel Gonzalez | October 27

One goal was all the Lobos needed to climb two spots in the Conference USA standings on Wednesday night. Redshirt freshman Devin Boyce scored the second-half goal that gave New Mexico a 1-0 victory over the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers. The victory provided the Lobos with the three points they needed to move from seventh to fifth place. New Mexico — now with seven points on the season — holds an 8-6-1 overall record, including a 2-3-1 conference mark.

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Football: Lobos look for first 3-game win streak in almost a decade

Robert Maler | October 26

New Mexico football has a chance to do something Saturday in Hawaii that it hasn’t achieved in nearly 10 years — win three consecutive regular season games. The last time the Lobos won three in a row was the 2007 season, under head coach Rocky Long. The team actually accomplished the feat twice that season, en route to a 9-4 record. That’s not to say this team hasn’t experienced some recent success. The Lobos won seven games last season and had the Mountain division title in its reach until almost the very end. This season, New Mexico (4-3, 2-1 MW) is back over .500 and will showcase its best-in-the-nation rushing attack in the 10:00 p.m. (MT) road game against Hawaii (4-4, 3-1). The Lobos have won the last six meetings between the schools, including a 28-27 victory last season.

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Volleyball: Lobos looking for vengeance in home matches

Bo Yu | October 26

The Lobos are looking forward to a big home week, hosting Fresno State on Thursday and San José State Saturday — and they’re looking to exact some revenge on the two conference foes. The Lobos (12-12, 2-8 MW) just ended their eight-match losing skid in the Mountain West conference as they swept Air Force last Saturday after falling 3-0 to Boise State in the match prior. “Two tough road matches for us with the top teams in the conference,” New Mexico assistant coach JJ Glavan said. UNM ranks No. 10 in the conference standings, while its opponents Fresno State (12-9, 3-7) and San José State (10-12, 3-7) are tied for eighth. “(Last week) gets us going a little bit more for our big week here against Fresno State and San Jose State,” Glavan said.

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Sports

Men's Tennis: Despite solid play, team won't be going to Nationals

Robert Maler | October 26

The New Mexico men’s tennis season has apparently come to an end, failing to receive a bid to the ITA National Indoors despite some solid play at the regional tournament. Head coach Ben Dunbar said players had to advance into the semifinal round to be eligible to receive an at-large bid, but the team’s nationally ranked duo (No. 15) of Bart Van Leijsen and Hayden Sabatka bowed out in the quarterfinal round. Doubles partners Ricky Hernandez-Tong and senior Rodolfo “Fito” Jauregui did advance to the semifinal round and lost in a tiebreaker to the eventual champion, but the performance wasn’t quite enough to earn a berth to nationals. The head coach said the absence of a national ranking for Hernandez-Tong and Jauregui probably hurt their chances when the selections were made.