Where there’s a victor, there’s a loser, and sometimes certain athletes contribute to their team’s or their own shortcomings. These athletes are favorably called bobbleheads. This week in the UFC, we had firework fights and lackluster fights. Here are some athletes who fell off.
On Thursday, April 3, the Albuquerque Isotopes played the Salt Lake Bees for the third game in the series. Both teams battled for the win, which led to a fairly close game with a 5-3 Salt Lake win. This loss marked the second for the Isotopes in the series. It was a tough 15-1 loss for the Isotopes on Tuesday, April 1, but they quickly recovered for Wednesday's game, winning 17-2. Thursday’s game was a challenge for both teams and it was tough to make runs, making the game one of the longest in the series so far.
Even though basketball season has ended, there is still noise, excitement and a lot of dirt in The Pit. But this time, some of the athletes are of a more bovine variety. From March 28-30, The Pit hosted its annual Professional Bull Riding Ty Murray Invitational. Over the three days of action, Albuquerque was home to some of the top bulls and bull riders in the world, and The Pit was packed with a sea of denim, turquoise jewelry and cowboy hats. The riders are fighting for a chance to go to the PBR world finals, which the top 40 riders are all invited to.
After a brutal 15-1 loss on Tuesday, April 1, the Albuquerque Isotopes flipped the momentum completely. They dominated the Salt Lake Bees in a 17-2 blowout at Isotopes Park on Wednesday, April 2. The Isotopes struck early and never looked back. In the bottom of the first inning, Adael Amador stole home on a wild pitch to open the scoring, and a Salt Lake error brought in two more. Ryan Ritter extended the lead with a solo home run in the second, and by the time the fifth inning rolled around, the home team was up 5-0 and still heating up.
The Albuquerque Isotopes had a 15-1 loss against the Salt Lake Bees on Tuesday, April 1. This was the first game of the series between the Isotopes and Bees. To add insult to injury, this was also the Isotopes home opener for the season — one they will look to forget. Pitching and batting were the two biggest issues for the Isotopes all night. The weather for the game could have been a factor in the Isotopes’ struggle, as the wind was intense. But it cannot be used as an excuse, considering the Bees played in the same conditions and scored 15 runs.
After their season ended with a loss to Michigan State, the University of New Mexico men’s basketball team is already being reshaped for next season. Head Coach Richard Pitino will not be back next season, and as of Wednesday, March 26, four players have declared that they entered the transfer portal. Pitino, who has been head coach of the men's basketball team for the last four seasons, accepted a job as head coach of the Xavier University men's basketball team, according to The Associated Press.
The University of New Mexico men's basketball season came to an end on Sunday, March 23 after a loss against Michigan State. The Lobos squared off against the Spartans in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Things looked good at first for the Lobos, but as the game went on, things slowly declined. When all was said and done, the Lobos were sent home after falling to the Spartans 71-63.
For the first time since 2012, the University of New Mexico men’s basketball team won a game in the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the next round. This was the Lobos’ second year in a row making an appearance in the NCAA Tournament after falling short against Clemson last year. This year, however, the Lobos went head-to-head against the Marquette University Golden Eagles, beating them 75-66 on Friday, March 21. Both teams felt each other out in the first few minutes of the game. Then, the Lobos got hot offensively as they started to rack up points.
Where there’s a victor, there’s a loser, and sometimes certain athletes contribute to their team’s shortcomings. These athletes are favorably called bobbleheads. Another week of NBA basketball has gone by — and with that, another week filled with bobbleheads.
On Monday, March 10, the Albuquerque Isotopes announced five promotional games for the 2025 season as part of an upcoming “City Roots” series. The new alternate identity features designs by Rebecca Zook, the Isotopes’ manager for digital and social media marketing, with a Zia sun symbol in a “505” emblem and a stylized “Duke City” logo.
Starting on Wednesday, March 12, the Mountain West Championship will be must-see TV. With five teams that conceivably have a shot at the title and a few more teams looking to make some noise, the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada is sure to be packed with excitement. Two teams I would look out for are Nevada and Wyoming. They have both had very close games against some of the league's best teams, but haven’t quite been able to get over the edge and secure victories. Wyoming especially is fueled by one of the league's top players: Obi Agbim. Either team could get a few upsets and make a run deeper into the tournament.
On Tuesday, March 4, the University of New Mexico women's basketball team defeated Air Force Academy 77-74 in the final home game of the season before heading to the Mountain West Championship. There was an electric atmosphere in The Pit, as both teams were filled with high intensity and determination. The first quarter was rocky for the Lobos in certain areas, mainly on the defensive end. The Falcons took the lead and ended the quarter 24-19. The Lobos’ rebounding was solid for the majority of the second quarter. Both teams battled hard offensively. On the defensive side, the Lobos tightened up a bit, only allowing 14 points in the quarter. The Lobos led 42-38 at the end of the second.
The University of New Mexico Lobos became Mountain West regular season champions for the first time in over 10 years on Friday, March 7 in front of a sold-out crowd at The Pit. The men’s basketball team finished their final regular season game against the University of Nevada Las Vegas 81-67. Offense was the name of the game for both teams, and when the game tipped off, neither looked back. The Lobos came in offensively, disrupting things in the paint as center Nelly Junior Joseph was unguardable down low. Junior Joseph did it all in the paint — whether it was scoring, rebounding or defending the rim. He finished the first half with 18 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
As the NHL season rages on, teams from each conference continue to make their push toward the playoffs as each game becomes more important. While some players will be the reason for their team’s success, others will be the reason they spend April on the couch. These athletes are favorably called bobbleheads. Here are this week’s bobbleheads who didn’t help their teams’ case for any playoff optimism.
The University of New Mexico men’s and women’s basketball teams secured another debut in the Mountain West Tournament this year, which may prompt fans to take advantage of “Lobos in Las Vegas,” a discounted travel option. The trip will take place March 12-15 and includes round-trip transportation with a three-night stay at Excalibur Hotel & Casino. Fans will trek through the desert on chartered Paradise Tours buses on their way to support Lobo basketball. The trip started with longtime fan Bobby Aragon, and it has been a tradition since 2010.
The University of New Mexico baseball team won a four-game series against the Rhode Island Rams Friday, Feb. 28 through Sunday, March 2. The Lobos were in a game of tug-of-war with the Rams, but ultimately had a successful series with three wins and one loss. Friday's game was the first in the series and it truly showed how hard the Lobos were going to have to work that weekend. There was no moment of Friday's game that wasn’t competitive, but they ultimately lost 13-14.
After losing two games in a row for the first time this season, the University of New Mexico Lobos added another win to their record on Saturday, March 1, beating the Air Force Academy Falcons 92-71. The Lobos had no trouble against the Falcons, as they led the other team for the entire game. The only time the game was tied was between tipoff and the first Lobo basket. The Lobos were simply too fast and tenacious for the Falcons to handle. The Falcons were rattled by the Lobos' defensive pressure and ended up turning the ball over 20 times, which created 28 points of offense for the Lobos.
The University of New Mexico baseball team took on New Mexico State University on Tuesday, Feb. 25, walking away victorious with a 7-0 win. Head Coach Tod Brown said he saw improvement compared to the previous weekend’s games against Northern Colorado University. “It's much better. I mean, Stevie Wonder could see that,” Brown said. “Look at nine zeros, two hits — very competitive.”
Another exciting week of NBA basketball has gone by, and we saw highs, lows and a few players who could’ve played better. Those players in particular are this week's “bobbleheads.” San Antonio Spurs — Chris Paul Chris Paul has had an interesting career to say the least, and this week added to that. The 39-year-old point guard stumbled into the week with an abysmal performance in a loss against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, Feb. 23, only putting up 4 points on 1-10 shooting, going 1-7 shooting from three.
The inaugural Four Nations Face-Off hockey tournament came to an exciting conclusion Thursday night when Canada defeated the United States in a 3-2 overtime victory. Where there’s a victor, there’s a loser, and sometimes certain athletes contribute to their team’s shortcomings. These athletes are favorably called bobbleheads. With three other nations falling short, here are the bobbleheads who helped ensure the teams walked away from the tournament empty-handed.
Solutions by The State News
