Sports - The Daily Lobo

Sophomore guard Anthony Mathis practices drills on Friday, Sept. 30, 2016 at the Davalos Training Center.

Sports

Men's Basketball: All-Americans Brown and Williams return as team preps for new season

Isabel Gonzalez | October 2

Although the season opener is still a month away, New Mexico head coach Craig Neal is already evaluating what the Lobos can do to have a successful season. During a press conference before UNM’s first official practice on Friday, Neal said the staff and players are working hard to get back to the same level they were at not too long ago. To Neal, and much of the Lobo fanbase, the past two seasons didn’t meet the program’s expectations.

Wide receiver Patrick Reed, 5, and running back Tyrone Owens celebrate in the Lobo end zone after a touchdown Saturday Nov. 1, 2016. The Lobos defeated San Jose State 48-41.

Sports

Football: Defense continues giving up big plays

Robert Maler | October 2

New Mexico blew an early 21 point first-half lead in its last game against Rutgers. On Saturday, another 21 point lead was evaporating quickly, and Lobo fans had to buckle up for a bumpy ride. UNM’s defense tightened up in the second half as it has all season, allowing only 28 yards and zero points in the quarter. An interception returned for a touchdown by Austin Ocasio put the Lobos up 41-20, and the game seemed to be well in hand.

Redshirt sophomore Tyrone Owens outruns a San José State defender on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016 at University Stadium. The Lobos defeated the San Jose State Spartans 48-41.

Sports

Football: Lobos get back to .500 with win over SJSU

Isabel Gonzalez | October 1

It was by no means perfect, but the UNM football team held on to win its first Mountain West game of the season 48-41 against the San José State Spartans. With the win, New Mexico improved to 2-2 (1-0 MW) and 2-0 at home.

Junior midfielder Claire Lynch charges Air Force's net Sunday Sept. 25, 2016 at the UNM Soccer Complex. The Lobos faced off with San Jose State this past Friday and defeated them 3-1.

Sports

Women's Soccer: Lobos get first MW win on road over SJSU

Liam Cary-Eaves | October 1

Head coach Heather Dyche said she was looking for leadership from UNM’s offense. She got more than one leader in Friday afternoon’s 3-1 victory over San Jose State. Dyche has said she thought her squad was too timid in the final third of the soccer field and said someone had to take control in the Lobo attack.

Sports

Cross Country: Women unable to win 3rd straight Notre Dame invitation, men finish 23rd of 25

Bo Yu | October 1

The defending champions No. 2-ranked New Mexico women’s cross country team placed fourth among 23 teams, while the youthful men’s squad placed 23rd of 25 on Friday afternoon in Notre Dame, Indiana. Although the women’s team couldn’t accomplish a three-peat — having won the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invite in 2014 and 2015 — it remained competitive with solid top-five performances from Alice Wright (second place) and Calli Thackery (fifth), with times of 16:16.0 and 16:30.9, respectively, in the 5-kilometer race.

Sports

Men's Tennis: Doubles team to begin season a little early

Robert Maler | October 1

The New Mexico men’s tennis team hits the courts Friday to open the fall season, but its nationally-ranked doubles team will first head to Tulsa, Oklahoma to compete in the ITA All-American Championships. New head coach Ben Dunbar said he will accompany Hayden Sabatka and Bart Van Leijsen to compete in the tournament. Sabataka and Van Leijsen are the No. 15 doubles pairing in the nation, according to the ITA preseason rankings.

Senior forward Niko Hansen runs past a downed UNLV goalkeeper after scoring against him on Monday, Aug. 15, 2016 at the UNM Soccer Complex. The Lobos defeated Florida International University on Friday 4-1.

Sports

Men's Soccer: Hansen gets offensive help as Lobos get first C-USA win

Isabel Gonzalez | October 1

The UNM men’s soccer team got its first Conference USA win of the season on Friday night in a 4-1 victory over Florida International University. Head coach Jeremy Fishbein said the 1-0 loss to Kentucky on Sunday helped motivate his team to play their best against FIU (3-5-1, 1-2 C-USA). “It was a great performance tonight,” Fishbein said.

Sports

Men's Baskeball: Lobos begin practice as they search for more consistency this season

Isabel Gonzalez | September 30

With autumn in the air, there is one big thing that comes into the minds of New Mexico sports fans: college basketball. The UNM men’s basketball team stepped back on the court on Friday afternoon for its first official practice. The Lobos finished the 2015-2016 season with a 17-15 overall record and went 10-8 in the Mountain West Conference, good for a fourth place finish.

Mariessa Carrasco attempts to dink the ball over the net against

Sports

Volleyball: Lobos unable to finish off SJSU, lose in 5 sets

Liam Cary-Eaves | September 30

After a quick start, the Lobos couldn’t finish the job in a 3-2 loss to San Jose State in San Jose, California on Thursday night. It appeared things were going smoothly for New Mexico (10-6, 1-2 MW), who started the first Mountain West road match of the season with 25-21 and 26-24 wins in the first two sets. However, after intermission, the Lobos ran out of steam, and UNM dropped the next three sets.

Junior midfielder Claire Lynch fires a penalty shot past a Air Force goal keeper while both teams stand back and watch Sunday Sept. 25, 2016 at the UNM Soccer Complex. The Lobos will compete against San Jose State this Friday.

Sports

Women's Soccer: Lobos look for leaders in trip to California

Liam Cary-Eaves | September 30

After dropping its first two Mountain West openers at home, New Mexico Women’s Soccer is in dire need of a leader. Head coach Heather Dyche said she hopes to see someone take charge in the attacking third of the field, an area the Lobos desperately need work in.

Junior forward Luke Lawrence prepares to fire a shot towards the Grand Canyon University goal Sunday Sept. 11, 2016 at the UNM Soccer Complex. The Lobos will take on the FIU Panthers this Friday at 7 p.m. in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Sports

Men's Soccer: Lobos will try to avoid falling into deeper conference hole against Florida International

Isabel Gonzalez | September 30

After a disappointing result last weekend, the UNM men’s soccer team is looking to get back on the winning track. The Lobos (5-3, 0-1 C-USA) fell 1-0 to the Kentucky Wildcats last Sunday during their Conference USA opening match. The statistics showed New Mexico edging Kentucky 12-6 in shots and 8-3 in corner kicks, but in the end it was only the Wildcats who got on the scoreboard.

Junior running back Richard McQuarley dodges a line of South Dakota University defensemen on his way to the Lobo end zone on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016 at University Stadium. The Lobos will compete against San Jose State this Saturday to begin Mountain West play.

Sports

Football: Defense looks to create turnovers in Homecoming game

Robert Maler | September 29

New Mexico head coach Bob Davie said the young season has seemed to have had a lot of starts and stops, but things are about to ratchet up with nine straight weeks of football on the slate. The Lobos have put in a lot of practice for three games that were unconventionally spaced out from each other. The season opener was on Sept. 1, but the team has played only two games since after to last week’s bye.

Victoria SPragg finsihes a spike against Air Force on September

Sports

Volleyball: Lobos to face two tough California teams over the weekend

Liam Cary-Eaves | September 29

With two starters on the New Mexico bench, the Lobos will look to steal a couple victories on the team’s trip to California. UNM is coming off a split in its first two conference home games of the year, winning the opener 3-0 against Air Force on Sept. 22, and dropping a 3-2 series to Boise State on Saturday. “Considering where we’re at, it wasn’t a bad weekend,” Nelson said. “We feel like we should’ve gotten both wins, but we’re playing down two starters.”

Redshirt sophomore Kendall Kelly crosses the finish line at the the Lobo Invitational on Saturday Sept. 3, 2016 at UNM's North Golf Course. The Lobos will compete at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational this Friday in Notre Dame, Indiana.

Sports

Cross Country: 'Eye-opening' season begins Friday at Notre Dame

Bo Yu | September 29

The New Mexico cross country team is ready to officially start its 2016-2017 season with high expectations at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational this Friday in Notre Dame, Indiana. It was at the Notre Dame Invite last year that the New Mexico women’s cross country team finished in first place, and then stormed to its dominant performances in the program’s first-ever national title in November.

Redshirt freshman defender Tom Smart looses the ball out of bounds while playing against Grand Canyon University Sunday Sept. 11, 2016 at the UNM Soccer Complex. The Lobos lost this weekend to Kentucky University 1-0 in their first C-USA game this season.

Sports

Men's Soccer: Lobos lose C-USA opener as 5-game winning streak ends

Isabel Gonzalez | September 26

The Lobos were two offside rulings away from winning their Conference USA opener against the Kentucky Wildcats.Instead, they walked away from Sunday’s match with a 1-0 loss. A loss that broke a five-game winning streak. Less than two weeks ago, Kentucky held the No. 21 spot. A week later, it was the Lobos who inhabited that ranking.

Junior running back Richard McQuarley pushes himself into the Lobos end zone to score a touch down Thursday Sept. 1, 2016 at University Stadium.

Sports

Football: Lobo mom beams with pride for her son

Robert Maler | September 26

New Mexico junior running back Richard McQuarley has been consistent in the running game so far, but he got to do something for the first time earlier this season — play in front of his mother as a Lobo. Head coach Bob Davie said the season opener was special for the running back, because his mother, Sharon McQuarley, flew in from Mississippi to make the game.

Senior defender Olivia Ferrier pushes a Air Force player after trying to defend the ball on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2016 at the UNM Soccer Complex.

Sports

Women's Soccer: Lobos open Mountain West play with winless weekend.

September 25

Sometimes following the gameplan and outplaying an opponent doesn’t translate into a victory. Occasionally a team just needs to get a break. New Mexico could manage to catch whatever it needed in a 2-1 loss to Air Force on Sunday afternoon.

Senior outside hitter Devanne Sours spikes the ball against two Boise State blockers Saturday Sept. 24, 2016 at Johnson Center.

Sports

Volleyball: New Mexico loses in 5 sets to Boise State, drops to 1-1 in MW play

Liam Cary-Eaves | September 25

The opportunity was there, but a sluggish start and a stumble at the finish cost UNM a perfect start to the Mountain West. New Mexico’s start to what would become a 3-2 loss to Boise State on Saturday was not how head coach Jeff Nelson drew it up in the pregame, and it took the Lobos an entire game to get going.

Lobos senior defender Olivia Ferrier works to get the ball away from a swarm of Colorado College players on Friday, Sept. 23, 2016 at the UNM Soccer Complex. The Lobos lost to Colorado College 1-0 to open Mountain West play.

Sports

Women's Soccer: Lack of energy out of the gate leads to loss in MW opener

Liam Cary-Eaves | September 24

New Mexico’s Mountain West season started off with a bang. Unfortunately for the Lobos, it wasn’t in their favor. It took all but 15 seconds for Colorado College’s freshman Madeline Stesney to find the back of UNM’s net off of a cross from sophomore forward Clara Richter.

Sports

UNM Athletics Director appointed to NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament selection committee

Isabel Gonzalez | September 23

Although college basketball season has yet to begin, the University of New Mexico officially has a representative for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament for 2016-17. The NCAA announced on Thursday morning that Paul Krebs, vice president for athletics at UNM, has been appointed to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee. Krebs will be one of only 10 members chosen from universities across the nation.