Following a ten day break New Mexico turned around and gutted out a 51-47 road win at the Lawlor Events Center in Reno, Nevada. The Lobos had ample amount of time to think about their 52-47 second half collapse against New Mexico State on Dec. 20. However, head coach Yvonne Sanchez said she liked the way her team responded to the loss.
New Mexico needed a get-right game. On Wednesday, it got right. Far from flawless, the Lobos did enough to put the four straight Christmastime losses behind them and opened the Mountain West slate with a 88-76 victory over Nevada at WisePies Arena. Where UNM (8-6, 1-0 MW) excelled was in a 25-2 first-half run that followed a slow start.
The time has come for New Mexico to stop dwelling on its second half collapse which merited New Mexico State’s season sweep over the Lobos. Head coach Yvonne Sanchez has bigger plans with conference play on the horizon.
New Mexico head coach Craig Neal is quick to remind everybody the youth on this year’s Lobos squad, even calling it the youngest in nine years. In every game this year, the Lobos started three sophomores – two of them redshirts – and two juniors.
New Mexico hit a slump heading into the Mountain West schedule after dropping three games in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic. The sweep at the tournament extends a Lobo losing streak to four straight games when coupled with nonconference home loss to Rice, a game where UNM called a timeout it didn’t have just prior to the end of regulation.
New Mexico safety Markel Byrd died Tuesday afternoon in a single car accident near Gallup, New Mexico, according to a UNM release.
UNM announced Tuesday afternoon that New Mexico Director of Operations for men’s basketball Cody Hopkins is currently on a leave of absence as the university undergoes an internal investigation for the use of his purchasing card. The New Mexico Athletic Department is working together with UNM Internal Auditing to review Hopkins’ P-card, in a statement released by UNM Athletics.
UNM recently hosted a joint meeting of UNM’s and NMSU’s Boards of Regents to discuss issues of higher education and updates on the New Mexico Legislative Lottery Scholarship. Joint regents meetings usually happen once a year, before a football or basketball game between the two universities, according to Mallory Reviere, special assistant to the UNM Board of Regents.
UNM baseball head coach Ray Birmingham has been well-endowed as a firm believer in helping out the state of New Mexico. The Land of Enchantment has honored the Hobbs native by electing Birmingham to the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday. He will be formally introduced as one of eight members inducted during a banquet on April 3, 2016.
New Mexico’s 52-47 loss to NMSU was defined by both head coaches as a game of toughness. For NMSU, a resilient effort in a physical game. For UNM, a complete mental collapse down the stretch in the final nonconference game of the season.
Trickery, fourth down conversions, and big-time plays fueled Arizona in a highly emotional 45-37 win over UNM in the 10th annual Gildan New Mexico Bowl on Saturday night. Having appeared in four straight bowl games at the helm of the Arizona football program, Rich Wright is no stranger to what it takes to win a bowl game. The head coach said he knew New Mexico was going to try to throw some new looks and some trick plays at his squad before the opening whistle sounded.
New Mexico now has its own Chris Webber moment. Holding a 17-point second-half edge, Saturday night at WisePies Arena UNM got sloppy and allowed Rice to surge back.
New Mexico had enough effort and resilience to mount a comeback against Arizona.
It’s fair to say New Mexico has grown comfortable in the underdog role. The Lobos past three wins against Utah State, Boise State and Air Force were all as double-digit underdogs.
Head coach Craig Neal over the last several weeks has discussed the team’s goal to win every game at New Mexico’s own WisePies Arena.
New Mexico head coach Yvonne Sanchez wouldn’t classify the two game series against NMSU as a traditional rivalry. Sanchez said there is a lot of mutual respect between the 225 miles that separate Las Cruces and Albuquerque. With that said, the head coach deemed the final in-state clash as an important indicator for her squad.
The Arizona Wildcats know exactly what will be coming at them defensively during the 10th annual Gildan New Mexico Bowl tomorrow afternoon. However, New Mexico’s triple option has proven to be difficult to contain for the entirety of a 60 minute ballgame. It takes just one mistake, one missed tackle, one missed assignment, and a Lobo may be prancing downfield toward the pylons.
New Mexico senior Kahdijah Shumpert propelled her team to a 72-53 road victory over the Minnesota Gophers on Wednesday night in Shumpert’s return to her home state.
The Rio Grande Rivalry continues to be a one-sided affair. New Mexico yet again swept the yearly home-and-home series with in-state foe New Mexico State Wednesday night at WisePies Arena, capturing a 79-61 victory over the Aggies. The win marks the 15th time in the last 18 meetings where the Lobos prevailed.
After 13 years of service to the University, UNM Regent James Koch announced his retirement from the position earlier this week, effective Dec. 31. In his letter of resignation to Governor Martinez – who appoints the regents – Koch said he has been honored to serve New Mexicans, and thanked Martinez, and former Governor Bill Richardson, for the trust they showed in appointing him three times. “I have made many friends. I have shared challenges, victories and setbacks. But, not once did I ever regret servicing the people of this great state,” he states in the letter.
Solutions by The State News
