Saturday night’s game was a tale of two halves for the Lobo Basketball team, as they found themselves in a huge hole at halftime but found enough of a spark to make it a game in the second half. Ultimately, they ended up losing to USC 90-82, but the fight the Lobos showed in the second half after the lackluster first half performance showed the potential the team can have this season. This game against USC was going to be a tough one to win, so we shouldn’t be extremely disappointed with the loss. This game is also a reminder that this season will be a process, but the talent is there to be a very good team.
Lobos Lose Heartbreaker to CSU
Friday night, the unthinkable happened: Boise State lost their second consecutive home game and were eliminated from winning the Mountain Division. Just like that, everything seemed to be set up for the Lobos to face Air Force next weekend in what would have been essentially a division championship here in Albuquerque. All that the Lobos need to do was to get past the CSU Rams. Now, on Sunday when I am writing this, we now know that this just wasn’t meant to be. The Lobos lost a close game to the Rams, Air Force clinched the division, and next weekend’s game has a whole lot less riding on it.
Women’s Cross Country Win National Championship
Before the cross country season began, I wrote a preview entitled “Cross Country’s High Expectations.” In it, I referenced the women’s cross country team’s third place finish at the NCAA National Championships last year and implied that the team had the potential to be competitive nationally again. Sometime in the past couple of months, those high expectations went from thinking that the team could be in the hunt for the national title to thinking that the team should win the title. On Saturday, the women delivered and did so in spectacular fashion.
Women’s Basketball vs. Sacramento State Preview
The Lobos return to The Pit today, where they haven’t lost since the name change to WisePies Arena last year. After Tuesday’s 78-59 road loss to instate rival NMSU, the Lobos are hoping to bounce back and fix what went wrong down south. The Saturday afternoon game against Sacramento State (1-1) is an interesting matchup since both teams are coming off of loses to NMSU, with Sacramento State losing their game 80-77. While Sacramento State’s score was closer against NMSU, it doesn’t really give an idea of how this game will play out. Look for the Lobos to come out and show that their game on Tuesday is not the team they are and more of a fluke. I expect that we will see some changes in the rotation after Tuesday’s game, but nothing dramatic. It should be a good game on a day filled with Lobo sporting events.
Men’s Basketball at USC Preview
The Lobos have had an impressive start to the season, highlighted by their road win against NMSU and Wednesday’s trouncing of Loyola Chicago. They look to keep their strong start going this weekend in Los Angeles against USC. Last season, the Trojans came into the Pit and beat the Lobos 66-54, so UNM will be looking to return the favor.
Football Game 11 Preview: Colorado State
Fresh off of picking up a program-defining win in Boise that ensured they’ll be bowl-eligible, the Lobos return home with their eyes on a new prize: a conference championship. After their last couple of games, the Lobos are now in the position of needing to win two home games to clinch the division and likely set themselves up for a game in San Diego for the conference championship. First up are the Colorado State Rams, who are looking to become bowl-eligible themselves, so with energized team and fan base, it should be a fun atmosphere at University Stadium.
Men’s Basketball vs. Loyola Recap
Wednesday saw the Lobos pick up a big win, but also suffer a huge loss. The team took care of a good Loyola Chicago team handily, winning 75-51 to push their record to 3-0. However, immediately after the game, news came out that Devon Williams was diagnosed with a career-ending condition, so any good feelings about this game were short-lived.
Men’s Basketball vs. Loyola Chicago Preview
After an emotional victory against New Mexico State on Sunday, the Lobos now turn their attention to representing their conference in the Mountain West/Missouri Valley Challenge. Their opponent in the challenge this year is the Loyola Ramblers. No, not that Loyola, the other one. The one from Chicago. The Ramblers bring a solid, experienced team to town, so this will likely be the Lobos’ biggest test of the season.
Women’s Basketball: NMSU Game Preview
After a game against Houston Baptist, where they played well defensively but had some struggles offensively in their 65-57 win, the Lobos look to get their offense going against instate rival NMSU. After playing just NMSU once last year, the Lobos and Aggies return to playing twice against each other this season. The Aggies won the lone meeting last year in Las Cruces 70-59, in a game where Sasha Weber scored 23 points for the Aggies. It will be important for the Lobos to get their offense going in the first quarter and keep the starters out of foul trouble. If the Lobos are able to control the pace of play and control the impact of Weber, the Lobos will have a decent chance to win this game.
NCAA Mountain Cross Country Regional Recap
This past Friday, the best college cross country teams in the Mountain Region, some of which are the best in the country, gathered on the UNM North Golf Course for the NCAA Mountain Cross Country Regionals. Naturally, both the Lobo men’s and women’s teams were there to take part. The top two teams in each race got an automatic bid to the National Championships this Saturday, so for many teams, this was their last shot to extend their season.