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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team will face Rio Grande Rival New Mexico State for the second time this season on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in Las Cruces. The game will be available on ESPN3 and other local channels (see below for more information).
New Mexico comes into the game with a 6-3 record. The Lobos are coming off a 78-77 victory over UTEP on Wednesday. They are shooting 50.1 percent from the field, which ranks first among the Mountain West and 16th among the nation. Elijah Brown led the Lobos in the UTEP win with 25 points and six rebounds. He shot the game-winner against UTEP with 5.8 seconds left.
New Mexico State comes into the game with a 7-2 record. The Aggies have won five straight since they faced the Lobos on Nov. 18. Those wins came against Bethune-Cookman, Nicholls State, San Diego, Mountain West foe Air Force and Long Beach State. The Aggies have three players averaging in double-figures. Sidy N’Dir leads the way with 13.7 ppg. Braxton Huggins is average 12.8 ppg and Ian Baker, who led the Aggies against the Lobos on Nov. 18, is averaging 12.5 ppg.
In the last meeting, between the Lobos and the Aggies, the Lobos claimed a 72-59 victory in Albuquerque. Tim Williams led the Lobos with 20 points while Brown finished with 19. The Lobos shot 51.9 in the second half to help them pull away and claim the victory.
ABOUT THE SERIES:
New Mexico and New Mexico State will face off for the 218th time in the Lobos’ oldest rivalry. UNM Holds a 121-96 advantage in the series, which began in the 1903-04 season. UNM has won 16 of the last 19 meetings with Craig Neal on the sidelines (2007-08 to present). On the road, the Lobos are 46-58 against the Aggies but have won the last eight meetings in Las Cruces. The Lobos have not lost to the Aggies on the road with Neal as head coach.
The game is part of a department-wide competition. All of the two schools’ athletic teams compete for points in the competition. The Lobos have claimed victory every year of the rivalry, which began during the 2007-08 academic year. Currently the 2016-17 Rio Grande Rivalry is led by the Lobos, 13.5-4.5.
ABOUT THE COACHES:
Craig Neal is in his fourth season as head coach of the Lobos and owns a 65-41 career record. Since he became head coach the Lobos have not lost to the Aggies in Las Cruces. He is 6-1 against New Mexico State. Paul Weir is in his first season as head coach for the Aggies. They were picked to finish at the top of the WAC this season.
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
The game will be available on ESPN3 with a 7:30 p.m. tip-off. Fans can catch the game LIVE on FOX Sports Arizona Plus (DISH – SD: 451, HD: 9539, DISH Hopper – 412-39, DTV: 676-5) and FOX Sports Southwest PLUS (DISH – SD: 451, HD: 9539, DISH Hopper – 412-39, DTV: 686-1) and FOX College Sports Pacific (DTV: 608, DISH: TBD, Comcast: 264). Channels subject to change. Fans can also follow along with Robert Portnoy and Lobo great Hunter Greene on 770 KKOB or by tuning into the TuneIn radio app.