Nov. 21, 2004
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The Lobos hit the road for the first time this season when they venture to Eugene, Ore., Monday for a clash against Oregon. Tipoff is 8:05 p.m. Mountain Time, 7:05 p.m. Pacific Time from McArthur Court.
UNM is 4-0 following an easy 93-53 victory over Western New Mexico on Friday. It’s the best start since the 1998-99 team began 8-0 en route to a No. 11 national ranking. Oregon opened its 100th season Friday with a 77-51 whipping versus Idaho State.
The win over Western New Mexico matches the best start for a Ritchie McKay-coached team. His 1997-98 Portland State squad and 2000-01 team at Colorado State each began 4-0.
UNM is looking to halt a 26-game road losing skid while the Ducks have won 27 straight non-conference home games. UO’s last loss at McArthur Court outside the Pac-10 was Dec. 11, 1999, when it fell to Cal State Northridge 79-77. New Mexico’s last road win was Jan. 28, 2002, a 70-64 decision at Colorado State.
On Dec. 21, 1999, 21-point underdog New Mexico halted Arizona’s 37-game homecourt winning streak with a 70-68 upset. The Wildcats were 9-1 and ranked No. 2 in the nation at the time. The Lobos came into the game 5-5.
UNM VS. OREGON / PAC-10 – UNM and UO meet for the first time since March 16, 1990, when New Mexico took an 89-78 victory in the first round of the NIT in The Pit. The Lobos have a 5-1 lead in the series with the only loss being 61-59 in Albuquerque on Dec. 6, 1969. Oregon is slated to come to The Pit next season. The Lobos have played in Eugene only once, resulting in a 64-60 win on Dec. 1, 1967.
The Lobos are 109-138 against current members of the Pac-10. Most of those games have come against Arizona and Arizona State as UNM is 42-83 against the Cats and 46-37 versus the Sun Devils. New Mexico is 1-3 vs. Cal, 4-2 vs. Oregon State, 4-5 vs. USC, 1-2 vs. Stanford, 2-2 vs. UCLA, 2-2 vs. Washington and 2-1 vs. Washington State.
ROAD STREAK – UNM has dropped 26 straight games in true road games, 28 in a row including neutral sites, and 19 consecutive MWC defeats away from The Pit. The last road win was Jan. 28, 2002, a 70-64 decision at Colorado State. It’s UNM’s longest losing skid away from home in more than 40 years.
Excluding conference tournament games on neutral floors, the Lobos have dropped six straight non-conference road affairs. The last win was 66-64 at New Mexico State on Dec. 5, 2001. The setbacks have come at some rather formidable venues: twice at New Mexico State plus once each at Minnesota, Texas Tech, Tennessee and Wake Forest.
WESTERN NEW MEXICO RECAP – New Mexico raced to a 16-3 lead and never looked back in the 93-53 victory over Div. II Western New Mexico. The five Lobo starters played just 83 minutes and scored a combined 43 points. Redshirt freshman Sean Phaler led UNM with 16 points off the bench, all of those coming in the second half. Phaler nailed 4 of 7 shots from 3-point and added 7 rebounds and a pair of blocks in just 16 active minutes.
Reserve wing Tony Danridge and starter David Chiotti chipped in with 10 points apiece. Danny Granger scored just nine points in 20 minutes, only the second time in 26 games at New Mexico that he’s failed to reach double figures. He also had nine last year at BYU. Granger did pull down a team-high 11 rebounds, 10 of those in the first half.
The Lobos made more than half their shots from the floor for the fourth straight game, something they have not done in five years. UNM was 33 of 62, good for 53.2% accuracy. New Mexico outboarded the shorter Mustangs 47-30.
HEAD COACH Ritchie McKay – Ritchie McKay is in his third season in charge of Lobo hoops and his ninth year as a collegiate head coach. He was named UNM’s 18th head coach on March 28, 2002.
McKay had previous two-year stops at Portland State (1996-98), Colorado State (1998-2000) and Oregon State (2000-02). He has a career record of 111-121, 28-32 at New Mexico. McKay is 28-11 at home, 19-12 in non-conference games and 19-6 in non-league games at The Pit. He is 0-19 in road games at UNM.
While at Mountain West Conference member Colorado State, McKay led the Rams to the NIT in 1999. McKay is the son of the late Joe McKay, who was a three-year letterman at guard for the Lobos from 1961-63.
DOMINATING SO FAR – In getting off to their best start in six years, the Lobos have outshot and outrebounded each of their first four opponents. UNM’s average lead at halftime is 14 points (40.5 to 26.5). What hasn’t gone particularly well is free-throw shooting where New Mexico is making just 62.6% (72-115) of its tries. The Lobos are also averaging 16 turnovers a game, including 26 in the opener against North Carolina A&T. That’s the most since 28 errors in an 86-79 victory at Arizona State on Dec. 5, 1995.
HOT START FROM THE FIELD – The Lobos are shooting a steamy 55.5% from the floor after four games, and have shot no lower than 51% in any game to date. New Mexico shot just 44.8% from the field in 28 games a year ago, reaching 50% or better nine times. They only did so once on the road, draining 52% (27-51) in an 82-77 loss at Wyoming.
The 63.4% accuracy in the opener against North Carolina A&T is UNM’s best since making 67.9% (36-53) at Air Force on Feb. 14, 1998.
The last time New Mexico connected on 50% or better in four consecutive games was Dec. 29, 1999-Jan. 10, 2000, against Alabama State, St. Jospeh’s, Washington and Colorado State.
The last time for five straight was Nov. 28-Dec. 21, 1998, against Northeastern, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Texas-Pan American, Sacramento State and McNeese State – all at home.
BOMBS AWAY – Part of the shooting efficiency was a record-setting performance from 3-point against Santa Clara. The Lobos nailed 20 treys against the Broncos, including 13 of 20 in the first half. To put that number in perspective, UNM made more than 13 in an entire game just three times last year.
The previous standard for 3-point proficiency was 18 on two occasions: vs. Holy Cross on Dec. 29, 1997, and vs. UTEP on Feb. 19, 1998. Both games were played in The Pit.
Thanks to that barrage against Santa Clara, the Lobos have hit 44.8% (39-87) of their attempts from long range, or 9.8 a game.
SHOOT BETTER AND WIN – The Lobos have won 20 straight games when shooting better than their opponent, including a perfect 12-0 in 2003-04. The last loss was at Tennessee on Jan. 4, 2003. UNM shot 45% (18-40) to the Vols’ 43% (22-51). The Lobos are 55-4 in such situations since 2000-01, 152-13 since the 1995-96 season.
MORE ON THE DUCKS – Oregon returns three starters and eight lettermen from last year’s team that finished 18-13 overall and 9-9 in the Pac-10, tying for 4th place. The Ducks, who lost to Michigan in the postseason NIT semifinals last season, are picked for a 4th-place finish in the league in 2004-05.
Oregon has no seniors on its roster, and started two freshmen, two sophomores and a junior against Idaho State. The top returnee is 7-foot junior center Ian Crosswhite, who averaged 12.5 points and 5 rebounds a year ago. The Ducks list another 7-footer in freshman Ray Schaefer, plus 6-10, 265-pound sophomore Mitch Platt. UO outrebounded Idaho State 50-25 last Friday.
Ritchie McKay, who had two-year stints as head coach at Portland State and Oregon State, is 1-5 in his career against the Ducks. He was 0-4 while at OSU and 1-1 during his tenure at PSU. The lone win came in Eugene, 56-54 on Nov. 25, 1997.
New Mexico has dropped its last four meetings against Pac-10 opposition. The last win was 78-52 over Washington on Jan. 2, 2000. The last road triumph was earlier that same season, a 70-68 upset at No. 2 Arizona on Dec. 21,1999.
Head coach Ernie Kent, a 1977 Oregon grad, is 226-161 in his 14th season overall, 136-81 in his eighth year with the Ducks.
Oregon assistant coach Scott Duncan was an assistant at New Mexico from 1980-90 under Gary Colson and Dave Bliss.