Jan. 19, 2006
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New Mexico’s 20-game homecourt winning streak receives a severe test Saturday when the experienced and talented Air Force Falcons come to town. Tipoff is 7:07 p.m. MST from The Pit/Bob King Court in Albuquerque. The game will be shown live by SportsWest with local coverage on KRQE-TV. The telecast will also be part of the ESPN Full Court package.
UNM is 11-6 overall and 2-2 in the MWC after dropping a 77-70 decision last Saturday at Wyoming. The Lobos, winless in six tries away from The Pit this year, lost for the ninth straight time at Laramie despite leading by six at halftime and shooting 50% from the floor. New Mexico, however, missed 10 of 19 attempts from the free-throw line and allowed the Cowboys to shoot 55% from the field.
In historic fashion befitting senior roommates, David Chiotti and Mark Walters each gained entry into the school’s 1,000-point club in last week’s game at Wyoming. Chiotti scored a season-high 19 points and now has 1,014 in his 105-game career. Walters posted a career-high 26 points against the Cowboys, giving him 1,005 in 103 career games.
Air Force is an impressive 15-2 overall and 3-1 in conference entering Thursday’s home game against Utah. Relying on the nation’s stingiest defense and fueled by a season-best 54.5 percent shooting from 3-point range, the Falcons roared past TCU 75-49 last Saturday. Jacob Burtschi had 14 points and a career-best 13 rebounds to lead the Falcons.
Saturday’s game matches the top-two defensive teams in the Mountain West Conference. Not only do the Falcons lead the league in scoring defense, but they also lead the nation in that category, giving up just 53.2 ppg. Eight times this season Air Force opponents have failed to reach 50 points. UNM is yielding 63.1 ppg.
Offensively, Air Force is terribly efficient as it ranks among the nation’s top-7 in FG% (49%), 3-point FGs per game (9.6), 3-point FG% (42.9%), FT% (76.8%) and fewest turnovers committed (10.8 tpg). The Lobos would seem to have their hands full defensively since they are last in the conference in field-goal defense at 45%.
The Falcons’ dominance in 2005-06 is even more impressive considering they have their third head coach in as many years in Jeff Bzdelik and they are playing without senior forward Nick Welch, the 2003-04 MWC co-Player of the Year who is sitting out this season after having a two surgies on his left foot and ankle over the summer. Welch started all 30 games last year, averaging 12 points and 3.6 rebounds and finishing in the top-10 in the MWC in steals, assists and 3-point shooting.
Individually, the Falcons’ five starters – four of whom are juniors – entered the season with 11 years of varsity experience compared to the Lobos’ seven. Senior wing Antoine Hood leads four starters who are averaging in double figures at 14.9 ppg. Those top-four scorers also have at least 40 assists apiece and are shooting a combined 79% from the FT line.
Versatile forward Jacob Burtschi is one of three players in the league to rank in the top-20 in points, rebounds, assists and steals. The other two are the Lobos’ Mark Walters and Bryant Markson from Utah.
LOBO NITTY-GRITTY – Saturday’s game will be the 699th for the Lobos in The Pit…they have a 565-133 record, including 20 straight victories
The last time two Lobos reached 1,000 points in the same season, let alone the same game, was Luc Longley and Rob Robbins in 1989-90
Walters could gain entrance into a more exclusive club, that of 1,000 points and 500 rebounds…there are presently 13 members with Chiotti the most recent addition…Chiotti has 537 boards while Walters is 70 caroms shy with at least 13 games remaining
New Mexico has won 20 straight home games, the fourth-longest streak in school history and currently 5th in NCAA Div. I hoops through games of Jan. 17…Gonzaga leads with 32, followed by Southern Illinois and Illinois (31) and Winthrop (22)…it’s New Mexico’s most successful string since taking a school-record 41 straight from Feb. 10, 1996 to Feb. 26, 1998…the last home loss for the Lobos was more than a year ago, an 81-74 setback to No. 5 Wake Forest on Dec. 22, 2004…after going 18-1 at home last year, the Lobos have also won 29 of their past 30 in The Pit and are 41-3 in their last 44
New Mexico is 0-6 away from The Pit this year and has lost seven straight including the setback to Villanova in the first round of last year’s NCAA Tournament…the Lobos won eight games away from Albuquerque last season, tied for 5th-most in school history
The Lobos have prevailed in 9 consecutive MWC home games and they are 14-1 in their last 15 MWC contests in The Pit…the most recent loss was dealt by UNLV (78-75) on March 1, 2004
The Lobos have posted a 37-13 record since 2004-05, a .755 winning percentage…the total ties Utah for most wins among Mountain West Conference schools during that span
In UNM’s last home game – a 56-54 triumph over TCU on Jan. 11 – the Lobos scored the last nine points of the game, holding the Horned Frogs scoreless for the final 4:20…it was New Mexico’s 20th straight home win
AIR FORCE SERIES – It’s the 56th meeting and the Lobos have a 40-15 advantage, although it’s tied at six wins apiece in MWC games. UNM’s 63-52 win last year in The Pit ended a four-game Falcons’ winning streak, their longest since taking the first four games of the series between 1957-62. Air Force won 64-62 last year at the Academy despite collecting just 9 rebounds and allowing the Lobos to shoot 69% from the field. However, the Falcons had a 31-8 scoring edge in points off turnovers of which UNM had 23.
Air Force swept two years ago, winning in Albuquerque for the first time since 1962. UNM had won 22 in a row in the Duke City. The Lobos lead 24-3 in Albuquerque, including 23-1 in The Pit. The Falcons’ 26-point win (68-42) in 2004 is their largest in the series. Air Force has won the last five on its home floor.
Last year in Albuquerque: Alfred Neale scored 18 points and Danny Granger got his 10th double-double of the season in New Mexico’s 63-52 win. Neale, the Lobos’ sixth man most of the season, got to start and made the most of it. He hit 8 of 11 shots and sparked an 11-0 run by New Mexico to start the game, scoring on a reverse layup, a 3-pointer and an offensive rebound basket. Granger, held to four points in the first half, finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds.
New Mexico used its quickness on defense to force the Falcons into low-percentage shots most of the game. Air Force got its first points on a 3-pointer by Matt McGraw with 13:08 left in the first half. McGraw, who was 5-for-6 on 3s, led the Falcons with 17 points. Dan Nwaelele added 12, but Air Force hit just 19 of 53 shots.
After the sluggish start, the Falcons steadily chipped away at the Lobos’ early lead and got their only tie of the game after New Mexico reserve Sean Phaler was called for a flagrant foul with 59 seconds left in the first half. Air Force center Nick Welch got a steal and a layup to get the Falcons within 23-22. As Welch tried to get back up the court, Phaler pushed him into the stands. Welch hit one of the two free throws off the technical, but New Mexico went ahead on a layup by David Chiotti just ahead of the first half buzzer.
The Falcons’ shooting troubles resurfaced in the second half, as Air Force scored just four points in the first 10 minutes of the second half. New Mexico parlayed that drought into a 41-27 lead with 9:36 left thanks to a 12-0 run. But the Falcons mounted one last run, cutting it to 48-41 on a 3-pointer by McGraw with 4:46 left. That rally ended as New Mexico countered with a layup by Chiotti and a slam dunk by Neale.
Last year at the USAFA: Nick Welch scored 19 points and Air Force won its 22nd straight home game, beating New Mexico 64-62 despite grabbing just nine rebounds and allowing the Lobos to shoot nearly 70 percent. Air Force couldn’t stop the Lobos from hitting shots and had trouble getting inside for rebounds, making up for it by harassing the Lobos into 23 turnovers – 16 on steals – that led to 31 points.
New Mexico shot a staggering 69 percent, had just three players – Troy DeVries, Mark Walters and Alfred Neale – miss shots, and had a 28-9 rebounding advantage. Even with the mistakes, New Mexico still had a chance at the end. The Lobos got within three on DeVries’ layup two minutes into the second half, then went more than six minutes without a field goal as Air Force pushed the lead to 45-36. New Mexico got close again, fell behind by 10, then made a late 11-0 run, taking a 58-57 lead on Neale’s 3-pointer with 46 seconds left.
Air Force took the lead right back with 29 seconds left, when Welch powered inside for a three-point play that made it 60-58. The Lobos never got a chance to get it back. Matt McCraw snared another sloppy crosscourt pass by DeVries and hit two free throws with 21 seconds left to put the Falcons up four, then Welch hit two free throws after David Chiotti scored at the other end. Chiotti led New Mexico with 17 points and Neale added 15.
LOBO HEAD COACH Ritchie McKay – Ritchie McKay is his fourth season in charge of Lobo hoops and his 11th year as a collegiate head coach. He was named UNM’s 18th head coach on March 28, 2002.
He has a career record of 144-134, 61-45 at New Mexico. McKay is 53-12 at home, 40-20 in all non-conference games, 35-7 in non-league games at The Pit and 5-13 in road/neutral games. He is 21-25 in MWC games, 18-5 at home and 3-20 on the road.
The 26-7 record in 2004-05 is easily the best season of McKay’s career, surpassing a 19-11 ledger at Colorado State in 1998-99. The Lobos won the MWC Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999, while posting the second-highest win total in school history. It was McKay’s first trip to the Big Dance.
McKay had previous two-year stops at Portland State (1996-98), Colorado State (1998-2000) and Oregon State (2000-02).
BIG-TIME TURNAROUND UNDER McKAY – Head coach Ritchie McKay’s first two Lobo teams went 24-32, but UNM had just eight scholarship players available in his first season of 2002-03 and only 10 in his second year. Since the 5/8 rule was repealed after the 2003-04 season, the Lobos have posted a 37-13 record since 2004-05, a .740 winning percentage. That ties Utah for most wins among Mountain West Conference schools over that span. Other tidbits:
McKay, Norm Ellenberger and Dave Bliss are the only head coaches to take the Lobos to the NCAA Tournament within their first three years at the post
Picked to finish 4th in the MWC in 2004-05, the Lobos finished 26-7 overall, 2nd in the conference at 10-4, won the MWC Tournament for the first time in nine years and only the third time in school history, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six years
The 26 wins in 2004-05 were the second-best total in school history and were a 12-win improvement from 2003-04…that tied for the 2nd-largest jump in program history and tied for the 3rd-highest in NCAA Div. I men’s basketball
Won five straight games away from The Pit in 2004-05, a feat last accomplished in 1977-78
Five Lobo seniors who completed their eligibility at UNM are now playing professionally (Javin Tindall, Ruben Douglas, Alfred Neale, Troy DeVries and Danny Granger)…the other two – Ryan Ashcraft and Senque Carey – had their careers cut short by injury
ROUGH START FOR McKAY AT UNM – It was a daunting challenging for McKay in his first two seasons at New Mexico. In his second game as Lobos head coach on Nov. 25, 2002, starting senior point guard Senque (sen-Q) Carey suffered a freak spinal cord injury in the first half against Northwestern (La.) State. He was partially paralyzed for several weeks before regaining full movement, but was unable to resume his playing career. Carey’s absence left New Mexico with just eight scholarship players and two walk-ons. Of those 10 players, seven were in their first year at UNM.
Sophomores Jamaal Williams (Washington) and Chad Bell (Nevada) transferred after the 2002-03 season, leaving New Mexico with just 10 scholarship players for the 2003-04. Mark Walters suffered a torn ACL in May of 2003 and never fully recovered until the 2004-05 season. In August of 2003, Billy Feeney, a promising 6-9 sophomore who had transferred from Portland State, took his own life.
The elimination of the 5/8 rule really helped before the 2004-05 campaign as it was able to add five scholarship players, reaching the full complement of 13.
LOBOS PREDICTED FOR 5TH-PLACE FINISH IN MOUNTAIN WEST – New Mexico was picked to finish fifth in the 2005-06 Mountain West Conference race during the league’s preseason media gathering last month in Salt Lake City. Voters were a combination of head coaches and media. UNM was picked to finish fourth in 2004-05, but ended up second behind Utah.
GOOD START TO ATHLETICS SEASON – New Mexico’s fall sports all posted .500 records or better, highlighted by men’s soccer, which advanced to the NCAA title game before falling to Maryland 1-0. Head coach Jeremy Fishbein’s squad finished 18-2-3 in their fourth NCAA appearance in the past five years.
Football went 6-5, giving head coach Rocky Long his fifth consecutive non-losing season. Women’s soccer was 8-7-4 and made it to the championship match of the MWC Tournament. Volleyball had its best record in nine years, finishing 14-14.
WYOMING RECAP & NOTES – Brandon Ewing scored 23 points, including four three-pointers, as Wyoming beat New Mexico 77-70. The Lobos made a late run, converting three consecutive three-point plays. David Chiotti’s three-point play with 50.5 seconds left brought New Mexico within 71-66. But Wyoming weathered the storm with strong free-throw shooting, hitting 17 of its last 18 attempts.
The Cowboys outscored the Lobos 11-4 to start the second half, going up 38-37 with 15:52 left. They went on a 9-3 run later in the period, gaining their biggest lead up to that point at 53-46 with 9:54 to go. New Mexico shot poorly from the free-throw line, making only nine of 19 attempts, for 47.4 percent. Wyoming hit 18 of 21 attempts in the game, for 85.7 percent.
Steve Leven scored 16 points for Wyoming, and Justin Williams added 10 points and five blocked shots. New Mexico’s Mark Walters led all scorers in the game with 26 points. Chiotti added 19 for the Lobos.
Walters hit his first three shots and grabbed two steals as New Mexico outscored Wyoming 10-3 to start the game. The Cowboys came back with a 10-2 run to take a 13-12 lead with 11:19 to go. After that, the lead changed 7 times before a final 9-0 New Mexico run, highlighted by three-pointers from Walters and Chiotti, put the Lobos up 33-27 at halftime.
UNM has lost 9 straight games to Wyoming in Laramie, dating to 1995…overall, the Cowboys have won 10 of the past 13 games in the series
New Mexico used a 7-0 run to take a 56-55 lead on Mark Walters’ basket with 6:59 to go, but the Cowboys answered with a 14-1 burst and a 69-57 lead…UNM did not get another FG until Walters scored with 1:50 left…during that 5:09 FG drought, the Lobos missed 5 shots, committed 2 turnovers and went 1 of 4 from the FT line
The Lobos lost for just the 3rd time in their past 38 games when leading at halftime, which goes back to the start of the 2004-05 season…UNM led 33-27 at the break…the other two losses – both on the road – were last year at Oregon (led 43-41, lost 79-75) and this season at Kansas State (led 35-26, lost 68-56)
Seniors David Chiotti and Mark Walters both reached 1,000 career points, the first time in school history that teammates have hit the plateau in the same game…Chiotti became the 23rd Lobo to hit 1,000 when he made a 10-foot jumper with 4:05 left in the first half…Walters got to 1,000 when he nailed a 14-footer with 6:59 remaining in the game
Walters finished with a career-high 26 points and now has 1,005 points in his career, 24th all-time at UNM…Walters also led the Lobos with 6 rebounds and 4 steals
Chiotti finished with a season-high 19 points and has 1,014 in his career, good for 21st place in UNM history…Chiotti passed Rob Loeffel (1,011) and Ron Becker (1,010)
The Lobos came into the game 2nd in the MWC in FT shooting at 69.8%, but they were just 9-19 (47%)…UNM missed its first five FTs, three by Chiotti and two by Walters… the Lobos are now 56-100 (56%) from the line in 6 road games this season…meanwhile, Wyoming was 18-21 from the line and the Pokes made their last 12 in the final minutes
New Mexico shot 50% (28-56) from the field as they lost for only the 4th time in 35 games under Ritchie McKay when shooting at least 50% from the floor
However, UNM was just 5-18 (28%) from 3-point, including 1-8 in the 2nd half…the Lobos are 29-93 (31%) from 3-point the past 5 games, lowering the season percentage to 34.4%
The Cowboys scored 50 points in the second half, the most against the Lobos after halftime since the University of San Diego got 50 on Jan. 6, 2004…UNM won that game 88-75…the Lobos were 2nd in the MWC in scoring defense at 62.2 ppg entering the game
The Lobos were out-rebounded by a 32-23 margin…UNM is 4-6 when gathering fewer boards in a game this season
Wyoming’s FG shooting of 55.3% (26-47) ties for the best against New Mexico this year…Kansas State shot an identical percentage on Nov. 23…the Cowboys shot 64% (14-22) in the 2nd half, including 63% (5-8) from 3-point…UW came into the game shooting just 42% from the floor on the season and was last in the loop in 3-point FGs (4.6) and 3-point FG shooting (31.8%)…the Pokes made 7 of 15 (47%) shots from 3-point