Nov. 7, 2006
The 104th regular season of New Mexico basketball gets underway Friday as UNM hosts Abilene Christian in the 40th anniversary of the inaugural game in The Pit. The Wildcats were the Lobos’ first opponent when The Pit first opened its doors on Dec. 1, 1966. It will be the 705th game in UNM’s fabled arena. Tipoff is 7:05 p.m., from the The Pit/Bob King Court in Albuquerque. Live audio is available at www.golobos.com.
New Mexico opened play last week with an impressive 98-42 exhibition victory over Western New Mexico. Abilene Christian also played an exhibition tilt, falling at Texas-San Antonio 69-56.
FOOTBALL TICKET = $10 MEN’S BASKETBALL TICKET ON SUNDAY – Fans can bring their ticket stub from Saturday’s football game to the UNM ticket office Sunday and buy a men’s basketball ticket for just $10. Men’s basketball hosts Sacramento State at 1 p.m. The offer is only good on Sunday at the ticket office at The Pit while supplies last. Seating at the basketball game will be bench rows 1 through 10. The ticket office opens Sunday at 10 a.m.
CELEBRATING THE 1966-67 LOBOS – The date was Dec. 1, 1966, when head coach Bob King’s Lobos moved into a glossy new arena that affectionately became known as The Pit. Abilene Christian christened the new facility. UNM won 62-53 behind 19 points and 12 rebounds from Mel Daniels.
Friday, UNM is proud to bring back members of the first team to play in the arena. Former Lobos expected to attend are Ed Burwitz, Ken Fisher, Howie Grimes, George Maes, Ron Nelson, Terry Schaafsma and Dave Culver. Also, Sharel King – wife of the late Lobos’ head coach Bob King – and members of the King Family will also be present.
The 2006-07 Lobos will pay homage to their past lettermen by wearing retro uniforms from that first game in The Pit.
UNM VS. ABILENE CHRISTIAN – The Lobos and Wildcats are playing for the eighth time since the first meeting in Portales, N.M. in 1948. New Mexico has won all seven previous encounters. The last game was Dec. 18, 1974, when the Lobos took an 85-63 decision in The Pit.
40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION – The 2006-07 season will be a year-long recognition and dedication to the former student-athletes who have graced the floor of The Pit over the past 40 years. The highlights:
A 40th anniversary logo was created by Albuquerque’s Esparza Advertising at no charge…the UNM men’s team, spirit squad and Lobo Louie and Lobo Lucy will all wear the logo patch on their home uniforms during the 2006-07 season…40th anniversary apparel will be available at the Lobo Store
Special murals are currently hanging above all entrance doors inside The Pit…the displays highlight former Lobo greats alongside current team members…photos of former Lobos and the 40th anniversary logo will also be displayed prominently throughout the arena
Special promotions/giveaways at selected home games
NOTES FROM THE 1966-67 SEASON – The Lobos started 6th in the nation in the preseason A.P. poll and climbed as high as No. 3 in the middle of January after starting 11-1. That remains the highest ranking for any New Mexico men’s basketball team. Four straight road losses knocked UNM out of the polls, but they eventually advanced to the NIT in New York before losing to Rutgers in the semifinals.
UNM defeated Abilene Christian 62-53 on Dec. 1, 1966, in front of a crowd of 12,020. Seating capacity was 14,831.
Lou Henson was in his first season as head coach at New Mexico State.
Veteran NBA head coach Rick Adelman played for Loyola of Los Angeles (now Loyola Marymount) in The Pit on Dec. 7. The 6-1 guard finished with 14 points, but UNM won 77-59.
Texas Western (now UTEP) was coming off an historic national championship the previous March. All five starters returned and the Miners were ranked second in the nation in the preseason poll. However, UNM shocked the No. 2 Miners in El Paso on Dec. 16, winning 71-62 as Mel Daniels led four Lobos in double figures with 20 points.
Another future NBA star and successful head coach played in The Pit on Dec. 19, 1966. Phil Jackson (N.Y. Knicks player, Chicago Bulls and L.A. Lakers coach) attended the University of North Dakota and was a small college All-American for the Sioux. Jackson was held to seven points in an 84-64 Lobo win. North Dakota’s head coach was Bill Fitch, who also went on to spend many years as a head coach in the NBA.
In the first Lobo Invitational played in The Pit, New York University’s Mal Graham scored 32 points in consecutive games against Colorado State and Texas A&M on Dec. 29-30, 1966. Unfortunately, NYU lost both games. Graham, however, held the scoring record in The Pit for less than two months. The Lobos’ Ben Monroe tallied 41 against BYU on Feb. 23, 1967.
Senior Mel Daniels became the first Lobo to receive All-America honors after averaging 21.5 points and 11.6 rebounds. Ben Monroe joined Daniels on the All-WAC team.
New Mexico’s average home attendance was 12,778 for 15 games to rank 2nd nationally. UNM went 14-1 at home, the only loss coming to Wyoming (65-64) in the last game of the regular season.
1966 ALMANAC
Cost of a stamp – $0.05
First Star Trek episode – Sept. 8, 1966
Best Picture Oscar – The Sound of Music
Grammy for Song of the Year – Michelle – The Beatles
Grammy for Album of the Year – Sinatra – A Man and His Music
Supremes – You Just Keep Me Hanging On was the No. 1 song the week of Dec. 1, 1966
Top-15 songs of 1966
1.Summer Wind – Frank Sinatra
2.I’m A Believer – The Monkees
3.When A Man Loves A Woman – Percy Sledge
4.Wild Thing – The Troggs
5.Mustang Sally – Wilson Pickett
6.This Old Heart Of Mine – Isley Brothers
7.Yellow Submarine – The Beatles
8.Devil With The Blue Dress – Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels
9. Get Ready – Temptations
10.You Can’t Hurry Love – Supremes
11.Good Lovin’ – Rascals
12.Paperback Writer – The Beatles
13.It Was a Very Good Year – Frank Sinatra
14. Good Vibrations – Beach Boys
15.Hanky Panky – Tommy James
WESTERN NEW MEXICO RECAP – J.R. Giddens scored 20 points to lead New Mexico to an easy 98-42 exhibition victory over Western New Mexico on Thursday night at The Pit. The Lobos held the Mustangs scoreless for the first six minutes and Giddens scored 16 points in the first half to put the game out of reach early.
UNM head coach Ritchie McKay played all 14 players on the roster as New Mexico built a 39-17 lead at the break. Giddens, a transfer from Kansas, made an immediate impact in his first game in cherry and silver, making his first seven shots from the floor and blocking a shot into the stands in the first half. The 6-5 guard also had a thunderous dunk, bringing the crowd to its feet early in the second half.
Senior forward Aaron Johnson, a transfer from Penn State, had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Junior swingman Tony Danridge, New Mexico’s lone returning starter, added 12 points, while sophomore guard Ryan Kersten had 10 points and five assists off the bench.
Western New Mexico struggled all night against an active UNM defense, hitting just 14-69 (20.3%) from the floor, including 4-29 (13.8%) from three-point range. New Mexico outrebounded the overmatched Mustangs 60-37.