Nov. 17, 2006
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After three games in five days to open the season, New Mexico gets to catch its breath before the next game Tuesday against Kansas State. It will be the second of three successive games on Tuesday for the Lobos.
Tipoff against the Wildcats is 6:05 p.m., from the The Pit/Bob King Court in Albuquerque. The game will be televised live by The mtn., which is Channel 276 on Comcast in Albuquerque and Channel 329 on Cable ONE in Rio Rancho. Live audio is also available at www.golobos.com. Tuesday’s game sponsors include 104.7 The Edge and 100.3 The Peak.
New Mexico is 3-0 after big wins over Abilene Christian, Sacramento State and Colorado. The Lobos’ last 4-0 start was in 2004-05. UNM’s victory margin is 38 points following a resounding 106-65 triumph over Colorado. New Mexico is 36-3 at home since the 2004-05 season.
Picked to finish 5th in the Big 12, Kansas State is 2-0 heading into Saturday’s home game against Tennessee Tech. The Wildcats upended William & Mary 70-60 and got a 55-41 road win Wednesday at Rutgers. K-State held the Scarlet Knights to an improbable 19% (9-47) shooting from the floor, including 15% (3-20) from beyond the arc.
This is the first of a possible two meetings between the Lobos and Wildcats before Christmas. Both schools are in the Las Vegas Holiday Classic and could face each other Dec. 23 in Las Vegas. UNM also faces another Big 12 opponent – Texas Tech – in Lubbock on Jan. 1.
OFFENSE VS. DEFENSE
It’s early, but Tuesday’s game certainly looks like a conflict of styles. New Mexico is among the nation’s leaders in scoring (96.3 ppg), scoring margin (+38.0), FG percentage (54.2%), 3-pointers (12.0 pg) and 3-point FG% (41.9%). Kansas State is allowing just 50.5 points and 30% accuracy from the floor, 27% from 3-point.
LOBO OFFENSE FIRING HOT
It’s been 25 years since a New Mexico team reached 90 points in its first three games of the season like the current Lobos have done. The last time for four in a row? 1978-79 when the streak was five straight. That team averaged 88.5 points over a 29-game season. It has been 20 years since a Lobo team averaged more than 80 points a game over an entire season: 80.8 ppg in 1986-87, which was the first year of the 3-point shot in college basketball.
The current streak of three straight 90+ scoring games is a first for Ritchie McKay in his head coaching career.
3s FALLING
The Lobos are averaging 12 treys a game and shooting nearly 42% from beyond the arc. Nine of the 13 players on the roster have connected from long range.
New Mexico opened the season by canning 16 of 39 3s in a 91-54 victory over Abilene Christian. The 16 treys tie for 5th-most in school history. It’s the most 3s since 16 against Penn State on Dec. 29, 2004. Current Lobo Aaron Johnson was a member of that PSU team.
The 39 attempts are the most ever by a Lobo team in a non-overtime game. UNM threw up 42 in a 112-104 double overtime loss to New Mexico State on Dec. 11, 1993.
MORE SHOTS SO FAR
Not surprising, New Mexico has averaged 66.3 FG attempts through the first three games compared to 50.5 in 30 games last year. UNM had 70 tries against Abilene Christian, the most since 71 attempts at Texas Tech on Dec. 18, 2002.
AND 11 IN A ROW VS. THE BUFFS
In an unconscious stretch in the 106-65 victory over Colorado, the Lobos nailed 11 consecutive shots in the second half, and it wasn’t a lay-up drill. Eight players contributed, getting 27 points from the 11 baskets over a span of 6 minutes and 7 seconds. Five of the buckets were 3-pointers from four different players.
LOBO HEAD COACH Ritchie McKay
Ritchie McKay is in his fifth season in charge of Lobo hoops and 12th year as a collegiate head coach. He was named UNM’s 18th head coach on March 28, 2002.
He has a career record of 153-141, 70-52 in his fifth season at New Mexico, The Lobos are 46-20 since the start of the 2004-05 season and 60-34 since 2003-04.
McKay is 60-14 in Albuquerque, 43-21 in all non-conference games, 39-7 in non-league games at The Pit and 5-14 in road/neutral games. He is 27-31 in the MWC, 22-7 at home, 5-24 on the road.
The 26-7 record in 2004-05 is 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).
UNM / Ritchie McKay vs. KANSAS STATE / BIG 12
The Lobos are 1-3 against the Wildcats, including last year’s 68-56 loss at Manhattan. UNM’s lone win came in the 1st round of the 1996 NCAA Tournament in Richmond, Va. UNM took a 69-48 decision, outscoring KSU 38-18 in the second half. Clayton Shields led the Lobos with 25 points and 10 rebounds.
K-State won 81-64 in Albuquerque on Dec. 12, 1960, and 94-52 in Manhattan on Dec. 2, 1961.
Ritchie McKay is facing Kansas State for the second time in his head coaching career. He is 4-6 versus Big 12 teams in his career, 1-2 while at New Mexico.
New Mexico is 61-56 all-time against current members of the Big 12. Most of those games – 80 of the 117 in fact – have come against Texas Tech. UNM is 40-40 against the Red Raiders, plus 2-0 vs. Baylor, 5-6 vs. Colorado, 2-1 vs. Iowa State, 1-1 vs. Kansas, 1-0 vs. Missouri, 0-2 vs. Oklahoma, 2-1 vs. Oklahoma State, 2-1 vs. Texas and 5-1 vs. Texas A&M.
MORE ON THE WILDCATS
The appointment of Bob Huggins as head coach at Kansas State has certainly infused some life into the program. For the first time in the 19-year history of Bramlage Coliseum all available season-ticket packages were sold. The last time K-State could boast a sellout of its season tickets was 1982-83 when the Wildcats played in Ahearn Field House.
Public and student season ticket allocations accounted for approximately 13,000 of the 13,340 capacity of Bramlage Coliseum. K-State makes available 300 tickets on an individual-game basis.
KSU was given its highest-ever ranking in the Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll, as the Wildcats were chosen fifth. Boosted by the return of four starters and eight lettermen, the Wildcats received their highest ranking in nine preseason polls dating back to the 1997-98 season. The previous high came in 1998-99 when the team was selected sixth.
Huggins, 52, has a 569-199 (.740) career record in his 25th season as a head coach, which includes stints at Walsh College (1980-83), Akron (1984-89) and Cincinnati (1989-2005). He began the season ranked eighth in winning percentage and total victories among active Division I head coaches. Huggins’ teams have participated in postseason play in 21 of his 24 seasons, including 15 NCAA Tournament appearances. His current string of 14 consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament ranks as the third-longest streak among active coaches in the nation. Huggins’ teams have won 20 or more games in all but four of his 24 campaigns, including 30 or more twice, and he has averaged 23.5 victories a season.
Huggins is facing Ritchie McKay and a New Mexico team for the first time in his coaching career. It’s also his first game in The Pit as a head coach.
The top returning starters are senior forward Cartier Martin (18 ppg and 6.6 rpg in 2005-06) and junior swingman David Hoskins. Hoskins was named to the All-Newcomer team by the Big 12 media last season after averaging 13.1 points on a team-best 50.8 percent shooting
LAST YEAR IN MANHATTAN
Cartier Martin had 22 points and 11 rebounds as Kansas State rallied from an early 16-point deficit to beat New Mexico 68-56. David Hoskins added 17 points, including 10 straight at one point to help the Wildcats overcome a 35-26 halftime deficit.
New Mexico, which hit 56 percent of its shots in the first half and was 6-of-10 from beyond the 3-point arc, struggled from the field over the final 20 minutes. The Lobos missed all 11 of their second-half 3-point attempts as Kansas State turned up the defensive pressure.
Trailing 49-46 with 10:47 to go, Dramane Diarra scored inside and Martin added a basket a few minutes later to give Kansas State a 50-49 lead, its first since the game’s opening minute.
After David Chiotti scored to briefly regain the lead for New Mexico, Hoskins scored on four of the next five possessions to give the Kansas State the lead for good. Mark Walters hit four 3-pointers and scored 12 of his 16 points in the first half for the Lobos. Chiotti also finished with 16.
Kansas State got off only three shots in its first nine possessions as New Mexico raced to a 13-1 lead in the game’s opening minutes. Fueled by three consecutive 3-pointers from Walters, New Mexico opened a 30-14 lead with 4:30 to go in first half. But Martin scored six quick points and Akeem Wright scored at the horn to bring Kansas State to within nine.
The Wildcats made their first seven shots in the second half, while New Mexico suddenly went cold, including a nearly five-minute stretch without a basket.
The Lobos had won 21 straight games – and 28 of 29 – when leading at halftime before the loss at Kansas State…the last setback was at Oregon a year ago…UNM led the Ducks 43-41 before losing 79-75 at Eugene
The last time New Mexico lost at least a 9-point halftime lead was Jan. 27, 2003, at home to UNLV…UNM led the Runnin’ Rebels 41-32 at the break before falling 75-66
UNM made 12 of its first 16 shots from the floor, including 6 of 9 from 3-point…it finished the game by making just 7 of its last 36 (19%) shots, missing its final 11 tries from 3-point
Meanwhile, K-State started 1 of 11 from the field, getting its first basket at the 14:25 mark of the first half…the Wildcats then connected on 25 of their final 36 attempts, or 69%
New Mexico was outrebounded 33-20…that’s the fewest caroms for UNM in eight seasons, since gathering 20 in a 77-62 win over Colorado State on Feb. 7, 1998
Senior Mark Walters made a career-high four 3-pointers, all in the first 12:12 of the game…he missed his last five attempts
The Wildcats’ bench outscored UNM’s 23-6…the Lobo reserves were 2 of 11 from the field and collected 5 rebounds in 52 minutes
UNM THE ONLY ONE
New Mexico is the only team in Mountain West Conference that has produced a 1st team all-Mountain West Conference representative each of the past five seasons: Ruben Douglas in 2002 and `03, Danny Granger in 2004 and `05 and Mark Walters in 2006.
COLORADO RECAP
J.R. Giddens scored a career high 25 points and New Mexico got a huge first half lift from its bench in a 106-65 win over Colorado. Giddens, the former Kansas guard who sat out last season after transferring to New Mexico, shook off a slow start and dissected the Buffaloes’ defense with his quickness, slashing moves to the basket and outside jumper that repeatedly found the hoop.
New Mexico (3-0) took its first lead at 15-14 on a pair of free throws by Jeffrey Henfield with 11:46 left in the first half. New Mexico’s reserves, who scored 25 points in the first half, and some solid free throw shooting, carried the Lobos’ offense until Giddens found his stroke.
The Lobos hit their first 13 free throws and reserves Daniel Faris, Chad Toppert and Ryan Kersten provided much of the offense in the first 20 minutes. Toppert hit a trio of 3-pointers in the first half, Faris scored 8 points and Kersten 6. Toppert’s back-to-back 3s gave the Lobos a 36-25 lead with 5:02 left in the first half. Faris, the sophomore backup center, finished with career highs of 14 points and 8 rebounds.
New Mexico led 47-34 at halftime and broke it open from there as the Lobos shot 67 percent in the second half. Giddens was the catalyst. He scored on a jumper in the lane, then came up with a steal and dunk that pushed the lead to 62-39 with 12:55 left.
Giddens hit 11 of 19 shots and along with Faris and Aaron Johnson led the Lobos to a 51-35 edge in rebounding. Giddens had 9 rebounds and Johnson 11.
POSTGAME NOTES FROM COLORADO GAME
New Mexico’s 106 points were its most ever against a team from the Big 12 Conference…it was also the biggest win in school history over a Big 12 team…the previous highs in both categories was a 102-65 win at Texas Tech in 1973
UNM scored over 100 points for the 81st time and the first time in 2 years…it’s the most points for the Lobos in a regulation game since a 107-49 win over Western New Mexico 2003…the Lobos are 72-1 all-time in The Pit when reaching the century mark
New Mexico has scored 90 points or more in its first 3 games of the season for the first time since 1981
In the first half UNM’s five reserves scored 25 points on 8-14 FGs, 3-6 3s and had just 2 turnovers in 41 minutes…that compared to the starters’ 22 points on 7-22 FGs, 1-6 3s and 6 turnovers in 59 minutes…the 8-man bench finished with 56 points, making 20 of 31 FGs, 7 of 14 shots from 3-point, 9 of 12 FTs, plus 19 rebounds, 15 assists and 6 steals in 95 minutes of action
The Lobo bench has scored 144 of UNM’s 289 points – nearly half – the first 3 games
Junior guard J.R. Giddens scored a career-high 25 points…his previous best was 24 against Iowa State as a freshman at Kansas…Giddens’ first points did not come until the 11:19 mark of the first half
Sophomore center Daniel Faris posted career-highs of 14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 20 minutes played
Sophomore guard Chad Toppert tied his career high with 3 three-pointers…he also had 3 against Abilene Christian on Friday..Toppert is 8-16 from 3-point
Swingman Roman Martinez is the first Lobo true freshman to start the first three games of the season since Clayton Shields did so in 1994-95…Shields started the first 25 games that year