Jan. 22, 2007
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After a rare weekend off, New Mexico is back on the court Wednesday when it entertains BYU. Tipoff is 8:05 p.m. Mountain Time from The Pit/Bob King Court in Albuquerque. The game will be televised live on The mtn., Channel 276 on Comcast Cable in Albuquerque. Game sponsors are Farmers Insurance and KRST 92.3 FM.
The Lobos (12-8, 1-4 MWC), 7-8 following a 5-0 start, lost to San Diego State 73-68 last Wednesday. UNM’s last 1-4 start in conference play came in 2002-03 when it began 1-5.
Wednesday’s game matches the top scoring teams in the MWC. BYU ranks first at 78.0 ppg. UNM is second at 77.6. Those figures are for all games. However, in conference games, the Cougars’ average increases to 82.2 while the Lobos drops to 68.4.
New Mexico has lost all three of its conference road games so far, but they have led in the second half in all three.
While New Mexico is 11-1 at home this season and 44-4 in The Pit since the start of the 2004-05 campaign, it is 1-7 away from home this year, including 0-6 in true road games. UNM’s last road win was a year ago at TCU. The Lobos have lost eight straight in other team’s arenas.
BYU is 13-6 overall and 3-2 in the league after a 90-78 setback Saturday at Colorado State. The Cougars and Rams are tied for 3rd place in the MWC. Picked to finish second in the MWC preseason poll, BYU has won eight of 10. The Cougars have more wins (15) over UNM in The Pit than any other opponent. Wyoming is next with 14. The Cowboys will be in Albuquerque Jan. 30.
CHERRY CRUSH NIGHT FOR BYU
Lobo fans can receive a free ticket to Wednesday’s game with the purchase of a $5 Cherry Crush t-shirt at the UNM Bookstore or The New Mexico Look on Menaul across from Coronado Mall.
The BYU game has been designated Cherry Crush Night as all fans are encouraged to wear their Lobo Red.
REDEEM THOSE UNUSED TICKETS
A reminder that Lobo season ticketholders may redeem any unused tickets from the 2006-07 season for upcoming games against Wyoming (Jan. 30) or San Diego State (Feb. 20). This offer if valid only to season ticketholders. Tickets must be redeemed at the ticket office at The Pit during normal business hours.
FINAL STUDENT TICKET PICK-UP IS FEB. 7
UNM students can pick up free tickets Wednesday, Feb. 7 for the final three home games: TCU (Feb. 17), San Diego State (Feb. 20) and UNLV (Feb. 28).
Tickets are available at the Center for the Arts ticket window outside of Popejoy Hall Wednesday from 7:30-11 a.m. After that time, tickets can be picked up at the UNM Bookstore or the Lobo Ticket Office at The Pit.
McKAY AND THE LOBOS SINCE 2004-05
The Lobos are 55-28 since the start of the 2004-05 season, the 2nd-most wins in the Mountain West Conference behind Air Force. UNM has a 69-42 mark since 2003-04. UNM is also 44-4 at home since the start of the 2004-05 season.
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.
The Lobos have produced a first team all-MWC performer all four years that McKay has been at UNM, a claim no other program in the league can make
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 55-28 record since 2004-05.
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 is 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
New Mexico won five straight games away from The Pit in 2004-05, a feat last accomplished in 1977-78
The Lobos are 4-5 against ranked teams under McKay
Seven Lobo seniors who completed their eligibility at UNM between 2003-06 are – or have – playing professionally: Javin Tindall, Ruben Douglas, Alfred Neale, Troy DeVries, Danny Granger, David Chiotti and Mark Walters
The team combined for a 2.97 grade-point-average during the 2006 spring semester. That’s the highest semester GPA by the program since UNM began charting grades in the fall of 1988. In fact, two of the team’s top-three GPAs have been registered under McKay’s guidance.
McKAY’S CAREER
Ritchie McKay is in his fifth season at UNM and 11th year as a collegiate head coach. He was named UNM’s 18th head coach on March 28, 2002.
McKay has a career record of 162-149, 79-60 in his fifth season at New Mexico. He is 68-15 in Albuquerque, 51-25 in all non-conference games, 45-7 in non-league games at The Pit and 6-18 in road/neutral games. He is 28-35 in the MWC, 23-8 at home, 5-27 on the road.
McKay had previous two-year stops at Portland State (1996-98), Colorado State (1998-2000) and Oregon State (2000-02).
SLIPPERY LEADS; NICE COMEBACKS
New Mexico has watched a pair of second-half, double-digit leads go by the wayside in MWC games. The Lobos led at nationally-ranked Air Force 37-16 in the first half and 41-24 early in the second period only to have the Falcons embark on a monstrous 28-1 blast. UNM lost 65-57.
Against Utah, New Mexico led 40-25 right after halftime, but the Utes rallied to eventually tie the game. UNM squeaked out an 86-82 overtime win.
The Lobos held a 44-28 advantage over rival New Mexico State only to have the Aggies trim it to one with 21 seconds remaining. UNM hung on to win 79-76.
On the other hand, the Lobos have erased some big deficits this season. UNM trailed Pepperdine 36-23 in the first half before taking off on a 19-0 run and an eventual 101-96 victory. At Texas Tech on Jan. 1, New Mexico fell behind 33-13 and trailed 48-35 early in the second half. The Lobos rallied to take a 66-63 before coming up on the short end of a 70-68 decision, giving Bob Knight his 880th career win, tops among NCAA Div. I-A coaches.
LOBOS ON TV
New Mexico will have 13 regular-season conference games televised live this year, including the last 12. That equals the most since UNM joined the Mountain West Conference in 1999-2000. A total of 10 games were shown live last year, 11 in 2004-05, eight in 2003-04 and 10 in 2002-03. The last time for 13 was 2000-01 and 2001-02.
NEW MEXICO-BYU SERIES
The Lobos and Cougars meet for the 120th time. BYU has a 69-50 series edge, including a 77-71 victory last year in The Pit that snapped UNM’s 21-game home winning streak. The Cougars have actually put an end to New Mexico’s top-three home winning streaks. BYU also won 76-68 in Provo, its 6th straight victory over UNM at the Marriott Center.
The Cougars have won 12 of the past 16 overall and lead 9-5 in MWC games.
MORE ON THE COUGARS
Picked to finish last in the MWC in 2005-06, BYU was 20-9 overall and 12-4 in the league. That was good for a 2nd-place finish and earned first-year head coach David Rose MWC Coach of the Year honors.
Senior forward Keena Young is leading the team in scoring (16.5 ppg) and is second in rebounding (6.6 rpg).
Rose is in his second season as head coach of the Cougars after spending eight years as the lead assistant to Steve Cleveland, who went to Fresno State. Rose was head coach at Dixie College from 1990-97. He is a 1983 graduate of the University of Houston and was a shooting guard and co-captain on the Phi Slamma Jamma team that lost to North Carolina State in the NCAA championship game in The Pit.
SAN DIEGO STATE REVIEW AND NOTES
Lorenzo Wade recorded his first career double-double scoring 13 points and pulling down 12 rebounds as San Diego State defeated New Mexico 73-68 on Wednesday night.
In a game with 11 lead changes, San Diego State trailed 53-52 with 7:44 left. However the Aztecs, sparked by Wade, Brandon Heath and Mohamed Abukar, outscored the Lobos 17-7 and took a 69-60 lead with 2:21 left.
Heath led San Diego State with 16 points while Abukar added 14. Tony Dandridge had 18 points for New Mexico and Chad Toppert contributed 12, hitting 4-of-7 from three-point range.
It was Toppert’s three straight treys that lifted New Mexico from a 46-42 deficit into a 53-52 lead. However, Wade, who also had four assists and three steals, drained a three that kicked off the 17-7 run. Wade followed with a dunk following a spectacular steal and pass by Heath.
New Mexico has lost 8 straight road games since a win last year at TCU
The Lobos have lost 3 in a row to San Diego State for the first time since 1985-86
UNM shot better than 50% for the third straight game, making 28 of 55 shots for 51%…the Lobos lost for the first time in 10 games this year and for only the 6th time in the past 66 games when out-shooting their opponent…SDSU made 46% (28-51)
Led by Chad Toppert’s 12 points, the Lobos got 28 points from their bench
UNM was out-rebounded 37-26 and has been out-boarded by 8 caroms a game in 5 MWC contests
The Lobos were 4 of 8 from the FT line, lowering the overall season percentage to 66.5% and 56.9% (37-65) in MWC games
Tony Danridge scored a team-high 18 points on 9 of 13 shooting…he is averaging 16 ppg the past 4 games on 29 of 48 FGs (60%)
Chad Toppert scored 12 points off the bench on 4-7 3s in just 11 minutes…he has averaged 10.6 points the past 13 games…Toppert is shooting 50% (54-108) from 3-point this season; only one Lobo (Royce Olney) has shot at least 50% from 3-point for an entire season…Olney made 51.3% (80-156) in 1997-98
Roman Martinez had 5 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 assist in just 11 minutes off the bench…he had not scored in his last 5 games (26 minutes) coming into the game
Darren Prentice tied a career-high with 5 assists
J.R. Giddens scored 10 points, his 2nd-lowest total of the season, on 4-14 FGs…he is shooting 32% (25-77) overall and 21% (8-38) from 3-point in 5 road games this season
Aaron Johnson grabbed 9 rebounds for the 2nd game in a row