Jan. 28, 2007
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The halfway point of the Mountain West Conference season comes to an end Tuesday when New Mexico hosts Wyoming. Tipoff is 7:06 p.m. Mountain Time from The Pit/Bob King Court. The game will be televised live on CSTV, Channel 274 on Comcast Cable in Albuquerque and available nationally on DirecTV and Dish Network.
Game sponsors include the Albuquerque Police Department, 96.3 The Buzzard and 99.5 Magic FM. The first 5,000 fans will receive Lobo water bottles courtesy of the Albuquerque Police Department.
A reminder that Lobo season ticketholders may redeem any unused tickets from the 2006-07 season for upcoming games against Wyoming 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.
The Lobos (12-10, 1-6 MWC), 7-10 following a 5-0 start, had a game effort, at UNLV last Saturday but fell 76072 in overtime. New Mexico has lost three straight and seven of its last eight since Jan. 1. UNM has a 1-6 league record for the first time since the 1961-62 Lobos began 1-7 in the Skyline Conference.
While New Mexico is 11-2 at home this season and 44-5 in The Pit since the start of the 2004-05 campaign, it is 1-8 away from home this year, including 0-8 in true road games. UNM’s most recent road win was last season at TCU. The Lobos have lost nine straight in other team’s arenas.
New Mexico has dropped all four of its conference road games so far, but it has led in the second half in all four.
Picked to finish 8th in the MWC preseason poll, Wyoming is 13-8 overall and 4-3 in MWC play after getting past TCU 71-56 Saturday in Laramie. The Cowboys are 2-4 on the road this season, 4-7 including neutral sites.
Wyoming has played a lot of nail-biters this season with 11 games being decided by 6 points or less.
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 55-30 since the start of the 2004-05 season, the 2nd-most wins in the Mountain West Conference behind Air Force. UNM has a 69-44 mark since 2003-04. UNM is also 44-5 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 55-30 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 162-151, 79-62 in his fifth season at New Mexico. He is 68-16 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 28-37 in the MWC, 23-9 at home, 5-28 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-WYOMING SERIES
It’s the 113th meeting and the Pokes have a 61-51 lead. Wyoming has taken 10 of the 14 MWC games played, and has won 9 straight in Laramie. UNM’s last win at the Double-A was Feb. 18, 1995, by a 62-61 count. The Lobos lead 32-23 in Albuquerque, but 26-14 at The Pit. Only BYU with 16 has more wins in The Pit than the Cowboys.
Last year, Wyoming won 77-70 in Laramie while UNM took a 47-45 decision in The Pit. The 45 points remains the lowest point total in head coach Steve McClain’s tenure with the Cowboys.
MORE ON THE COWBOYS
Wyoming was 14-18 overall and 5-11 in the MWC last year for a 7th-place finish. The Cowboys lost their final six games of the regular season, but got hot during the conference tournament. They knocked off Air Force (57-55) in the quarterfinals and Utah (60-47) in the semis before falling to San Diego State 69-64 in overtime in the championship game in Denver.
Wyoming possesses the top scoring tandem in the league with a pair of dynamic underclassmen guards in Brandon Ewing (20.4 ppg) and Brad Jones (16.5). The duo is combining for 36.9 ppg, which is nearly half of a Cowboys’ offense that is averaging 75.1 points a game.
UNLV REVIEW AND NOTES
Wink Adams scored a game-high 27 points, including four free throws in the final seconds of overtime, to lift UNLV over New Mexico 76-72 in a Mountain West Conference game Saturday night.
With it 72-72 in the closing seconds of overtime, Adams was fouled while driving the lane with 3.1 seconds left. After he made both free throws, New Mexico turned it over on the inbound pass.
Adams grabbed it and was fouled with 1.2 seconds left. He sealed the win with two more free throws.
Adams was 10-of-12 from the free-throw line and 5-of-13 from 3-point range. The Rebels have now won 11 straight at home and four in a row overall.
Chad Toppert led New Mexico with 17 points. Darren Prentice added 16 points for the Lobos, while Jamal Smith had 15 points.
In overtime, UNLV scored the first four points, but the Lobos later cut it 72-71 on a Tony Danridge (14 points, 5 rebounds) field goal with 48 seconds left. After a Rebel turnover, New Mexicos Ryan Kersten was fouled with 12 seconds left. He made one of two free throws, setting up Adams dramatics.
Except for two brief one-point Rebels leads, Lobos led for most of the second half.
UNM played its second overtime of the season and second in the past 4 games…the Lobos nipped Utah 86-82 in The Pit on Jan. 13
New Mexico has lost 9 straight road games, dating to last February at TCU…the Lobos are 0-7 on the road this season…UNM is 1-9 in its last 10 games vs. UNLV at the Thomas & Mack
New Mexico lost for the first time in 9 games this season when out-rebounding an opponent…UNM had a 35-32 edge over the Rebels…the Lobos had been out-rebounded in each of their first 6 MWC games
UNM entered the game with a 12-2 record when scoring 70 or more points this season
New Mexico came into the game shooting 56.8% (42-74) from the FT line in MWC games, but converted 75% (12-16)
The Lobos used their 12th different starting lineup of the season
Chad Toppert led New Mexico with 17 points, making 5 of 11 FGs from 3-point in a career-high 42 minutes…he has made a 3-pointer in 21 of 23 games this season, including 10 straight…Toppert is 61 of 121 from 3-point this season, or 50.4%…he is 14 of 26 from 3-point the past 4 games, 53.8% and 3.5 treys a game
Darren Prentice scored 16 points and tied a career-high with 4 rebounds in a career-best 41 minutes
Tony Danridge finished with 14 points…he has scored in double figures for the 6th straight game, the longest streak of his career…Danridge has averaged 16.5 ppg the past 6 games
Jamaal Smith had 15 points, his best production in an MWC game this season and most points since gathering a career-high 19 against Pepperdine on Dec. 29