NEW MEXICO GAME NOTES | MOUNTAIN WEST NOTES | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team (7-2) will look to finish nonconference play at home undefeated when they take on the Rice Owls (4-6) Saturday at 6 p.m. in WisePies Arena.
The Lobos have played six home games during nonconference play and so far have gone unscathed. The Lobos have averaged 80.3 points per game at home and have won by an average of 19.7 points. They are shooting nearly 51 percent from the WisePies floor and are holding teams to a 37.9 percent and 26.1 percent from 3-point range.
If the Lobos can continue this strong play, they will complete nonconference play undefeated at home since the 2010-11 season. It will also be the first 7-0 home start since the 2012-13 season, in which the Lobos went on to win the Mountain West regular season and tournament titles.
Rice enters the game after winning four out of their last six games. The Owls are led by Marcus Evans, who has averaged 19.6 points per game and dropped 32 in the team’s previous game against St. Thomas.
4-Point Play Ticket Special:
4 single game tickets, 4 small sodas and 4 hot dogs for $60. This is available for bench rows 1-10 only and while supplies last. Must be purchased in person at the Lobo Ticket Office in WisePies Arena and the voucher will be supplied at time of ticket purchase.
The Coaches:
New Mexico head coach Craig Neal will be coaching for his 50th win on Saturday, currently sitting at 49-25. If he can win one in the next three games, will be the fourth fastest head coach to ever win 50 games at New Mexico. If he reaches the mark, he will have served on two of the four fastest coaching staffs to reach 50, previously serving under Steve Alford, who reached 50 wins in 2009 in 71 games. The Owls are led by Mike Rhoades, who is in his second year at Rice. He previously coached 10 years, all winning seasons, at Randolph-Macon.
Series History:
The Lobos and Owls will be facing off for the sixth time in program history, with their all-time series dating back to Dec. 22, 1958. New Mexico leads the all-time series, 4-1. The Lobos have won four straight against Rice after losing their first game in 1958. In the most recent game between the two schools on March 4, 1999, the Lobos took a Western Athletic Conference Tournament First Round victory, 51-49, in Las Vegas, Nev. The game was won by Lamont Long, who hit a game-winning jumper after the score was tied at 49-49 with two seconds left. Long, who eventually became the program’s third all-time leading scorer at 1,840, finished the night with 17 points and nine rebounds.
Broadcast Information:
The game will be televised on ROOTS SPORTS. The broadcast will begin at 6 p.m. MT and air exclusively on ROOT SPORTS in most areas of New Mexico, as well as Colorado, Eastern Wyoming, and portions of South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. The game may also be available in additional markets, so please check your local listings.
For fans tuning in on the radio, Robert Portnoy will give the play-by-play action alongside analyst and Lobo great Hunter Greene on 770 KKOB, the flagship station of the New Mexico Lobos. This feed will also be available via the TuneIn Radio App.