NEW MEXICO GAME NOTES | MOUNTAIN WEST GAME NOTES | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team (14-10, 7-4 MW) is set to host the San Jose State Spartans (8-16, 3-9 MW) Saturday in WisePies Arena at 4 p.m. The game will serve as the annual Lobos Love Pink game in conjunction with UNM Hospitals and the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The Lobos are looking to get back on track after a tough road trip. Despite coming off a loss, the Lobos’ seven wins has place them second in the Mountain West and in the driver’s seat for a top-two seed in the MW Tournament. The Lobos have two home games ahead of them and a chance to start a new winning streak in front of their loyal fans.
The Lobos will also get the chance to complete a season sweep of the upstart Spartans. The Lobos’ four game conference winning streak was started at San Jose State on Jan. 23, with New Mexico taking an 83-64 victory. The Lobos were led by a combined 55 points from Elijah Brown and Tim Williams. Dane Kuiper also had a career day, with 11 points, four rebounds and four assists.
Since that loss, San Jose State has gone 2-3 and already sealed their best conference season since joining the MW. Their season was highlighted by back-to-back home wins over Air Force, 75-54, and Fresno State, 65-53. The Spartans nearly stretched their winning streak to three games, but gave up a 15 point lead late on the road against UNLV.
Lobos Love Pink:
Saturday’s game is themed “Lobos Love Pink” in partnership with UNM Hospitals and the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center. The program will be hosting its annual jersey auction on the North Concourse from gates opening through halftime. Proceeds will benefit the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center. This is one of several events throughout the year in which head coach Craig Neal and the men’s basketball program fundraise for the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center, including October’s Howl-O-Ween and the Ninth Annual Lobos vs. Cancer Basketball Gala in May.
50/50 Raffle:
Starting at Saturday’s men’s basketball game and at all the remaining men’s basketball games, the Lobo Club will be selling 50/50 raffle tickets for $1. Tickets can be purchased from our ticket sellers on the concourse wearing referee shirts when gates open. Tickets will be sold through halftime, the winning ticket will be drawn and announced during the second half. The winning ticket will be able to claim half of the raffle, the other half will go to the Lobo Club scholarship fund which helps pay for scholarships for our 450 student athletes.
The Coaches:
Head coach Craig Neal carries a .629 winning percentage into this weekend’s matchup, one of the five best winning percentages among New Mexico coaches with at least 50 wins. If the Lobos maintain their second place standing or take the regular season championship, he will be the fourth coach to finish in the top two in the conference twice in his first three seasons at New Mexico. Dave Wojcik is also in year three with San Jose State and is in the midst of his best season since taking over the program, winning eight games overall.
The Series:
The Lobos and Spartans will meet for the 11th time in program history Saturday. The Lobos are a perfect 10-0 against San Jose State, in a series that dates back to Dec. 21, 1961. New Mexico’s ten wins over San Jose State is the most against teams that the Lobos have an undefeated record against. It just edges out their 8-0 record against Abilene Christian. The Lobos are a perfect 6-0 against the Spartans in Albuquerque, and 5-0 inside WisePies Arena. Inside the Lobos’ current facility, San Jose State has come no closer than 18 points in defeat.
Broadcast Information:
The game will be televised on ROOTS SPORTS. The broadcast will begin at 4 p.m. MST 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.