NEW MEXICO GAME NOTES | AIR FORCE GAME NOTES | MOUNTAIN WEST RELEASE | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team (16-10, 9-4 MW) will look to win its third straight game when it takes on the Air Force Falcons (13-14, 4-10 MW) Saturday at noon MST on ROOT Sports.
The Lobos enter the game with the league’s top offense, ranking first in the Mountain West with 78.7 points per game and a field goal percentage of .474 in league competition. That offense powered the Lobos to a win Wednesday at home over Boise State, 80-78. The Lobos erased a 15 point deficit in the final six minutes of the game, recording the program’s biggest comeback ever in the final six minutes of a game. The Lobos outscored the Broncos 19-2 down the stretch, scoring on a combination of 3-pointers, buckets in the paint and efficient free throw shooting.
The Lobos’ elite offense had its marquee performance in the team’s first game this year against Air Force on Jan. 27. The Lobos, winning 84-55, shot a season-best 63 percent against the Falcons on 29-for-46 shooting. It is the best shooting performance of any team in MW play this season. No other team has shot 60 percent in a MW game this season. Freshman Anthony Mathis had a career night, with 16 points on 4-for-5 shooting.
Air Force followed their loss to the Lobos with their low point of the season, a 75-54 defeat at San Jose State that dropped the Falcons to last in the MW. After that road trip, the Falcons found their rhythm, winning three of their last five games. Their wins have come against Wyoming, Boise State and UNLV all at home. The Falcons have not dropped a home game since losing to Fresno State by a point on Jan. 23.
The Coaches:
Head coach Craig Neal holds a 58-33 record as head coach of the New Mexico men’s basketball program, with a winning percentage among the five best ever among coaches with 50 wins. Coach Neal has been a road warrior during his time, with23 wins away from home in his three seasons. With several road games left this year, Coach Neal is already a close second all-time to Steve Alford, who won 27 road and neutral games in his first three seasons. No other coach amassed 20 road wins in their first three years at New Mexico. On the opposite bench, Dave Pilipovich is in his fifth season as head coach of the Falcons. He is one of only two coaches ever at the Academy to post two conference home winning records in a season. He previously served as the program’s associate head coach.
The Series:
The Lobos hold a record of 57-21 overall against Air Force in a series that dates back to Dec. 7, 1957. Eight games were played from 1957-71, with the rest coming from 1981-present. The Lobos are 20-15 all time when playing at Air Force. The Lobos have not won there since Jan. 31, 2012. Prior to the last two games there, the Lobos had won five straight in Colorado Springs. Before a pair of defeats last season, New Mexico had won 15 of the last 16 games from 2008-January 2015.
Broadcast Information:
The game will be televised on ROOTS SPORTS. The broadcast will begin at noon 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.