Men’s Photo Gallery | Women’s Photo Gallery
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico men’s and women’s basketball teams tipped off the 2016-17 season in front of 5,463 fans at the 2016 Lobo Howl on Friday evening.
The evening included an exciting mix of drills, shooting displays and some dancing as the teams ushered in a new season at WisePies Arena aka The Pit.
First-year Lobo head coach Mike Bradbury’s women’s basketball squad tipped off the event as the Lobos ran through drills that included guard and post shooting, three-point shooting, as well as a three-point competition.
Of the many highlights of the evening, one of the most memorable came from the three-point shooting contest. Birthday-girl Jayda Bovero claimed the three-point contest victory, drilling 10-of-15 from behind the arc. She was followed by junior Alex Lapeyrolerie who, on her last corner, nailed all five of her three-pointers in a row to keep the crowd rolling. (Click here to watch Lapeyrolerie’s threes on Twitter!)
While the Lobos introduced a few new drills, the women held true to tradition as they capped off the night with their highly-anticipated dance that included tunes like the “Cupid Shuffle” and “Suavemente” by Elvis Crespo.
Head coach Craig Neal and the Lobo men’s basketball team also made their first appearance of the 2016-17 season in front of Lobo fans.
The five newcomers were introduced first, followed by the 10 returnees, including Mountain West Preseason Player of the Year Elijah Brown and Preseason All-Mountain West Team selection Tim Williams.
The Lobos started out with getting up and down the court before the annual three-point contest and dunk contest. Sophomore Anthony Mathis put on a show in the three-point contest, taking the crown for the second year in a row. Sam Logwood slammed one down in the final round of the dunk contest to claim the champion title. (Click here to watch Logwood’s slam.)
The two teams will have a couple more weeks of practice before putting their product on the floor against opponents. The Lobo women will take the floor on Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. for an exhibition against Fort Lewis while the men go up against Western New Mexico in an exhibition contest on Nov. 2 at 7 p.m.
For season tickets for either men or women’s basketball, please visit GoLobos.com or call 925-LOBO.
Additional important dates to remember include the men’s basketball Howl-a-Ween event on Oct. 29, which is set to take place in The Pit. Practice will begin at 3:30 p.m., followed by trick-or-treating at 6 p.m. On the women’s side, the Lobos will host a special open practice on Oct. 22 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and their Tip-Off Dinner on Oct. 29.