New Mexico at Rice
Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020 – 1 p.m. MT / 2 p.m. CT
Tudor Fieldhouse (Capacity: 5,208)
| Broadcast Information | |
| TV: CUSA.TV |
|
| RADIO: Lobo Radio Network | |
| (96.3 FM/770 KKOB-AM flagship in Albuquerque) | |
| Play-by-Play | Robert Portnoy |
| Analyst | Hunter Greene |
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The long-awaited start to the 2020-21 University of New Mexico men’s basketball season is finally over as the Lobos are set to take on the Rice Owls on Sunday, Dec. 13 at 1 p.m. MT in Houston, Texas.
Rice enters Sunday’s game 4-0 on the season with all four games resulting in double-digit victories for the Owls.
Sunday’s game marks the first time since the 1992-93 season that the Lobos have started their season in December. The game will also be just the second time UNM has opened on the road in the last 12 seasons. In 2018-19, the Lobos opened at CSUN and prior to that, the last time UNM opened somewhere other than The Pit was 2007-08.
It has been 283 days since the Lobos have taken to the court as they are one of few teams in the nation that have yet to play a game in 2020-21 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 2020-21 Lobos return six letterwinners from last year’s team including just one starter in senior Makuach Maluach. Sunday’s game will mark Maluach’s 100th career game and potentially his 57th straight start. He also enters the contest just 41 points shy of 1,000 points. If/when he hits the mark, he will be the 35th Lobo to enter the 1,000 point club.
The remining five Lobo letterwinners combine for just five starts and an average of 11.0 points from last season. UNM welcomes 12 newcomers this season, half of which are transfers, including sophomore point guard Jeremiah Francis III who comes to UNM out of North Carolina where he played in 16 games and scored in double figures three times. Francis was granted an NCAA waiver to play this season and is expected to start at the point guard position on Sunday.
This year’s Lobos are tied for second in the nation for most foreign countries and states represented with 15 (9 states and 6 countries, excluding the US). UT Martin leads the country with 17 while the Lobos tie Penn with 15. The six countries represented by this season’s squad include Angola, Australia, Canada, Central African Republic and Senegal.
The Lobos are also tied for the most head coaches (at any level) on staff for an NCAA D1 team with four, two of which were with the Lobos last season: Assistant Coach Dan McHale (Eastern Kentucky) and Assistant Coach Ralph Davis (NMMI). Two other former head coaches have been added to the staff this season in Assistant Coach Scott Padgett (Samford) and Special Assistant to the Head Coach Dave Pilipovich (Air Force).
SERIES HISTORY
The Lobos lead the series with Rice 5-2 including a 1-0 margin in Houston. The last time the Lobos traveled to play the Owls in Houston was on Jan. 18, 1997 in which UNM claimed a 69-61 victory. All of the meetings with the Owls have been in Albuquerque except for one road trip and one postseason contest in Las Vegas, Nev.
Last time the Lobos took on Rice was in Paul Weir’s first season in which New Mexico earned a 78-69 victory on Dec. 19, 2017 in The Pit. It marked Weir’s fourth win at the helm of the Lobos.
The last victory for Rice in the series was on Dec. 19, 2015 when the Owls edged the Lobos by just one point, 90-89 in The Pit.
THE COACHES
Head coach Paul Weir is 52-47 in his fourth year at the helm of the Lobos, 80-53 in his fifth season as a head coach. Rice head coach Scott Pera is 39-60 in his fourth season with the Owls and is the same in his career.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Sunday’s game will be available to watch live on CUSA.TV for a fee. Fans can also follow live via live stats or listen in on the radio LIVE. Robert Portnoy and former Lobo Hunter Greene will be on the call on 96.3 FM/770 AM KKOB.