Lobos to Host Iona in Nationally Televised Matchup on Sunday Afternoon
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M – The New Mexico men’s basketball team begins a three-game homestand on Sunday afternoon by hosting Iona in a nationally televised matchup. Game time at The Pit is 4:30 p.m. and the game will air on FS1 and the Lobo Radio Network.
With over 13,000 tickets out by Saturday morning, the game will be the largest crowd at The Pit in recent years. With new security procedures in place, including metal detectors and wands, fans are strongly encouraged to arrive early to avoid delays while entering the arena. The first 3,000 fans in attendance will receive a spirit shaker and all fans that enter between 3 p.m. (when gates open) until 4 p.m. will receive a voucher for a Lobo dog and 24oz soda for $7 (a 30% savings).
The Lobos (10-0) are one of seven remaining unbeaten teams nationally and are coming off a 67-64 victory over San Francisco on Monday night at the Jack Jones Hoopfest at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. New Mexico has three of the top five scorers in the Mountain West with Morris Udeze second in the league at 18.1 ppg, Jamal Mashburn, Jr. ranking third at 17.2 ppg and Jaelen House ranking fifth at 16.5 ppg. The Lobos are the only team nationally with three players averaging at least 16.5 ppg.
Iona has an 7-2 record this season and is riding a five-game win streak. The Gaels most recently downed Princeton 70-64 on Tuesday night in a neutral site matchup. Iona was picked as the preseason favorite in the MAAC and already has a 2-0 conference record this season.
Iona’s head coach is Hall of Famer Rick Pitino, father of Lobo head coach Richard Pitino. Sunday’s game is the 21st all-time father-son coaching matchup in NCAA Division I history and the third time the Pitinos have coached against one another. Rick Pitino’s Louisville squads won the previous two Pitino vs. Pitino matchups, in 2012-13 with a 79-55 win over Richard’s FIU squad at the KFC Yum Center and in 2014-15 with a 81-68 win over Richard’s Minnesota team in a season-opening neutral site matchup at a Coast Guard Base in Puerto Rico
The homestand continues on Tuesday when the Lobos host Prairie View A&M in the non-conference finale. New Mexico opens Mountain West play on Dec. 28 when it hosts Colorado State.