Lobos Travel to California for Thursday Showdown with No. 23 Saint Mary’s

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M – The New Mexico men’s basketball team takes to the road for the first time this season as it visits No. 23 Saint Mary’s on Thursday night. Game time in Moraga, Calif. is 8:00 p.m. MT (7:00 p.m. PT) and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and on the Lobo Radio Network.

The Lobos are coming off a 92-55 season-opening victory over SWAC preseason favorite Texas Southern on Monday night at The Pit. Preseason All-Mountain West guard Jamal Mashburn, Jr. led UNM with 15 points, while Donovan Dent added 12 points and six assists. The 37-point victory was the third-largest win in a season-opener against a team coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance over the past decade of Division I basketball.

Saint Mary’s is ranked No. 23 in the preseason AP and coaches polls and was picked as the preseason favorite in the West Coast Conference. The Gaels opened the year on Monday night with a 107-28 victory over Division II Stanislaus State. SMC is led by three preseason All-WCC selections in Alex Ducas, Aiden Mahaney and Mitchell Saxen.

It is the second straight season the Lobos have visited Saint Mary’s, having posted a 69-65 victory last November to snap the Gaels’ school-record 23-game home winning streak. Jaelen House scored 17 to lead New Mexico in that victory. Overall, UNM holds a 3-1 edge in the series, winning the only previous meeting in Moraga (last season). Saint Mary’s lone win in the series came in 2018-19 at the Hall of Fame Classic in Los Angeles.

Following Thursday’s contest, New Mexico will be off for a week before hosting UT Arlington at The Pit next Thursday, Nov. 16. Game time is set for 7 p.m. and tickets are on sale at GoLobos.com/tickets.