New Mexico & Utah State Recap, Lobo WBB fall in MWC Tourney, Look ahead to MBB MWC Tourney

Rapid Reaction - Lobos go ice cold against Tulsa in NIT

Rapid Reaction - Nick Nunez Tulsa defeats New Mexico 74-69 in the NIT to advance to the NIT Finals. Gamer: “If you live by the three, you die by the three” proved only half true for UNM men’s basketball on Thursday night—because while Tulsa’s outside shooting set the tone, it was UNM’s missed chances and late-game lapses that ultimately sealed a 74–69 NIT semifinal loss and ended the Lobos’ season. Tulsa’s hot 3-point shooting was not the killer blow, but it was the first punch that gave the Golden Hurricane a seven-point advantage at the half 36-29. Before the team left for Indianapolis, UNM men’s basketball coach Eric Olen was asked if his team would revert to their same defensive philosophy of “protect the paint” against a high volume nad efficient 3-point shooting team like Tulsa that shot 38% from three coming into this game. . Olen’s response: “That’s always a pillar of what we’re trying to do,” Olen said. “How we rotate, the urgency we rotate, our ability to contest (shots), can we win in rotation? I think those are going to be the questions we got to answer on Thursday.”

MWC MBB Roundtable - Our picks and takes with a little Vegas flare.

The Pit Press is joined by Mike Cooper of The Scarlet Standard (UNLV) and Brennan Williams of Go Lopes Radio (GCU) to preview the MWC MBB Tourney. We give our picks, predications, and takes with a little Vegas flare.

New Mexico & Utah State Recap, Lobo WBB fall in MWC Tourney, Look ahead to MBB MWC Tourney

Despite a historic, 32-point masterpiece from freshman phenom Jake Hall, who shattered a 30-year-old school scoring record in the process, the University of New Mexico couldn't withstand a relentless Utah State assault. In a 94-90 thriller that lived up to the hype but delivered a knockout blow to the Lobos’ at-large hopes, New Mexico saw both a share of the conference title and their NCAA Tournament at-large chances slip through their fingers. Gamer: https://www.pitpressnm.com/news/lobo-bubble-pops-in-logan-jake-halls-night-not-enough [https://www.pitpressnm.com/news/lobo-bubble-pops-in-logan-jake-halls-night-not-enough] Pit West (MWC Tourney) Primer: https://www.pitpressnm.com/news/the-pit-west-awaits-can-the-lobos-conquer-the-mwc-gauntlet [https://www.pitpressnm.com/news/the-pit-west-awaits-can-the-lobos-conquer-the-mwc-gauntlet]

UNM MBB Seeks Reset Against Boise State

Eric Olen has quickly continued the tradition of winning for UNM men’s basketball. Despite a setback 86-66 loss to Utah State on Wednesday, Olen’s Lobos enter Saturday night’s matchup against Boise State at 18-5 overall and 9-3 in Mountain West play, good for third place in the league standings, and still in contention to get a top 3 seed in the Mountain West conference tournament. “We feel like our best basketball and good basketball from us, is good enough every night, at home, on the road, against every team that we could potentially see,” Olen said after the Utah State loss. “It’s not about our capability, its just about our execution and performance.” Game Preview: https://www.pitpressnm.com/news/unm-mbb-seeks-reset-against-boise-state [https://www.pitpressnm.com/news/unm-mbb-seeks-reset-against-boise-state]

Protect The Pit: San Jose State Recap and Utah State Preview with The Aggship (Patrick Mayhorn)

New Mexico men’s basketball will defend its 23-game home winning streak Wednesday night when it hosts Utah State in a first-place showdown at the Pit. The Aggies are the highest-rated opponent UNM has faced at home this season, ranking No. 27 in the NET and No. 33 in KenPom, and boast the Mountain West’s top offense at 84.5 points per game. Utah State’s attack is driven by efficiency, ball movement, and depth, led by Mason Falslev and MJ Collins. With the conference race tied atop the standings, protecting home court is critical for the Lobos’ title hopes. The Aggship (Patrick Mayhorn) joins the show to provide an in-depth preview of the Utah State Aggies. Game Preview READ: https://www.pitpressnm.com/news/protect-the-pit-lobos-face-utah-state-at-the-pit [https://www.pitpressnm.com/news/protect-the-pit-lobos-face-utah-state-at-the-pit]