New Mexico

Men’s basketball: living legends show for New Mexico’s birthday game

Published

2 years ago

January 8, 2024

Men’s basketball: living legends show for New Mexico’s birthday game

This past Saturday, Jan. 6, the University of New Mexico men’s basketball defeated the Wyoming Cowboys 77-60. The game took place on the 112th anniversary of New Mexico’s statehood and living legends came to celebrate it with fans.

Former Lobo and Los Angeles Laker Michael Cooper and former Laker Shaquille O’Neal were present in The Pit supporting the Lobos in their gold and red jerseys.

The Pit felt electric even before the game started and kept growing as the game went on. The first half started off strong with Nelly Junior Joseph (#23) stealing a pass and securing the first points of the game. From then on, the Lobos explosiveness, led by Jaelen House (#10), brought a strong offense and defense presence.

Both Dent’s and the team’s scrappiness led to a couple of clean steals and great ball movement throughout the match. They finished the half up with 17 points at 39-22.

While House kept the Cowboys on their toes for the majority of the game, Donovan Dent (#2) kept the offensive on theirs. Dent finished the game with the longest court time at 31 minutes and led the team in scoring with 21 points. After the game, Dent talked about how the team was able to recover from their loss against Colorado State on Tuesday, Jan. 2.

“The game was good after Tuesday. We just had to put it behind us and step up, but that doesn’t mean we don’t still have work to do moving forward,” Dent said.

The second half saw the Cowboys attempt a comeback with players Mason Walters (#33), Akuel Kot (#13) and Cam Manyawu (#5) all stepping up and making baskets. The Cowboys brought the score to 43-35, but the Lobos kept the lead by racking up foul after foul and making their free throws.

The electricity the Lobo fans had at The Pit continued and turned into the crowd expressing their disappointment at some of the referee’s calls on fouls. But their disappointment would not last long as JT Toppin (#15) secured a two-handed dunk off a great pass from House.

As the fourth quarter started off, the Cowboys took a timeout – wanting to stop the Lobos momentum as the lead began to grow to 53-44, but the Lobos had other plans. House came off the bench and secured himself a stylish behind-the-back layup; Tru Washington (#3) stole another pass and secured himself a basket back-to-back.

Head Coach Richard Pitino talked about the energy that Washington creates for the team.

“That energy – making plays at the rim, getting steals. It’s good to have him healthy and back for sure. He does a great job at getting to the basket and taking those high percentage shots,” Pitino said.

Both teams held onto their strengths and forged forward. By the second media timeout of the half, the score had reached 66-54 with the Lobos in the lead, and they kept their lead for the remainder of the game. House got one last chance to steal a pass and break away before the buzzer went off, ending the game 77-60.

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The Lobos now stand at 13-2 overall and 1-1 in conference play. They are 8-0 at home but will be going on the road to Reno where they’ll play against the University of Nevada on Tuesday, Jan. 9. They will be back in town Saturday, Jan. 13 where they play against San Diego State University.

BillyJack Davidson is a beat reporter at the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @BillyJackDL

BillyJack Davidson

BillyJack Davidson is a freelance reporter at the Daily Lobo. He can be reached on Twitter @BillyJackDL

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New Mexico

Body of Albuquerque city councilor’s brother found

Published

5 hours ago

January 12, 2026

Press Room

Body of Albuquerque city councilor’s brother found

MOUNTAINAIR, N.M. (KRQE) – The missing family member of an Albuquerque city councilor has been found dead. The town of Mountainair announced on Saturday via Facebook that the body of Albert Peña, the brother-in-law of City Councilor Klarissa Peña, has been found.

Albert Peña went missing on December 30. Police are looking into Peña’s death as a homicide. Anyone with information about this disappearance and death is asked to contact Mountainair police.

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New Mexico

‘West Wing’ actor Timothy Busfield accused of child sex abuse in New Mexico

Published

17 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

‘West Wing’ actor Timothy Busfield accused of child sex abuse in New Mexico

New Mexico authorities have accused Emmy-winning actor Timothy Busfield, known for series “The West Wing” and “Thirtysomething,” of child sex abuse.

A judge on Friday issued an arrest warrant for the 68-year-old actor on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and a single count of child abuse. The arrest warrant affidavit, reviewed by The Times on Sunday, accuses Busfield of inappropriately touching two child actors, who are brothers, during his tenure on the Fox crime drama “The Cleaning Lady.”

“The health and safety of our cast and crew is always our top priority, especially the safety of minors on our productions,” Fox and Warner Bros. Television said in a statement shared Sunday. “We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously and have systems in place to promptly and thoroughly investigate, and when needed, take appropriate action. … We are aware of the current charges against Mr. Busfield and have been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement.”

Busfield, who was an actor, producer and director for “The Cleaning Lady,” allegedly sexually assaulted of one of the young actors multiple times during his tenure. According to the affidavit, one child actor said Busfield first touched his “‘private areas’” multiple times on set when he was 7 years old. The actor said that when he was 8 years old, Busfield touched him inappropriately again several times. He was “afraid to tell anyone because Tim was the Director, and he feared Tim would get mad at him,” the affidavit said.

The second child actor said that Busfield “started touching them for the first two years” of his time on “The Cleaning Lady,” which filmed in Albuquerque, according to the complaint. The investigator said both children said they did not speak out about their alleged encounters with Busfield out of fear or concern for him.

The actors’ mother, per the complaint, reported the alleged abuse to Child Protective Services in October 2025, claiming that Busfield sexually abused her children from November 2022 to spring 2024. Police began investigating the alleged abuse in November 2024 after receiving a request from a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital.

According to the affidavit, the investigation also included interviews with the children’s therapists and doctors. One of the child actors, who disclosed the alleged abuse by Busfield to his therapist, has issues with bed-wetting “along with other behavior issues,” was diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety and has suffered nightmares “about the director touching him,” according to the complaint.

The investigator also spoke to numerous cast and crew members of “The Cleaning Lady,” which was canceled in June after four seasons. The affidavit details the investigator’s conversations with production assistants, the studio teacher and Busfield.

Busfield, married to actor Melissa Gilbert, told the investigator that “Cleaning Lady” producer Warner Bros. Television notified him in the spring of 2025 of an investigation regarding complaints “about him from the boys.” When asked whether he had any physical contact with the two child actors, Busfield “said it was highly likely that he would have,” the complaint said. He suggested to the investigator that the boys’ mother might have sought “revenge” on the director for “not bringing her kids back for the final season,” according to the complaint.

Though Busfield confirmed the identities of the young actors to the investigator in his interview, he allegedly said later, “ ‘I don’t remember those boys’ ” and “ ‘I don’t remember overtly tickling the boys ever, but it wouldn’t be uncommon for me.’ ”

The complaint also details Warner Bros.’ investigation into Busfield’s alleged behavior. The studio started its investigation after receiving an anonymous tip in February 2025 from the SAG-AFTRA hotline regarding a December 2024 incident. Busfield allegedly entered the hair and makeup trailer and “kissed a minor male on the face as the minor was getting a haircut.” The complaint further alleged “there are pictures of Mr. Busfield, ‘tickling and caressing the head and body of minor boys.’ ”

Neither Fox or Warner Bros. immediately responded to a request for comment on Sunday, but a spokesperson for the latter told the New York Times it is “aware of the current charges against Mr. Busfield and have been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement.”

Busfield received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Elliot Weston in the ABC drama “Thirtysomething” in the late 1980s and early ‘90s. He also appeared in “Field of Dreams,” “Little Big League,” “The Byrds of Paradise” and other titles. He is perhaps best known for his recurring role in “The West Wing” as Danny Concannon, a White House correspondent who strikes up a relationship with Press Secretary C.J. Clegg, played by Allison Janney.

In addition to television and film, Busfield is a stage actor and director. In 1991, Busfield and his brother Buck Busfield created the B Street Theatre, a nonprofit theater in Sacramento that first began as a touring theater group for children. He also pitched for baseball team the Sacramento Smokeys and was inducted into the Sacramento Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024.

Prior to the allegations from his time on “The Cleaning Lady,” Busfield was accused in 1994 of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old actor who appeared on “Little Big League.” He denied those claims and sued his accuser for defamation. The case ended in a settlement, with a judge ordering Busfield to pay the woman $150,000.

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