New Mexico
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 is a freelance reporter at the Daily Lobo. He can be reached on Twitter @BillyJackDL
Native Vote 2026
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A Laguna Pueblo woman is the front runner to be New Mexico’s next governor.
Shortly after polls closed Tuesday night, Deb Haaland was declared the winner over Bernalillo County district attorney Sam Bregman in the state’s semi-open Democratic Party primary. As of 11:00 p.m., Haaland carried support from 72% of the Democratic primary voters to Bregman’s 28%, according to unofficial results from the New Mexico Secretary of State.
“We’re showing everyone that a better future in New Mexico is possible,” she told supporters gathered in Albuquerque’s historic Old Town Plaza. “New Mexicans want a leader who will stand up for working people, and who is ready to take on Donald Trump. I proudly accept your nomination as a Democratic nominee.”
Haaland spoke for 13 minutes, at times through a scratchy throat that required her to pause for water breaks. “Excuse me, I’ve been talking with voters all day,” she said while grabbing a water bottle before hitting her campaign stump notes on affordability, health care and public safety.
She will face Republican Gregg Hull, a former mayor from suburban Rio Rancho that won his party’s three-way primary with 47% of the vote, according to unofficial results from the New Mexico Secretary of State.
Haaland will be the Democratic Party nominee in a state dominated at every level by Democrats, and is expected to be heavily favored in the general election. With that insight she said her campaign message does translate to Republicans and Independent voters.
“We want our kids to thrive. We want our kids to have a quality, public education. We want every New Mexican to have health care. Everybody wants to feel safe in their neighborhoods, and everybody wants to be able to afford to put a hot meal on their table every night and have a roof over their children’s heads,” she said. “Those issues transcend whatever political spectrum we’re trying to slice and dice people into.”
Shortly after the race was called, Haaland campaign staff, major donors, surrogates, and their families walked from a building on the west side of Albuquerque’s Old Town Plaza to the historic plaza core, where the Haaland campaign had set up a stage and reserved the entire plaza for its victory celebration.
“We are now witnessing history in the making,” New Mexico state Rep. Derrick Lente (Sandia Pueblo) said to supporters immediately after Haaland was declared the winner.
Denise Wilie (Dine) also joined the celebration of Haaland’s victory. Wilie said she worked on get-out-the-vote efforts with the Native American Voters Alliance in McKinley County.
“It just is so exhilarating to even think about, a woman and a Pueblo woman,” she said. “Indigenous all the way, is how I feel. I’m like, yes, let’s get more of our voices.”
Haaland was introduced by her two sisters and walked to the stage escorted by a mariachi band.
Speaking to reporters after the event Haaland reflected on voting for a Pueblo woman (herself) for governor.
“I got emotional, quite frankly, when I went to vote for myself because you do that when you’re a candidate,” she said. “We’ve never had a Native American governor in New Mexico. We’re a multicultural state. I think representation matters, especially in a political era such as this one. So, I’m really proud and honored to carry on the legacy of my ancestors, who worked so incredibly hard to make sure that I had a place here today.”
Related
When a famly unexpectedly loses a loved one, or has someone go missing, the details of what comes next can be overwhelming.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – When a famly unexpectedly loses a loved one, or has someone go missing, the details of what comes next can be overwhelming.
But they don’t have to do it alone thanks to an organization helping New Mexico families with some of those burdens.
Watch the video above for more.
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