Aggie women seek revenge against Lobos

By: Anthony Esparza

Rivalry week concludes Friday night when they New Mexico State women’s basketball team hosts New Mexico at the Pan American Center.

Both squads are looking to bounce back from losses on the road last week.

The Aggies are coming off a lopsided 74-37 loss at Utah on Dec. 21. The team currently sits at 2-9 on the season.

The Lobos were edged at Arizona last week 59-56. UNM enter the game on Friday with an overall record of 4-8 and 1-3 mark on the road.

The team is led by a strong backcourt that includes junior Caroline Durbin and senior Porche Torrance.

Durbin is the Lobos’ leading scorer, averaging 15.2 points per game. Durbin also leads the team in field goal and three-point shooting.

Torrance is the defensive anchor for the Lobos. The senior guard is the team leader in steals and blocks.

Going up against Durbin and Torrance for the Aggies will be senior Kaitlyn Soto and sophomore Jasmine 

Rutledge. NM State also has guards coming off the bench, such as Erica Sanchez and Hannah Womack, who can contribute in the backcourt.

However, the team will rely on the post play of senior forward Tabytha Wampler, who leads the team in points, rebounds and minutes per game.

UNM took the first meeting between the two teams earlier in the month when the Lobos hung on to defeat the Aggies 54-53.

The rematch is set to tipoff at 7:00 p.m. Friday at the Pam Am Center.

Lobos dominate Aggies in rematch

By: Anthony Esparza

New Mexico players attack the ball while Christian Kabongo attempts to drive to the basket. Kabongo scored only eight points on 3-15 FG and 0-2 3-Ptr. He also had six turnovers. Zack Ponce

It was neither the outcome nor the performance Aggie fans at the sold-out Pan American Center hoped to see on Wednesday night when the New Mexico Lobos came to town.

The Lobos handled the Aggies 89-67 to split the season series in the Rio Grande Rivalry, avenging the Nov. 16 loss at The Pit.

The Lobos controlled the game from start and finish in large part because of efficient three-point shooting. UNM hit 12 three-pointers on the night, four of which were by sophomore guard Tony Snell.

“The Lobos shot the lights out tonight, and it was one of those things where we had no answer for their three-ball,” NM State coach Marvin Menzies said of the difference in three-point shooting between the two teams. “We go 1-14, they go 12-24 and that’s pretty much the story of the game.”

UNM also forced 17 Aggie turnovers in the game, including 11 in the first half. The Lobos turned the ball over 15 times, but NM State was unable to convert them into the points as the Aggies only shot 32.4 percent from the field in the game.

“Tonight we were bad on both sides of the ball. When you play that way against a good team, you don’t have a chance,” Menzies said. “Against a very good and solid team you’ve got to bring your ‘A’ game and we brought our ‘C’ game.”

Another key difference from the first game for the Lobos was the play of Drew Gordon. The senior forward had 23 points and 19 rebounds on Wednesday, a substantial improvement from the first meeting against the Aggies in which he finished with two points and eight rebounds.

Drew Gordon holds the ball during an NCAA basketball game against in-state rival New Mexico State. Gordon responded after a career-worst game at The Pit to total 23 points, 19 rebounds, and two steals. The Aggies held Gordon to only two points and eight rebounds on Nov. 16, 2011. Zack Ponce

“He wanted to come back and make a statement because he didn’t play well the first time around,” Menzies said of Gordon. “He came in and played with more composure, made his shots and was very aggressive with rebounding.”

Wendell McKines led the way for Aggies, scoring a game-high 25 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. The senior forward recorded his seventh double-double of the season, but it was not enough to overcome the Lobos’ impressive shooting performance.

“They had much more energy than last time and a lot more urgency,” McKines said of the Lobos. "That's the best three-point shooting performance I've seen in the Pam Am since I've been here.”

With the loss, the Aggies fall to 8-5 and conclude their 5-game home stand against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday. The Lobos go to 11-2 and return to Albuquerque to face Saint Louis on the same day.

McKines said one loss will not dictate the Aggies’ season and the team hopes to peak at the right time.

"Every season is a journey. We’re just in a little bump in the road right now,” McKines said. “We’re looking forward to playing our best basketball in March, so we’ve still got a ways to go.”

Kendall Williams drives to the basket during an NCAA basketball game against in-state rival New Mexico State. Williams had 12 points and four assists. Zack Ponce

Rio Grande Rivalry: Round Two

By: Anthony Esparza

New Mexico State’s Wendell McKines, right, passes New Mexico’s Drew Gordon on his way to a layup attempt during an NCAA basketball game at The Pit on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011, in Albuquerque, N.M. Photo by Zack Ponce

On Wednesday night, the New Mexico State men’s basketball team looks to do something it has not done since 1999: sweep the season series against instate rival New Mexico.

The Aggies left Albuquerque with a 62-53 victory on Nov. 15, snapping an eight-game losing streak at The Pit that dated back to 2002. The win came in front of a hostile crowd of 15,303, and NM State coach Marvin Menzies hopes Aggie fans will return the favor.

“They had a great crowd and we were fortunate enough to get out of there with a win,” Menzies said of the atmosphere at The Pit. “I’m very optimistic that we’ll get a good turnout. I think the city is behind us, and I’m hopeful that they get out and support us and give us the type of sixth man effect that we need to carry us to victory.”

The Aggies have gone 6-4 since the win in Albuquerque. Three of the four losses were in a row when the team fell to Arizona, Southern Mississippi and the University of Texas El Paso within a two-week span.

The good news for NM State is the team is riding a three-game win streak entering Wednesday’s game against UNM. The Aggies are also in the middle of a five-game home stand, which has allowed them to avoid traveling for the past week.

Senior forward Wendell McKines has anchored the team thus far, averaging a double-double on the season. McKines scored 14 points and pulled down nine rebounds in the first meeting against the Lobos.

The Aggies have also received a boost of energy off the bench from Daniel Mullings. The freshman guard recently started three games in place of Christian Kabongo, who was suspended for violating team rules.

“He’s just a freshman and he’s been playing really well,” NM State junior forward Bandja Sy said of Mullings. “He’s a really athletic player. He can run, he can jump and he’s been working on his shot.”

UNM is 9-1 since the loss to the Aggies last month. The Lobos come into the Pan Am Center on a nine-game winning streak, most of which were at a neutral location and at home.

The areas the Lobos have improved the most during the win streak are assists and rebounding. UNM ranks 15^th in the country in assists per game with 17.2, and 31^st in rebounding with 39.3 boards per contest. 

“This is about as healthy as we’ve been in a while,” UNM coach Steve Alford said after the Lobos’ win over Missouri-Kansas City on Dec. 22. 

The stage is set for a Rio Grande Rivalry showdown on the hardwood in Las Cruces Wednesday night.

“We know them well and they know us well,” Sy said of the Lobos. “It’s going to be a tough game.”

New Mexico’s Demetrius Walker (40) guards Renaldo Dixon of New Mexico State while he attempts a shot during an NCAA basketball game at The Pit on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011, in Albuquerque, N.M. Zack Ponce

Aggies handle McNeese State

By: Anthony Esparza

Bandja Sy of New Mexico State drives to the basket on a layup attempt during an NCAA basketball game against McNeese State at the Pan American Center on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011, in Las Cruces, N.M. Zack Ponce

The New Mexico State men’s basketball team goes into the Christmas break riding a three-game win streak, after defeating McNeese State 82-62 Wednesday at the Pan American Center.

The Aggies got a spark off the bench from Bandja Sy in the first half. The junior forward connected on five of six shot attempts and scored 11 points in the opening half.  

“I’m not really looking to score,” Sy said of his approach to the game. “I’m just trying to execute the game plan and take open shots.”

NM State coach Marvin Menzies said Sy has been working on improving his mid-range shooting ability.

“When he shoots it in rhythm like that, he’s really good,” Menizes said of Sy. “He had a tendency to drive it too deep and get into trouble last year, so we’ve been working hard on correcting that and he’s reaping the fruits of his labor right now."

Senior forward Wendell McKines had an exceptional night, finishing with 23 points and a career-high 17 rebounds. McKines is now third all-time on NM State’s career rebounding list with 882.

Although the Aggies never trailed in the contest, the Cowboys stayed within striking distance through much of the second half. However, turnovers plagued McNeese State throughout the game and the team was only able to cut the Aggie lead to nine.

NM State struggled with turnovers as well, finishing with 17 on the night. Aggie coach Marvin Menizes said the team needs to work on protecting the ball in order to be an elite team when conference play starts. 

“You can’t be a championship team playing that careless with the ball,” Menzies said. “But that’s something that’s very coachable and correctable, so that’s the bright side of it.”

There may not be a bright side to the injury suffered by freshman guard Terrel de Rouen, who left the game in obvious pain early in the second half. De Rouen later returned to the sideline on crutches.

“The early diagnosis is it could be an ACL, but we’re not sure of the severity,” Menzies said. “He’s going to get an MRI in the morning and we’ll say a prayer tonight and hopefully it’s not something that will keep him out too long.”

With the win, NM State improves to 8-4 on the season. The Aggies return to the Pan Am Center on Dec. 28, when the New Mexico Lobos visit Las Cruces to renew the Rio Grande Rivalry.

Aggie women face Utah before Christmas break

By: Anthony Esparza

The New Mexico State women’s basketball team travels to Salt Lake City for a matchup against Utah on Wednesday.

The Aggies (2-8) snapped an eight-game losing streak Monday by defeating UC-Santa Barbara 52-51 at the Pan American Center.

The team was led by forward Tabytha Wampler and guard Kaitlyn Soto. The two seniors each finished with a team-high 14 points on the night. Senior guard Erica Sanchez provided a spark off the bench in the second half by hitting a trio of three-pointers to give the Aggies a one-point lead.

“They're running a new system to that group of kids,” Utah coach Anthony Levrets said of the Aggies. “They do a good job with their motion stuff. It's going to be a challenge defending them, and they play incredibly hard."

The Utes enter the game at 5-4 and are coming off a dominating 75-33 win over Texas Southern.

Sophomore guard Michelle Plouffe recorded her fourth double-double of the season, finishing with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore Taryn Wicijowski and junior Iwalani Rodrigues also finished with double digits, scoring 15 and 13 points respectively.

 Utah leads the series 21-6 and defeated NM State 72-62 at the Pan Am Center last season. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m., and the game will air in the Las Cruces area on KSNM AM 570

Get to know: McNeese State

Scouting the Aggies' upcoming opponent

By: Zack Ponce

The McNeese State Cowboys are 4-5 on the year, with their most recent outcome being a 69-54 loss at the University of Texas-El Paso on Monday.

Three of McNeese State’s wins have come against NCAA Division II opponents.  A 68-63 win at Sacramento State is the Cowboys’ lone victory over a Division I opponent.

The Cowboys are averaging 65.3 points per game (243rd in NCAA) and 35.9 rebounds per game (157th in NCAA).  McNeese State is shooting 41 percent per game from the floor (252nd in NCAA).

Senior forward Patrick Richard who was named the Louisiana Player of the Year in 2010-11, as well as named a first team all-Southland Conference player in 2010-11, is the clear leader for McNeese State.  He is averaging 16 points and nearly six rebounds per game in the young season.

Junior guard Jeremie Mitchell is second on the team in scoring, averaging 12 points per game.  Center Rudy Turner leads the Cowboys in rebounding with six rebounds per game.

Forward Will Brown transferred to McNeese State after playing two seasons for the New Mexico Lobos.  Brown averaged 4.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in his final year at UNM.

Dave Simmons, the Cowboys head coach, led McNeese State to a Southland Conference regular season championship in 2010-11 and their first NIT Tournament appearance since 2001.  Simmons was named the Southland Conference Coach of the Year for his accomplishment.

Additional Info

Location: Lake Charles, La. (about an hour east of Beaumont, Texas)

Enrollment: 8,900

Founded: 1939

Colors: Blue and Gold

Most famous alum: Joe Dumars

Strong second half leads to Aggie win over Southern

By: Zack Ponce

Tshilidzi Nephawe maneuvers in the post while being guarded by Quinton Doggett of the Southern Jaguars during an NCAA basketball game at the Pan American Center on Monday, Dec. 19, 2011, in Las Cruces, N.M. Zack Ponce

 The New Mexico State men’s basketball team defeated Southern University 91-66 after a slow first half start in which the Aggies led by eight at halftime.

           

Seniors Wendell McKines and Hamidu Rahman led the Aggies en route to their seventh win of the year.  McKines posted his sixth double-double of the season with 20 points and 16 rebounds, while Rahman contributed 16 points and nine rebounds.

           

NM State took control of the game early in the second half when the Aggies went on an 11-0 run that spanned just short of four minutes.  The Aggies’ lead inflated to 51-34, effectively ending the Jaguars’ hopes of an upset win in Las Cruces.

           

“Our game plan to every game is to break the (opponent) down as we go along,” McKines said.  “We knew if we stayed with the game plan, eventually they would break down.”

           

The Jaguars didn’t just break; they collapsed thanks to NM State’s strong team defense, which displayed a variety of looks throughout the game.

           

The Aggies began showing a full-court press after each basket midway through the first half, which appeared to catch Southern’s players off guard.  

           

“If the ball offensively goes in the right areas, we’ll trap it,” NM State coach Marvin Menzies said of the strategy.  “If you can do some things to take them out of what they do, then obviously you’re winning.  So you can expect it as long as they don’t expect it and over-execute us.”

           

Freshman Daniel Mullings started at shooting guard for only the second time this year, replacing Christian Kabongo who was suspended indefinitely for violation of team rules a day after NM State’s game at the University of Texas El Paso.

Mullings scored a career-high 14 points and recorded four steals in 30 minutes of play.  His play also caught coach Menzies’ eye.

“He’s an excellent athlete and can really score the ball in open court,” Coach Menzies said.  “He’s a great kid and I’m optimistic about his future.”

Hernst Laroche added 14 points and two assists to the NM State victory, while Tshilidzi Nephawe and Bandja Sy provided much needed support off the bench.  Nephawe grabbed eight rebounds and Sy scored eight points.

Tyrone Watson scored only five points in 28 minutes of play, shooting 2-7 from the field and 1-3 from three-point range.

The win was Menzies’ 83rd as NM State coach, jumping him to fifth on the list of all-time winningest Aggie basketball head coaches.  

Menzies now trails Presley Askew who sits in fourth-place with 135 victories.  The all-time winningest coach for NM State is Las Cruces legend Lou Henson, who retired with 289 wins as an Aggie.

           

The victory propels NM State to 7-4, while Southern falls to 3-9.  The Aggies will host McNeese State (4-5) on Wednesday, Dec. 21 in their final tune-up before a showdown with in-state rival New Mexico (8-2) on Wednesday, Dec. 28.

           

The Aggies defeated the Lobos 62-53 earlier in the year at The Pit.  The win was NM State’s first in Albuquerque since Dec. 15, 2002, ending a nine-year losing streak.  

Menzies, although reluctant to look ahead to the UNM game, did not comment on the rivalry.

           

“With rivalries I’ve learned not to expect anything and prepare for everything,” coach Menzies said.  “We will concentrate on ourselves, concentrate on doing what we do well, and may the best team win.”

Derick Beltran of Southern University drives to the basket during an NCAA basketball game against New Mexico State at the Pan American Center on Monday, Dec. 19, 2011, in Las Cruces, N.M. Zack Ponce