The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team will look to stay undefeated at home this season when they kick off Mountain West Conference regular season play against Fresno State on Wednesday night at Wise Pies Arena, AKA the Pit.
With a disappointing non-conference record of 7-5, highlighted by a lopsided 77-46 loss to the Arizona Wildcats last week, the Lobos look for a fresh start and a clean slate when they host the 8-4 Bulldogs.
UNM head coach Craig Neal is 4-2 against Fresno State in his four seasons as head coach of the Lobos. The two teams split the season series in 2015-16, with both schools winning on the other team’s home court.
The Bulldogs boast a balanced attack with four players averaging double digits, led by senior guard Paul Watson at 13.6 points per game. A veteran team with two seniors and two juniors in the starting lineup, Fresno State enters Wednesday’s tilt against the Lobos on the heels of a 75-63 loss to No. 20 Oregon.
The Lobos will look to star forward Tim Williams and junior guard Elijah Brown to counteract the balanced attack of the Bulldogs. Unlike the Bulldogs who have multiple scorers who can attack you from many angles, the Williams and Brown are the only two Lobos to average double figures this season.
The meeting on December 28th will be the 24th time the two schools have met, with UNM owning a 14-9 advantage in the series. But it is the Bulldogs who own bragging rights after an impressive 92-82 win at the Pit last February.
