The University of New Mexico Lobos have already made their presence known in 2025, delivering exciting performances across sports. From a thrilling overtime win on the basketball court to dominant baseball outings in the MLB Desert Invitational, the Lobos have set a high bar early in the season. As they gear up for the rest of the year, they’ll look to build on their recent successes and continue their competitive push in the Mountain West and beyond.
Basketball: Cumber’s Game-Winning Three Lifts Lobos to Overtime Victory Over Boise State
It was a back-and-forth battle that came down to the wire, but Vianè Cumber’s game-clinching three-pointer with 6.7 seconds left in overtime gave New Mexico an 88-83 win over Boise State. The Lobos, who had endured five straight losses, delivered a statement victory as Cumber poured in a career-high 27 points.
UNM led for most of the game, but Boise State kept the pressure on, constantly chipping away at the Lobos’ lead. Despite a strong first half, including an eight-point lead at one point, the Broncos fought back and forced the game into overtime after a dramatic final minute of regulation. The Lobos’ defense tightened in the extra period, and Cumber’s clutch shot sealed the deal.
The victory lifted UNM (14-12, 7-6 Mountain West) into a tie for fourth place in the conference, with five regular-season games left to play. Key contributors included Alyssa Hargrove, who posted career-highs in both rebounds (11) and assists (10), and Hulda Joaquim, who scored 11 points and pulled down seven rebounds. UNM’s strong rebounding efforts (51 total rebounds, including 17 offensive boards) and clutch shooting (60% in overtime) played a key role in the win, as the Lobos overcame a tough and gritty Boise State team.
Baseball: Lobos Start Strong with 9-6 Win Over Austin Peay at MLB Desert Invitational
UNM opened its 2025 baseball season with an impressive 9-6 win over Austin Peay in the first game of the MLB Desert Invitational. Despite falling behind early 2-0, the Lobos mounted a comeback, tallying seven extra-base hits on their way to the win. Key to the victory was Karsen Waslefsky’s two-run triple in the eighth inning, which gave the Lobos a comfortable three-run lead.
The Lobos’ offense was explosive, knocking Austin Peay starter Kade Shatwell out of the game by the fourth inning after five earned runs on six hits, including three doubles and a triple. Josh McAlister added to the lead with a homer, and the Lobos’ timely hitting kept the Governors at bay, even as Austin Peay answered back with a pair of home runs.
On the mound, the Lobos received solid performances from Dayne Pengelly (3.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 4 K) and Josh Barnhouse (1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 K), while Daxton Purser earned the first save of his career. Purser was dominant in relief, retiring eight of nine batters faced and striking out five. The Lobos will next face UC Irvine, looking to continue their strong start to the season.
McAlister’s Inside-the-Park Homer Powers Lobos to 5-3 Victory Over Seton Hall
The Lobos capped off a successful weekend at the MLB Desert Invitational with a 5-3 win over Seton Hall on Sunday. The game was marked by a historic inside-the-park home run from Josh McAlister and another three-hit performance from Cooper Brass, as the Lobos capitalized on two key two-run plays to secure the win.
McAlister’s inside-the-park homer in the seventh inning broke a scoreless tie and was the first of its kind for a Lobo since 2011. His 108.5 mph line drive caught the Seton Hall center fielder off-guard, and McAlister sprinted around the bases, scoring both himself and Brodey Williams. Brass, who had an outstanding debut weekend, continued his strong performance with three singles, two runs scored, and a walk. Brass is now batting .857 on the season and has a 2.018 OPS.
On the mound, Ryan Castillo (1-0) delivered a dominant five-inning start, striking out five batters while allowing only four hits and no runs. The sophomore out of Los Lunas, N.M. gave up just one hit through the first three innings and shut down Seton Hall with a 1-2-3 fifth inning, including two three-pitch strikeouts. The Lobos’ bullpen, which included Jack Messmore, Josh Barnhouse, and Ty Cunningham, combined to close out the game and preserve the victory. With the win, the Lobos improved to 2-1 on the weekend.
Lobos Struggle in 10-0 Loss to Arizona in Midweek Matchup
New Mexico Baseball fell to Arizona 10-0 in a run-rule loss in seven innings on Tuesday. After holding a 4-1 advantage in hits early in the game, the Lobos were undone by a 10-run barrage from the Wildcats over the next four innings.
Cooper Brass continued his hot start to the season, adding two more hits to his impressive early campaign. Through the first three games of his career, Brass is hitting .800 with eight hits in 10 at-bats, an impressive 1.818 OPS. However, despite Brass’s efforts and a solid start from RHP Diego Alvarez (3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 K), the Lobos couldn’t keep Arizona’s offense at bay. Alvarez, who was perfect through the first three innings, gave up a three-run triple in the fourth inning that led to his exit.
The Lobos used five pitchers to finish the game, including Matt Cornelius, Josh Barnhouse, Matt Romero, Luke Wiseman, and Presley Monteforte. The bullpen struggled to contain Arizona’s offense, allowing the game to spiral out of control.
The Lobos (2-2) will look to bounce back when they return to Albuquerque for their home opener, a four-game series against Northern Colorado.
The Lobos return to Albuquerque next, where they’ll host Northern Colorado for a four-game series starting on February 21. The team will be looking to build momentum from their early-season performances and will be excited to play in front of their home crowd. All of UNM’s Home Opening Weekend games will be broadcast for free via the Mountain West Network, with additional live stats and streaming available through GoLobos.com.
Tennis: Vandeputte’s Comeback Clinches 4-2 Win Over UTEP
The UNM women’s tennis team secured a hard-fought 4-2 victory over UTEP on Friday, with Maud Vandeputte’s come-from-behind victory at No. 2 singles clinching the match for the Lobos. The win evened UNM’s season record at 4-4, while UTEP dropped to 3-2.
Vandeputte, who is on a five-match singles win streak, was tested in her match against Candice Bernier. After losing the first set 6-3, Vandeputte fought back, sweeping the next two sets 6-3 and 6-2 to clinch the Lobos’ victory. Her win was especially important, as the only other remaining match was at No. 4 singles, where Maria Matsoukatidi was locked in a second-set tiebreaker with Hanna Telzynska.
UNM gained an early 1-0 lead with dominant doubles play, as Rebekkah Gaines and Maria Sodre won 6-4 at No. 1 doubles over Telzynska and Carlotta Mencaglia. At No. 3 doubles, Matsoukatidi and Sofia Taborga teamed up for a 6-3 victory in their first match together. With the doubles point secured, the Lobos needed just three singles wins to seal the victory.
The Lobos went up 3-1 after solid performances from Maria Sodre, who won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 5, and Sofia Taborga, who defeated DeCora Antoine 6-4, 6-2 at No. 6. UTEP fought back with a win at No. 1 singles, where Mencaglia defeated Rebekkah Gaines 6-2, 6-2. However, Vandeputte’s victory in the clutch situation gave UNM the win.
Vandeputte Clinches Another Victory in 4-2 Win Over New Mexico State
For the second consecutive match, Maud Vandeputte provided the clinching point for the Lobos, leading them to a 4-2 victory over rival New Mexico State on Saturday. The win pushed the Lobos’ record to 5-4, while snapping NMSU’s four-match winning streak.
Once again, the Lobos found themselves in a challenging position, as they lost the doubles point early on. But with the pressure mounting, the Lobos showed their resilience. Maria Sodre and Sofia Taborga both earned impressive singles victories, and Vandeputte’s 6-3, 7-6 (11-9) victory over Lisa Zhu at No. 2 singles was the match clincher.
After an early 2-0 deficit, including a loss at No. 3 singles by Sarah O’Connor, the Lobos mounted an impressive comeback. Taborga turned things around with a dominant 2-6, 6-0, 6-0 win, while Matsoukatidi followed suit with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 victory. With the match tied 2-2, it was up to Vandeputte to seal the win, and she did just that in a thrilling tiebreaker.
Maria Matsoukatidi Named Mountain West Freshman of the Week
Maria Matsoukatidi earned Mountain West Freshman of the Week honors after going undefeated in both singles and doubles during a two-day sweep of UTEP and New Mexico State.
The Soloniki, Greece native went 3-0 on the week, including victories at No. 3 doubles and No. 4 singles. Against UTEP, Matsoukatidi helped her team secure the doubles point with a 6-3 victory. The following day, she overcame a first-set loss to win 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 against New Mexico State, helping to break a 2-2 tie and pave the way for UNM’s victory.
Matsoukatidi’s honor marks the first weekly award for UNM tennis this season, and it highlights the freshman’s important role in the Lobos’ success.
Men’s Golf: Falleur Leads Lobos to Solid Finish at John Burns Intercollegiate
LIHUE, Hawaii – The UNM men’s golf team concluded their week at the John Burns Intercollegiate with a strong showing at the Ocean Course at Hokuala on the island of Kauai. The Lobos finished in a tie for 11th place after shooting 9-over during the final 18 holes, bringing their total to 14-over for the tournament.
Mesa Falleur was the standout performer for the Lobos, shooting a final round 3-under 67 to finish T-8th overall at 4-under for the week. It was his second top-10 finish of the season. Fellow Lobo Alvaro Portillo finished the tournament at 3-over, while Oliver Cage and Clark Sonnenberg both ended at 12-over. Wyatt Provence rounded out the UNM lineup with a 14-over finish.
UNM will send individuals to the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate later this month and will return to team competition at the Southern Highlands Invitational in Las Vegas from March 2-4.
Looking Ahead: Lobos Continue Their Seasons on the Road
Both the women’s tennis team and the men’s golf team will continue their respective seasons on the road. UNM Tennis will head to Texas for a weekend series against Abilene Christian and Tarleton State, while the men’s golf team will prepare for their upcoming events in California and Las Vegas.
UNM Tennis Falls to Oregon, Prevails Over Louisiana and Portland in Dramatic Matches
The University of New Mexico men’s tennis team faced a challenging stretch on the road, falling to No. 21 Oregon, but bouncing back with victories over Louisiana and Portland, moving their record to 3-3 on the season.
Oregon 6, UNM 1
The Lobos opened their weekend with a tough loss to Oregon, 6-1, in the first of three matches over four days. While UNM’s No. 49 doubles team, Aram Noroozian and Georgio Samaha, earned their second straight nationally-ranked win, defeating Oregon’s No. 77 duo, the Lobos struggled in both doubles and singles.
Despite Noroozian and Samaha’s impressive 6-2 victory, the Lobos fell short in the remaining two doubles matches, losing 6-4 in both No. 2 and No. 3.
In singles, UNM fought hard but couldn’t get the crucial tiebreakers to go their way. Noroozian, playing at No. 1, and Samaha at No. 2 both suffered losses in close matches, including a second-set tiebreaker defeat for Samaha. Dario Ciobotaru was the only Lobo to secure a win, earning a hard-fought three-set victory. UNM dropped to 1-3 on the season while Oregon improved to 6-2.
UNM 4, Louisiana 3
The Lobos rebounded on the road against Louisiana, clinching a thrilling 4-3 victory after dropping the doubles point. For the fourth time in five matches, UNM lost the doubles point, but they found their footing in singles.
The duo of Noroozian and Samaha continued their strong play, with Noroozian winning in straight sets at No. 1. However, it was the comeback performance of Aditya Balsekar at No. 4 that sealed the win for UNM. After losing the first set, Balsekar fought back to claim a 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 victory, giving the Lobos their second win of the season.
Singles victories from Noroozian, Avery Tallakson, and Daniil Kakhniuk, combined with Balsekar’s clutch performance, lifted UNM to a 2-3 record.
UNM 4, Portland 3
In a dramatic finish in Portland, the Lobos earned a hard-fought 4-3 victory over the Portland Pilots. The match took just under five hours, with key contributions from several players.
UNM quickly took a 1-0 lead after winning two of three doubles matches, with Noroozian and Samaha claiming a 6-3 win at No. 1 and Avery Tallakson and Dario Ciobotaru securing a 6-4 victory at No. 3.
The Lobos continued their strong start in singles, but Portland fought back to tie the match at 3-3. It all came down to the No. 5 and 6 singles courts, where Ciobotaru battled Tom Garcia in a decisive third set. After saving a match point and pushing the match to a tiebreaker, Ciobotaru sealed the win for UNM, securing a 7-6 victory. The match was completed with Nicolas Recoura’s win at No. 6 singles, bringing the Lobos to 3-3 on the year.
UNM Basketball Rallies to Defeat Utah State, 82-79
In a thrilling showdown between the top two teams in the Mountain West Conference, the New Mexico men’s basketball team rallied from a double-digit second-half deficit to defeat Utah State, 82-79, on Sunday afternoon in The Pit.
The Lobos (22-4, 14-1 MW) extended their win streak to eight games, earning the season sweep of Utah State (22-4, 12-3 MW). Tru Washington led the way with a career-high 25 points, while Donovan Dent added 23, marking his third consecutive 20-point game. Nelly Junior Joseph contributed 15 points, and Filip Borovicanin chipped in 11.
After a back-and-forth first half, Utah State took a 42-36 lead into the break. In the second half, the Aggies extended their lead to 50-40, but the Lobos rallied behind key plays from Washington and Dent. With 3:15 left, Dent’s clutch three-pointer gave UNM a 72-66 lead, but Utah State answered with a 7-0 run to tie the game at 76-76 with 1:15 remaining.
Washington gave the Lobos a one-point lead with 56.5 seconds left, hitting 1-of-2 from the free throw line. After a defensive stop, Washington sealed the victory with a three-pointer at the 9.4-second mark, giving UNM an 80-76 lead. Utah State responded with a three-pointer to cut the margin to one, but Dent was fouled and hit two free throws with 1.4 seconds left to make the final score 82-79.
The Lobos’ eight-game win streak is their second-longest Mountain West win streak and tied for the fourth-longest conference win streak in program history. New Mexico also clinched a first-round bye in the Mountain West Tournament with the victory.
Next Up for Tennis and Basketball
The Lobo tennis team will continue their road trip with three matches in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, starting on Friday. Meanwhile, the men’s basketball team will hit the road for their next two games, visiting Boise State on February 19 and San Diego State on February 25.
Lobos Split Games at Bobcat Tournament, Brodie Young Earns MW Track Athlete of the Week
The University of New Mexico softball team split its games on Friday at the Bobcat Tournament, dropping a tough 4-2 loss to Fordham before bouncing back with an 8-3 victory over St. Thomas. The Lobos’ pitching staff had a standout performance in the win, striking out a season-high 13 batters, while Allie Williams led the offense with a combined 5-7 outing and four RBIs across both games.
Game 1: Fordham 4, UNM 2
In the opening game of the tournament, the Lobos found themselves trailing Fordham 4-2 after a late rally in the seventh inning fell short. UNM loaded the bases on three walks in the top of the seventh but couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity to push any runs across.
Fordham struck first with two runs in the bottom of the third inning. The Lobos responded in the top of the fourth, cutting the deficit to 2-1 after DeNae Vasquez-Dickson led off with a triple and Allie Williams drove her in with a single. Williams’ hit extended her hitting streak to eight games.
Despite a strong pitching effort from McKenna Guest, who struck out a season-high seven batters in 4.0 innings, the Lobos couldn’t hold off Fordham’s offense. Fordham added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth, capitalizing on walks and hit batters. UNM attempted to rally in the sixth with another chance to score, but couldn’t break through, leaving runners stranded in multiple innings.
Game 2: UNM 8, St. Thomas 3
In the nightcap, the Lobos bounced back with an 8-3 victory over St. Thomas. After the Tommies hit a leadoff home run to take the early lead, UNM responded with four unanswered runs. The Lobos scored once in the first and three more in the second inning to take control of the game.
Williams continued her strong performance at the plate, going 3-3 with three RBIs. Vasquez-Dickson also had a standout game, contributing two hits and a run. The Lobos’ pitching staff, led by McKenna Guest, combined for 13 strikeouts in the win. Guest pitched 3.0 scoreless innings of relief, striking out six, while also contributing to the offense.
St. Thomas cut the Lobo lead to 4-3 with a run in the third and another in the fourth. However, UNM responded with four more unanswered runs to secure the victory. The Lobos added two runs in the fourth and two more in the sixth, including a clutch two-RBI single by Mya Pacheco. The game was capped off by Guest striking out the side in the seventh to close out the win.
Saturday’s Struggles: Lobos Drop Two Games
The Lobos faced a tougher challenge on Saturday, dropping both of their games at the Bobcat Tournament. They fell 3-0 to host Texas State in the first game before losing 5-4 in a late rally against St. Thomas.
DeNae Vasquez-Dickson led the Lobos with four hits on the day, while Allie Williams and Katherine Brunner each recorded two hits. UNM left a total of 15 runners on base in the two games, with nine stranded against St. Thomas and six against Texas State.
In the first game, Texas State took a 1-0 lead with a leadoff home run in the second and added two more runs in the fifth. The Lobos had opportunities, including loading the bases in the sixth inning, but a leaping catch by the Texas State outfielder left the tying run stranded at first. The Lobos couldn’t find a way to score in the shutout loss.
In the second game, UNM rallied late, scoring four runs in the sixth inning to tie the game at 4-4. However, St. Thomas responded with a run in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead for good. The Lobos loaded the bases in the seventh, but couldn’t bring the go-ahead run across as the game ended with a grounder to second.
Sunday’s Loss to Texas State
The Lobos finished their weekend at the Bobcat Tournament with a 6-2 loss to Texas State. Jessica DeLeon drove in both of New Mexico’s runs, including one in the first and another in the seventh, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Texas State’s four-run fourth inning, which was aided by two UNM errors.
The Lobos had seven hits in the game, led by DeLeon and Vasquez-Dickson, who both recorded two hits. After Texas State scored two runs in the opening inning, the Lobos responded with a run of their own, but the Bobcats added three more in the fourth, capitalizing on defensive miscues. UNM managed to score one more in the seventh, but it was too little, too late as Texas State closed out the win.
Track: Brodie Young Named MW Track Athlete of the Week
After posting one of the Top 10 fastest 400m times in the nation on Saturday, New Mexico’s Brodie Young was named Mountain West Men’s Track Athlete of the Week for the second consecutive week. Young’s time of 45.66 (45.77 converted) in the men’s 400m at the Don Kirby Elite Meet moved him to No. 9 in the nation and solidified his contention for a spot at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
The junior’s time also broke the previous Scottish national record he set the week before, improving his performance by three-tenths of a second. Young’s impressive streak includes two sub-46 performances in his first two races of the 2025 season, marking a significant jump from his previous indoor best of 46.54 in 2023.
Up Next: Lobos Return to Texas for the Tarleton Invitational
The Lobos (4-7-1) will continue their Texas road trip with the Tarleton Invitational from Feb. 21-23.