The University of New Mexico put together one of its most impressive all-around weeks of the season, marked by dominant road performances on the basketball court, historic achievements on the track, continued consistency in the pool, and national recognition for two of the program’s brightest stars. From Fort Collins to Houston, and from the diving boards to Mountain West arenas, the Lobos showcased depth, resilience, and championship-level talent across multiple sports.
Women’s Basketball Splits Road Swing as Abdurraqib Stars at Colorado State
New Mexico women’s basketball continued its strong Mountain West start with a gritty 66–59 road win at Colorado State, fueled by a career night from freshman Laila Abdurraqib. Coming off the bench, Abdurraqib poured in a game- and season-high 25 points, knocking down seven three-pointers and going a perfect 4-for-4 from both beyond the arc and the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.
Her performance marked the eighth-most points off the bench in program history and the most by a Lobo reserve since 2020, while also tying for the 12th-most points ever scored by a UNM freshman in a single game. The Lobos are now 5-0 when Abdurraqib reaches double figures.
Cacia Antonio added 11 points and Destinee Hooks chipped in 10 as UNM controlled key areas of the game, including rebounds (42–34), points off turnovers (18–6), second-chance points (11–4), and bench scoring (34–2). New Mexico also hit 11 three-pointers and held Colorado State to just 23.8% shooting from deep.
After trailing by nine late in the first quarter, the Lobos erupted for a decisive 19–0 run in the second quarter, holding CSU scoreless for over nine minutes and taking a 32–22 lead. Abdurraqib delivered repeatedly down the stretch, answering every Rams push in the fourth quarter as UNM shot 72.7% from the floor and 66.7% from three in the final period to close out the win.
The victory marked UNM’s second straight win in Fort Collins — the first time that’s happened since 2019 and 2022 — and improved the Lobos to 12–4 overall and 4–1 in Mountain West play.
That momentum, however, stalled at home Saturday as Nevada used an 11–0 fourth-quarter run to hand the Lobos a 70–61 loss at The Pit. New Mexico led for more than 26 minutes and carried a 53–48 advantage into the final quarter before being held to just eight points over the final 10 minutes.
Destinee Hooks led UNM with 13 points, Joana Magalhães scored 11, and Abdurraqib added eight points, four assists, and two steals. The Lobos again held Nevada to single digits in the first quarter — the 10th time this season and fourth straight game doing so — but struggled offensively late, shooting just 3-for-15 in the fourth quarter as Nevada pulled away.
English Leads Lobos in the Pool as UNM Competes on the Road
In the pool, junior diver Alice English continued her strong season, capturing the 1-meter title at Denver with a season-best and NCAA Zone-qualifying score of 294.75. The performance marked UNM’s lone event win in the dual meet, as the Pioneers claimed the overall victory.
English also finished fourth in the 3-meter event, while the Lobos posted two third-place relay finishes and several near-podium swims, including tight races from Olivia Hann and Arianna Stokes.
The Lobos followed that meet with a challenging weekend at Air Force against the Falcons and Colorado State. English again led UNM with a fourth-place finish in the 3-meter, while Esme Abbadi-MacIntosh earned a Zone-qualifying mark in the 1-meter, finishing fifth. UNM will return to action next weekend at the Mardi Gras Invitational, hosted by Tulane.
Samuel, Kosgei Earn Bowerman Watch List Honors
New Mexico’s national presence extended to the track, where Habtom Samuel and Pamela Kosgei were both named to The Bowerman preseason watch list — marking the first time in program history that both a male and female Lobo opened a season on the list.
Samuel enters the indoor season leading the nation in the 5,000 meters, while Kosgei ranks third nationally after strong season-opening performances in Boston. Both finished on the podium at last year’s NCAA Indoor Championships and will look to add indoor titles after dominant outdoor campaigns.
Samuel Sets Course Record, Wins Houston Half Marathon
Samuel capped the week with a historic performance on the roads, winning the Houston Half Marathon in his debut at the distance with a new course record of 59:01. The time is the fastest ever run by a current or former NCAA athlete and ranks as the fourth-fastest half marathon ever on American soil.
Samuel surged past an elite field late, closing the final stretch at a blistering 4:15 mile pace to win by 13 seconds. UNM alum Calli Thackery added to the Lobo success by winning the women’s full marathon in 2:24:17, her second marathon victory in the past month.
Men’s Basketball Claims Key Road Wins at Colorado State, Air Force
On the men’s side, New Mexico delivered two emphatic road performances, beginning with an 80–70 win at Colorado State that secured the Lobos’ first Mountain West road victory of the season.
Jake Hall led the way with 18 points, while Tajavis Miller and Antonio Chol each added 11. Tomislav Buljan narrowly missed a double-double with eight points and a game-high 11 rebounds. UNM controlled the game with timely runs in both halves, pushing the lead to as many as 13 in the first half and responding to every CSU push in the second.
The win marked New Mexico’s 27th victory at Moby Arena — the most by any visiting program — and gave the Lobos consecutive wins in Fort Collins for the first time since 2017–18. All eight Lobos who appeared scored at least six points, and UNM knocked down 11 three-pointers, its most in a Mountain West road game in two seasons.
New Mexico followed that with a historic performance Saturday afternoon, routing Air Force 91–49 at Clune Arena for the largest Mountain West road win in program history.
Hall again led the charge with 24 points, tying his career high while setting a new UNM freshman record with his fifth 20-point game of the season. Tajavis Miller added a season-high 16 off the bench, while Deyton Albury scored 13 and Uriah Tenette finished with 10.
After an early 5–0 deficit, the Lobos unleashed a 16–0 run and never looked back, leading by 23 at halftime and by as many as 44 in the second half. The 42-point margin was the largest road win in UNM Mountain West history and the second-largest overall conference road victory in league history.