Rivals who have seen better days meet again
UTEP, UNM play for first time since 2011
The last time the UTEP Miners and New Mexico Lobos played, things got heated.
Six seasons later, two increasingly indifferent fan bases probably wouldn’t mind seeing some more fire from either team, both of which are in very different places than they were on March 15, 2011, incident when coaching staffs nearly came to blows at the Pit during a game-day shootaround before their men’s NIT game.
“That was the old regime that I was a part of,” said Lobos coach Craig Neal, who was an associate head coach with Steve Alford during that 2011 incident with the UTEP coaching staff. “I just think with how hard scheduling is nowadays, the proximity of El Paso to here — we’ve played them for a long time so it was time to get them back. We’re looking forward to it.”
UTEP coach Tim Floyd has been vocal for years about wanting UNM back on the schedule. Like Neal, Floyd said earlier this week there is no animosity about the 2011 incident.
“Craig was not really a part of that incident, although he was working there at the time,” Floyd said. “I think that cooler heads have prevailed. I think we both recognize that this is a series that’s very important to our fans.”
UNM (5-3) and UTEP (2-4) start a two-year home-and-home series tonight in the Pit, renewing an old Western Athletic Conference rivalry that has been played 141 times. New Mexico leads the series 76-65.
A win in Game 142 would be a big step for either program at critical junctures in their season.
At UTEP, where two players have left the program in recent weeks, former Miners football coach Mike Price was involved in a confrontation with fans after a loss to Northwestern State on Saturday in the Don Haskins Center.
Price got in a verbal argument with fans and tried ripping away part of a “Fire Floyd” sign.
At UNM, the frustration has hardly reached that level, but it is growing. Average home attendance in the Pit this season has dropped, but still ranks in the top 25 (11,699 ranks No. 23 of 351 Division I programs) while UTEP’s average home attendance has dipped to 76th (6,190).
Improving on defense, especially against 3-pointers, would be a huge first step for either team. UNM’s defense ranks 274th in 3-point defense, allowing teams to shoot 37.9 percent from beyond the arc. UTEP is even worse, ranking 345th (44.3 percent).
UNM opponents are hitting 9.4 3s per game while the Lobos are hitting just 3.6, better than only two of 351 teams.
In Saturday’s loss to Illinois State, the Lobos allowed the Redbirds to hit 10 of 20 3-point attempts in the first half alone. (ISU hit just 4-of-15 in the second half.)
“After I got back and watched the film, they made some tough shots,” Neal said. “I thought our defense in the second half against the 3-point shot was a lot better.”
Of the 20 first-half 3-point attempts, ISU was 5-of-11 vs. Lobos man-to-man defense, 4-of5 vs. zone and 1-of-4 in transition.
When in man, the Lobos often “help” other defenders, especially against penetrating guards, which pulls them far away from their man. That has set up kickout passes to open players on the perimeter with Lobo players late to close on the shooter.
“They did a nice job digging (helping on defense toward the rim), but I don’t think there was an urgency to close back out,” Neal said. “... There’s got to be an urgency with a high hand. I don’t think we’ve made it a habit. I think we’re getting to make that a habit. I think we’re improving on that.”