Lobos whipped
Arizona crushes UNM 77-46 in the renewal of the rivalry
TUCSON — This time, it may be the Lobos who want to call off the series.
After a 17-year hiatus, the longtime rivalry between the No. 18 Arizona Wildcats and New Mexico Lobos was renewed with one of the biggest blowouts in the 126-game series that started one century ago.
Five Wildcats scored in double figures, Arizona outrebounded UNM 49-30 and held the Lobos to 26.2 percent shooting en route to a 77-46 win in front of an announced crowd of 14,008 in the McKale Center.
“It’s my fault,” said UNM coach Craig Neal, who for the second consecutive game went with a starting lineup that featured two freshmen, a sophomore and seldom-used junior after calling his team’s effort into question after a Dec. 10 loss in Las Cruces.
“I thought we’d be ready. I thought we’d really compete. We just didn’t compete at a high level. I thought we were prepared. I thought our guys were ready. We looked a little shellshocked. I don’t know if it was their size, their physicality. But when you get down 11-0, we just couldn’t get
back over the hump.”
It was actually a 12-0 Arizona start thanks in part to the Lobos (7-5) missing their first 11 shots. They also surrendered five offensive rebounds in the opening 5 minutes in a game that Arizona (112) finished with 14 secondchance points on 12 offensive rebounds.
The 31-point loss is the worst in the series for either team since UNM lost 38-5 on Feb. 13, 1923. The teams play next December in the Pit in the second half of the two-season home-and-home series.
Tuesday also matches UNM’s worst loss to any team since a 31-point loss to New Mexico State University on Dec. 5, 2006.
Lobo senior Tim Williams scored 14 points and saw double teams most of the night, especially early when Elijah Brown (team high 17 points) started the game again on the bench.
“They have a team where they have a lot of contributors and they have two marquee scorers — Williams inside and Elijah outside,” said Arizona coach Sean Miller. “You can say, ‘Hey, you guys did a great job.’ But they combined for 31 points. The thing we did a pretty good job of is Williams scored 14 on 16 shots. And Brown scored 17 on 13 shots. So, I guess we did a good job.”
Miller said the game plan was to trap Williams every time he touched it “and let some other guys, not take shots, but put the game in their hands. Make him a passer. If I had to do it over, I would do the same thing again.”
As for the Lobos’ lackluster performance, and second straight game with the new starting lineup, Neal said he doesn’t yet know if it will continue when Mountain West play starts Dec. 28 in the Pit against Fresno State.
“We’re trying to do some things and teach guys how to play the right way,” Neal said. “Right now we’re in a situation where we’re just trying to grow and get better . ... Guys are going to play the right way and guys are going to do what we ask them to do defensively and offensively. I think we’re making some strides.”
He added, “We’ve got to do some soul-searching.” HOT SEAT AND HECKLER: UNM Vice President for Athletics Paul Krebs told the Journal he wouldn’t entertain questions about fan disapproval of the team and whether Neal’s job is in jeopardy. He said he’s been consistent each year in saying the evaluation of coaches is done after the season.
For those who watched the game on the Pac-12 Network, there was one fan heard repeatedly heckling Neal throughout the game, especially during quieter free throw situations, saying they wanted a new coach. Social media was also full of disgruntled Lobo fans with similar sentiments.