Zach’s Reacts: Lobos Sweep Aggies

by Zach

Welcome back to Zach’s Reacts! Tonight we will look at what stood out to me From media row during the Lobos’ 69-62 win over the New Mexico State Aggies. Merry Sweepsmas, everyone!

You can Bragg about your weekend:

What a weekend it was for Lobo Senior Carlton Bragg. He graduated with a degree from UNM, had a birthday on Saturday, had a huge game against the Aggies, and will apparently have some Rice Krispie treats made for him by JaQuan Lyle. There have been some great individual performances in this rivalry over the years and this game will go down as one of the best. Bragg finished the game with a dominant double-double, finishing the game with 17 points (4-5 FG, 9-10 FT), 17 rebounds, 4 steals, a block, and an assist. Bragg also drew 10 fouls on the Aggies (could have been 11), which gave the Lobos a lot of chances to get to the foul line, where they made the Aggies pay. Bragg has been really good for the Lobos this season and he continues to get better every time out. So far this season, Bragg is averaging 13 points, 10.6 rebounds, .8 assists, and over a block and steal per game. One thing that doesn’t show up in the box score is the impact Bragg has had through the leadership he is providing for the team. I’m thrilled he’s a Lobo.

How sweep it is: 

It had been a while since the Lobos were able to sweep a season series against the Aggies. In fact, the last time the Lobos swept the Aggies was the 2015-2016 season. Here are some of the things that have happened during that time:

  • Marvin Menzies took the UNLV job and lost the UNLV job
  • Dr. Paul Weir was named the Head Coach at both NMSU and UNM
  • Dr. Paul Weir finished his Doctorate degree
  • Lobo Lane was in our first year
  • Tony Snell has played for three NBA team (Bulls, Bucks, Pistons)
  • The Cubs won the World Series
  • Albuquerque kids won Silver Sluggers
  • New Mexico Football won a bowl game

The win on Saturday was also the first win that Dr. Weir has had in The PIT as a Head Coach in the series:

2016-2017: Lobos won 72-59

2017-2018: Aggies won 65-62

2018-2019: Aggies won 98-94

Bring that energy McGee:

So far this season, it has been a frustrating season for Junior Guard Keith McGee. That may have changed Saturday when McGee broke out of the slump with a great night, scoring 8 points (2-4 3FG) and bringing a ton of energy to the game on defense. McGee has the chance to be the spark for the Lobos off the bench and this is a game that can get him going in the right direction as we head into the main portion of the Mountain West slate. When McGee has it going, his energy can drive the Lobos. Also, after the game, McGee was seen with a broom from the student section sweeping The PIT floor and sweeping in the locker room. Keep being you, Keith McGee.

Good Vance:

While the numbers weren’t all positive for Vance Jackson, this was one of the better games he has had this season. He had a very important run in the early part of the second half, when he was able to knock down a 3 and had a strong drive and finish to get the Lobos and The PIT energy going. One thing that Jackson did that was important during the game was finding the passing lane for 3 steals that got the Lobos on the open floor. While this hasn’t been the start of the season that Jackson and the Lobos wanted to see, there are signs the breakout game is coming and this will help make the Lobos really hard to guard. I’m ready for the Jackson from the end of last season to show up and I think it may be coming soon.

10-2 and places to go:

It has been a while since the Lobos have had this kind of record. The last time the Lobos had 10 wins in their first 12 games of the season was in 2013, when they started the season 12-0 (finished the season 29-6) in Coach Alford’s last year at UNM. While the Lobos don’t have a great resume at the current moment, they haven’t done anything to hurt their chances of an at-large bid. If the Lobos can find a way to win their final three non-conference games, the Lobos would find themselves with a 13-2 record and 2-0 in Mountain West play heading into the final 16 games of the Mountain West slate. This team is starting to find who they are and they will get a shot in the arm soon, as Vante Hendrix will be joining the fold very shortly. There could be a lot of fun coming up during the rest of the season, which is exciting to see. It has been a long while since the Lobos have played a postseason tournament and it looks like this team could/should change that this season. The last time the Lobos played in a postseason tournament was the 2013-2014 season, which was the first season of the Craig Neal era. That’s too long.

That was a PIT GAME:

There has been a lot of talk of how The PIT isn’t The PIT anymore, and for the most part, I would agree. But tonight was not one of those nights, as the 14,488 in The PIT brought incredible energy from the start of the game to the last second, which allowed the Lobos to build off the energy and help lead them to a victory. There have been very few PIT games the last few years, but there should be more coming up this season and that is a great thing. There are very few places that are like The PIT when it gets going, and it was a special place to be on Saturday. Also, props to the Student Section for being there before the game and using every ticket available. There have been times where the Student Section has been lacking the last few years, but they were great tonight. I hope that this is a game that will help bring energy back to the Student Section and show peers that it is a great place to spend a night.

Loyal Lobo and Crazy Lobo Lady: 

What a great night for the Lobo Faithful to have two very important members of the Lobo family being recognized during the game tonight. We got to see the Game Day Flags thanks to Loyal Lobo, and Crazy Lobo Lady was by her side. I hope that UNM finds a way to recognize great people from the Lobo family because there are great stories and people that should have their names recognized during big games.

Hello Former Lobos:

There were a good number of former Lobos in the crowd tonight. A few of the Lobos at the game tonight were Mitch Garver, Chad Toppert, Daniel Faris, Amy Beggin, and Obij Aget. It was great to see faces in the crowd that have been a key part of the UNM Athletic Programs over the years. I hope that UNM and the Athletic Department can find ways to get more Former Lobos at the games.

Up next:

The Lobos will continue their non-conference schedule with a home date against Grand Canyon. GCU hasn’t had a great start to the season, but is an opponent the Lobos can’t take lightly. GCU did win the last meeting in the series with a win at a home in the 2014-2015 season. This is a very important period for the Lobos, as the players will be able to focus on basketball (no school), and this is where you can see teams find their peak as a team. The game against GCU will be on Tuesday at 7 PM.