Air Force Falcons vs New Mexico Lobos in the PIT
Game: New Mexico Lobos vs Air Force Falcons
Date: Saturday, March 1, 2025
Time: 12:00 MST
Location: Albuquerque
Venue: The PIT
Radio: Lobo Sports Network, Rob Portnoy/Hunter Green
TV: Mountain West Network
SERIES: Lobos lead 68-27
New Mexico Lobos Look to Bounce Back Against Struggling Air Force Falcons
Photo Courtesy of UNM Athletics
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The New Mexico Lobos (22-6, 14-3 MWC) return to The Pit on Saturday afternoon to take on the struggling Air Force Falcons (4-24, 1-16 MWC) after losing 12 games in a row
The Mountain West Conference men’s basketball race has tightened over the past week with New Mexico suffering consecutive losses to Boise State and San Diego State, while Utah State no-showed Wednesday night against the Broncos.
The Lobos have lost two straight games after an eight-game winning streak this year in Mountain West Play.
With a head-to-head tiebreaker over Utah State and a favorable remaining schedule, New Mexico is still well-positioned to claim the regular-season title.
Photo Courtesy of gabibelberta.pages.dev
With just a handful of games remaining, New Mexico (22-6, 14-3) is clinging to first place in the MWC standings ahead of Utah State (24-5, 14-4), Colorado State (19-9, 13-4), San Diego State (19-7, 12-5), and Boise State (20-8, 12-5).
Lobos Aim to Rebound
New Mexico enters the contest looking to recover from a 73-65 loss to San Diego State despite a standout 26-point performance from Donovan Dent.
The Lobos have been dominant at home, boasting a 14-1 record at The Pit, and lead the MWC in scoring with an impressive 82.3 points per game while shooting 46.0% from the field.
On the other hand, the Falcons have struggled in conference play, holding a 1-16 record. Air Force has particularly had trouble in lopsided games, going 1-13 in contests decided by 10 or more points.
Look for Richard Pitios Lobos to take their two-game losing streak frustration on the Falcons in the PIT on Saturday, this one could get fairly lopsided in a very Falcon hostile crowd.
The Lobos have three games left in the season with hopes of showing the rest of the conference that their record of 22-6 is no accident.
They are still playing with a whole lot to play for with a potential Mountain West Conference Championship within their grasp, the Mountain West tournament in Vegas and going to the big Dance again this year.
Photo Courtesy of goaridforcefalcon.com
The Lobos with the remaining schedule pretty much control their own destiny as the end of the regular season comes into play as long as they win the last three games.
Falcons Face Uphill Battle
Air Force has endured a challenging season, managing just one win in conference play.
The Falcons have particularly struggled on the road, dropping 12 consecutive away games.
They have also faced difficulty in double-digit losses, posting a 1-13 record in such contests.
Offensively, they rely on the three-point shot, averaging 8.0 makes per game, slightly above New Mexico’s 7.8 three-pointers allowed.
Key Players to Watch
For New Mexico:
Donovan Dent leads the Lobos in both points (19.9) and assists (6.5) per game while contributing 2.5 rebounds. Defensively, his averages are 1.5 steals and 0.9 blocks per game.
Nelly Junior Joseph controls the boards with a team-high 10.8 rebounds per game, 13.5 points, and 1.2 assists while shooting 54.7% from the field.
Tru Washington provides solid production, averaging 11.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game, shooting 43.1% from the field and 38.4% from three-point range with 1.4 made triples per contest.
For Air Force:
Ethan Taylor leads the team in scoring (14.1 points), rebounding (5.6), and assists (3.6) while shooting 39.2% from the field and 38.7% from beyond the arc with 3.0 made threes per game. He also contributes 1.6 steals and 0.4 blocks defensively.
Luke Kearney adds 9.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game while shooting 40.1% from the floor and 34.0% from three-point range, making 1.7 treys per contest.
Kyle Marshall chips in 7.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game for the Falcons.
Photo Courtesy of Air Force Falcons Athletics
Recent Trends
New Mexico has been in strong form, winning eight of its last ten games while averaging 80.7 points per contest.
The Lobos outscored opponents by an average margin of 11.6 points during this stretch.
Conversely, Air Force has struggled mightily, winning just once in its last ten outings.
The Falcons have been outscored by an average of 16.2 points per game, managing only 61.0 points per contest while allowing 77.2.
Photo Courtesy of UNM Athletics
Betting Trends
New Mexico has a 13-14-0 record against the spread (ATS), while Air Force is 10-18-0. The Lobos have hit the over in 13 games, while the Falcons have done so 16 times. Over the past ten matchups, New Mexico has 5-5 ATS, whereas Air Force has 3-7.
With the Lobos’ offensive firepower and home-court advantage, they are expected to control the tempo against a struggling Falcons squad.
Photo Courtesy of UNM Athletics
However, the Air Force’s ability to knock down three-pointers could keep them competitive.
Will the Lobos cruise to another home win, or can the Air Force pull off a massive upset? All eyes will be on The Pit this Saturday to find out.
This Lobo team are very motivated as the regular season is within sight and they have not forgotten the shocking loss to Air Force last season 78-77.
So watch for the Lobos to roll in the PIT, the Lobos average 82.3 points per game and score 9.8 more points that the Falcons allow 72.5.
New Mexico hits their average and score 85-90 in this game to 6o for Air Force in this writers opinion.
Lobos have to many weapons, motivation and the PIT.
