San Diego State Aztecs vs. New Mexico Lobos: A Showdown at the Pit
It’s a huge Mountain West game
Matchup: New Mexico Lobos (10-3) 5-0 vs. San Diego State Aztecs (10-3) 3-1 in conference
Date/Time: Saturday, January 11, 11:00 a.m.
Location: The PIT, Albuquerque, New Mexico
TV Channel: CBS Sports
STREAM: FuboTV — Sign up for a free trial
On Saturday, January 11, 2025, the San Diego State Aztecs will face the New Mexico Lobos in a highly anticipated Mountain West Conference matchup at The Pit in Albuquerque.
The UNM Lobos and San Diego State men’s basketball game on Saturday in the Pit has an official start time. It will tip off at 11 a.m. and broadcast live on CBS.
This Aztecs-Lobos rivalry has been the premier men’s basketball matchup in the Mountain West Conference’s 26-year history.
Photo Courtesy of UNM Athletics
The Lobos men’s basketball team staged its largest second-half comeback in 12 years last week, defeating Wyoming 61-53 on Tuesday night at the Arena-Auditorium.
New Mexico (13-3, 5-0 MW) overcame a 14-point halftime deficit to the Cowboys (9-7, 2-3 MW), securing their best-ever start to a Mountain West season at 5-0.
Donovan Dent led the Lobos with 22 points and six assists, while Filip Borovicanin recorded 16 career-highs and 11 rebounds for his first double-double.
Nelly Junior Joseph added his eighth double-double of the season, and third in a row, with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Timely shots and great on-the-ball defense from freshman Jovan Milicevic have also been a big plus for the Lobos.
For those who watch this year’s team, the production from their bench players has helped significantly strengthen the Lobos in the last four games.
While UNM has only recently reasserted itself after a decade-long NCAA Tournament drought, the intensity of this series has never wavered.
UNM’s program has seen considerable success, highlighted by last year’s convincing performance under head coach Richard Pitino and his staff, including the Lobos’ Mountain West Conference tournament performance in Las Vegas, winning the championship game.
Under Richard Pitino as head coach, the Lobos have won over 200 games in total and over 4 games in the last two seasons; this flagship program of New Mexico is heading in the right direction.
(AP Photo/Eric Draper).AP
When these two teams play, battling to be one of the conference’s big dogs, it makes for great basketball for the fans.
Typically, start times for regular-season games are determined well in advance. However, CBS delayed the announcement until after Sunday’s games, when the NFL playoff schedule was finalized.
CBS’s $2 billion NFL broadcasting rights agreement took precedence over its contract with the Mountain West Conference.
The two teams last played in a midday CBS-broadcasted game in the Pit during the previous season, when the Lobos triumphed 88-70.
The Aztecs (10-3, 3-1 MW) enter the game with momentum, following a commanding 67-38 victory over the Air Force on January 8.
San Diego State’s defense was formidable in that contest. It allowed 14 points in the second half, the second-fewest in a half since at least the 1996-97 season.
Offensively, Nick Boyd led with 16 points, while BJ Davis added 15. Jared Coleman-Jones achieved a double-double, contributing 10 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.
San Diego State has always had some very athletic basketball players with both length and skill to play at a high level, so this will be a big challenge for head coach Richard Pitino’s Lobos.
The Lobos, aiming to strengthen their conference standing, will look to capitalize on their home-court advantage at The Pit, renowned for its energetic atmosphere.
Any team that plays in the PIT will agree that you had better play a very disciplined game to win, as it’s one of the most challenging venues for college basketball.
This rivalry remains one of the Mountain West’s crown jewels, regardless of sport, thanks to the combination of elite teams and passionate fan bases.
“That environment is as good as you’re going to play in college basketball,” San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said of the Pit.
Photo Courtesy of UNM Athletics
This year, SDSU enters the game at 10-3 overall and 3-1 in conference play, while UNM sits at 13-3 and 5-0, marking the Lobos’ best start in Mountain West history.
Both teams come off victories that could have been traps. SDSU overcame a 20-8 deficit against last-place Air Force, while UNM rallied from 14 points down at halftime to defeat Wyoming on the road.
Dutcher, a key figure in building SDSU’s Mountain West dynasty, faces Pitino, who is rebuilding UNM in his fourth year.
SDSU boasts 16 Mountain West titles (seven tournaments, nine regular-season). UNM ranks second with nine (five tournaments, four regular-season).
The Lobos lead the all-time series 51-45, but SDSU has the edge in the Mountain West era, 28-25.
Since Pitino arrived, the series is tied 3-3, making UNM one of only two conference teams (along with Boise State) against whom SDSU hasn’t won since the 2021-22 season.
“We’ve had some good games with them, some really good games as of late,” Pitino said. “So we better be ready to win another ugly one because it won’t be pretty.”
Ugly? Hardly. For fans, the drama between these two programs is pure basketball beauty.
From the days of Fisher and Alford to Dutcher and Pitino and stars like Kawhi Leonard, Darington Hobson, Jaelen House, and Jaedon LeDee, the rivalry delivers unforgettable moments.
Photo Courtesy of UNM Athletics
I don’t know what is more entertaining, watching these two programs battle it out on the court or the fans arguing whose team is dominant or what arena, the PIT in Albuquerque or Viejas Arena in San Diego.
CBS is again sending its premier crew, including legendary analyst Bill Raftery and play-by-play ace Spero Dedes, to the Pit for this game.
After last year’s electrifying cherry-and-white “stripe out” with 15,437 fans, can you blame CBS for wanting to showcase one of college basketball’s best rivalries while it’s still here?
Winning against a strong opponent like San Diego State could significantly boost New Mexico’s prospects in the Mountain West pursuit of a conference championship and post-season play in the Big Dance.
“Obviously, a high level of respect for them,” said UNM coach Richard Pitino. “We want to elevate our program to the level they’ve achieved. They went to a championship game. They went to a Sweet 16 last year. But we feel that with our fan base, the Pit, and the commitment we’ve gotten, we need to take the next step.
Going to the (NCAA) Tournament last year was great. Winning the Mountain West Tournament (against SDSU) was great.
Photo Courtesy of San Diego Union
But San Diego State has always been the class of the league, and we have a lot of respect for them.”
This matchup features two competitive teams and highlights the intense rivalries within the Mountain West Conference.
Fans can anticipate a game characterized by strategic play, defensive prowess, and the high stakes typical of conference basketball.
For those unable to attend, the game will be broadcast live on CBS, offering nationwide coverage of this exciting encounter.
As both teams vie for supremacy, this game promises to highlight the college basketball season.
