Game Preview: Northern Arizona Lumberjacks vs New Mexico Lobos

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2009

Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (3-5) vs #19 New Mexico Lobos (10-0)

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Northern Arizona Lumberjacks vs New Mexico Lobos

Northern Arizona Lumberjacks vs New Mexico Lobos

The NAU Lumberjacks will travel to New Mexico to face the No.19 New Mexico Lobos on Wednesday at the “The Pit” in Albuquerque. It is the first ranking for New Mexico in 11 seasons.

NAU and New Mexico have met 82 times with the series tied at 41-41 overall. The two teams last met in 2004 with New Mexico posting an 81-70 victory.

New Mexico is 10-0 for the first time since the 1995-96 season and is one of 11 undefeated teams in NCAA Division I this season. The Lobos is fresh off an 84-81 win over No. 16 Texas A&M Aggies in a non- conference showdown at the Toyota Center in Houston on Saturday. Roman Martinez led the Lobos with 22 points, including two key free throws in the final seconds of the contest. The team notched its third win on the road and is averaging 82 PPG.

The Lumberjacks’ DeAngelo Jones and Cameron Jones lead their team with 17 points as NAU downed UC Riverside 68-56 on Sunday. The win snapped a three game losing skid and ended the Highlanders’ five-game winning streak. Northern Arizona shot 51.9 percent from the floor in the first half while limiting UC Riverside to 30 percent efficiency. NAU is averaging 68 points per game. NAU has played a ranked opponent 21 times in school history, facing top-ranked Arizona in 2002-03 and second-ranked Arizona teams twice in 1990-91 and 1991-92. The Lumberjacks is 0-21 all-time against ranked teams.

The Odds makers have the Lobos as –20.5-point favorites.

The Lumberjacks is 18-24 in Albuquerque and 1-4 in “The Pit.” The last NAU victory in the series came in 1984-85 when the Lumberjacks posted a 64-56 victory.

Look for more of the same as the Lobos to post a big win here going 11-0, and possibly moving into a Top 15 ranking by weeks end.

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