State

The University of New Mexico men’s and women’s basketball teams will host their first public event of the 2011-12 preseason Friday night at The Pit. The UNM teams will take part in the annual Lobo Howl. The Lobo Howl starts at 7 p.m. at The Pit in Albuquerque. The event is free. to the public Gates open at 6 p.m. at The Pit. Seating is general admission. At 7 p.m., the Lobo women will be introduced by new head coach Yvonne Sanchez and the team will hold an intrasquad scrimmage. The women’s team will also host a shooting contest and other events. The Lobo men will be introduced at 8 p.m. by coach Steve Alford and will have an intrasquad scrimmage and a slam dunk exhibition.

DENVER, Colo. — The University of New Mexico Lobos were tabbed fourth in the Mountain West Conference women’s basketball preseason poll. The Mountain West announced its 2011-12 preseason women’s basketball poll and all-conference team Tuesday at its Basketball Media Day held at The Mtn. Studios in Denver, Colo. The voting panel consisted of the league’s eight head coaches and select women’s basketball media. New Mexico garnered 74 points in voting to nab the No. 4  spot, and junior Sara Halasz earned a spot on the 2011  Preseason All-Conference team. The Lobos finished behind third-place Colorado State (106 points), second place San Diego State (127 poins) and the preseason favorite Horned Frogs of TCU.

Here are this week’s Class 4A football and volleyball coaches’ polls. Polls are conducted by the New Mexico High School Coaches Association. First-place votes are in parentheses. Class 4A Football     Team     Total pts.    Previous 1. Goddard (13)    139    1 2. Aztec (1)          120    2 3. Valencia           101    3 4. Artesia               98    4

LAS CRUCES — For sure, you have to give the Aggie their dues. After all, New Mexico State beat the Lobos three games out of four and used solid net work to grab a 3-1 win over New Mexico Tuesday night in the Pan American Center. But Lobo Coach Jeff Nelson also blamed another team for UNM’s loss to Aggies. He blamed the Lobos. “We came out with no intensity, really flat,” said Nelson of the 25-22, 25-18, 22-25, 25-17 loss to the Aggies in front of a crowd of 1,669. “They’re just not bringing it. They (the Aggies) outworked us. I think they wanted it a lot more than we did.”