ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The University of New Mexico Lobos guard Donovan Dent is the Mountain West Freshman of the Week in men’s basketball. Dent helped the Lobos defeat St. Mary’s 69-65 on the road last week, ending the Gaels school-record 23-game home win streak.
Dent had a Lobo career-best 13 points and six rebounds. Dent scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half. So far this season, the reigning Mr. Basketball from California has played like a veteran, not a freshman. “I’m still learning a lot from the new level and all of that, but I think the level I played at in high school was a big help to all of this,” said Dent. “I feel like I’m adjusting to it way quicker. I feel like I’m at a good pace right now with it.”
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The Lobos improved to 7-0 with the win. They are currently one of a dozen teams that are still undefeated. That is bringing the Lobos some recognition. They have received points in the AP Top 25 poll. Second-year head coach Richard Pitino is also getting some recognition. He is the ESPN Power Rankings coach of the Week. “We are starting to get national recognition, which is good for the program,” said Pitino. “I’m not going to be one of those guys that doesn’t think it’s good that ESPN is acknowledging me or that the Mountain West is acknowledging Donovan or people are tweeting. That’s good because we need to recruit and build the program from the ground up, but at the end of the day, that’s not my goal. My goal is to get in the NCAA Tournament and win a Mountain West title.” The Lobos are hosting Western New Mexico Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
In other sports news, New Mexico State forward Mike Peake has been suspended indefinitely for violating team policy. Peake was involved in a deadly shooting on the University of New Mexico campus last month. An investigation is still ongoing. Peake is also still enrolled in school at NMSU.
The New Mexico Bowl will have a prime time slot. The time of the game has gone from 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Dec. 17. The Las Vegas Bowl will now take the earlier 12:30 p.m. slot, giving the crew at Allegiant Stadium proper time to set up for a Las Vegas Raiders game the following day.
College football players are starting to enter the transfer portal. Lobos receiver Geordon Porter is one of a handful of UNM players that have decided to get into the portal. Porter had 312 yards and two touchdowns for the Lobos this past season.
Sandia High senior Steven West won a national title this past weekend. West won the Gold Boys 5k race at the Garmin National Championships in Hunstville, Alabama.