NM State Aggies vs CBU Lancers Men’s Basketball 1-7-23 Part 1

I suppose I’m going to have to address the Aggie Men’s Basketball scandal, since I’m finally covering one of their games.  There was a fight in the stands at the Aggie/Lobo Football game here in Las Cruces last year.  This apparently involved some of the Basketball team and some Lobo students. 

 

Right before the basketball teams were set to meet in Albuquerque, Mike Peake on the Aggie team was lured out the hotel after midnight by an under-aged girl.  This turned out to be a trap by three Lobo students, and it turned tragic as one of the students shot Peake.  In turn, Peake, who was also armed, shot back and killed one of the students.  And just to make this story worse, Peake called for help from his team.  Three teammates showed up and they attempted to clean up the crime scene.  This got more people in trouble with the police.

 

Peake is recovering and suspended from the team.  The girl and two of the UNM students have been charged.  The Aggie/Lobo Basketball games were cancelled, which was probably a good thing for the Aggies as the Lobos are really good this year.  Three players were forced to sit out a game for breaking curfew, which likely cost the team a win.  Anthony Roy can only play home games for the team and can’t leave the state.  And, the team has a losing record and is winless in four conference games (spoilers). 

 

No, I’m not quite buying the official story as it currently stands.  Who takes a gun to a 3:00am hookup in Albuquerque unless a drug deal is involved?  I’m having a hard time seeing an inter-school rivalry turning into an elaborate revenge scenario gunfight.  Something’s missing, but it’ll have to wait for a trial to come out. 

 

The effect on the team has been devastating.  The incident may have turned them against each other after Peake was suspended.  Coach Heiar and the university had initially supported Peake, but then suspended him.  This might have caused some bad blood.  Players may also be blaming each other.  There’s more than enough talent on the team for them to have a better record.  They may have lost confidence in the coach and each other and it’s too late for this season.  They were picked for second in the conference and now they’re going to have to struggle to make the tournament.

 

Well, this is a train wreck of a game recap.  (Worse than my usual.)  By the way, I think what I put up here is correct (or a clear opinion).  I might be off on the particulars, but you’re getting the gist of the story.  From here, we’ll just recap the game.

 

Ron and I had just finished watching the Aggie Women win their game.  At work on Friday, I ran into Chuck (who we’ve gone to Chihuahuas games with), and he said he’d been invited up to the new Pan-Am suites.  This left him with his two season tickets, which he gave to me.  We’d kind of decided not to stay for the Men’s game beforehand, but with free tickets, sure.  The seats were on the other side of the court from where we were.  They were up behind the Aggie bench.

 

I’d offered to get Ron something from the Concessions, but amazingly, he was still full from his sandwich from Roadrunner Pizza.  I was hungry.  The grill stall was open and I stood in line, but I saw someone with a small Papa John’s pizza box like they sell at the football games.  I didn’t see it listed on the menu, so I took off around the building trying to find the pizza seller.  No luck.  Now, I’d actually worked up an appetite.  I picked up a pretzel and a drink. 

 

Dejected, I went back to the seats.  I saw a couple of people bring down pizza boxes, which irritated the hell out of me.  Ron was amused.  A girl brought down a burger from the grill, which looked pretty good.  (And they’re $5.  No, I don’t know why I didn’t go back and get one.)  We could see into the suites from where we were.  They were now filled.  I could have watched the NFL game on the TV’s inside.  I eventually saw Chuck up there and waved, but he wasn’t looking our way.  (I also ran into two other co-workers at the game.)  Women’s Basketball Coach Adams would be in a nearby suite later and watch some of the game. 

 

I’d called Ron before he left to pick me up and told him to make sure to bring his radio so he could hear the Men’s game call with Jack Nixon and Anita Skipper, whom I’d raved about.  He brought it, but forgot to charge it.  He got it charged in the car and brought it in.  When he took it out for the game, it was dead.  He’d accidentally turned it on during the Women’s game.  It just wasn’t meant to be.                        

 

Well I got to listen to the pregame at least.  Jack and Anita started off chatting with Coach Adams about her Women’s game win.  It was better than talking about the Men’s team.  The Aggie Men are in the cellar of the WAC with two other teams after a three-game losing streak.  Jack also fielded a loose ball from CBU’s warmup and tossed it back to them.  He’s pretty sharp for . . . whatever age he is.  (Hasn’t he been doing this since the 70’s?  Or does it just feel like it?)  AD Mario Moccia came on.  I had trouble hearing over the crowd noise, but he complained about the facilities, about the team losing players to the transfer portal, and said that Mike Peake was doing better, but still recovering. 

 

There was a good crowd of over 5,000.  The lower bowl filled up pretty well.  There were people in the Student Section, who probably weren’t students.  I saw a couple of Women’s players in the crowd.  The local girl, Janessa Johnson, was with her family.  Kiwi Ashlee Strawbridge was with a couple of other young women who looked familiar (former players?).  Ashlee later brought in a full-size pizza.  Now that one looked it came from Lorenzo’s and was delivered.  

 

First Half

Gasp!  CBU started five white guys!  Four of them were from Australia.  (Two are from Tasmania, which isn’t a separate country.  I didn’t know it was a basketball hotbed, but there are living dinosaurs there.  Really.  I have it on good authority.)  The other player is from Utah.  The Aggies started what felt like a smaller lineup.  (Translation: Issa Muhammad didn’t start.) 

 

After two minutes of play, Coach Heiar sent in the “bigs” (Issa and newcomer 7’ Mady Traore) and changed out all five players.  There was also a fashion change, as Anthony Roy was wearing a pastel green shone and a pastel pink shoe.  Bold.  (Miami Vice inspired, perhaps?)  The personnel change didn’t matter.  It was 0-8 CBU after 3 minutes, thanks to a couple of made 3’s.  Timeout Aggies.

 

There's Issa and Ighoefe (not to scale)

Doctor Bradley got the Aggies on the board with a bump of a CBU player, a steal, and a layup, but the Lancers answered with another 3, 2-11.  Deshawndre Washington made a downcourt pass to Mady for a layup.  Doctor made another steal with a layup to get it to 8-11 with 14 minutes left.  The crowd was into it.  Coach Heiar was about to send in the first five again, but called them back.  He would change them out at the next timeout a couple of minutes later.  CBU would put in three black players to prevent a protest from forming, including Timothy Ighoefe, a monstrously huge individual.  He even looked over and out-muscled Issa.

 

Unfortunately, the Aggies fell behind again, 9-18, 9 minutes left in the half.  The Coach subbed out five again.  CBU followed suit and also changed out five.  Associate Coach Dominique Taylor at the front end of the bench looked like he was about to jump on to the court.  At the other end of the bench, Analyst Johnny McCants was giving a stern lecture to one of the freshmen.  Deshawndre hit a 3 and a goaltend on Ighoefe got the Aggies to 14-20 with 7 minutes left. 

 

In the timeout that followed, Megan McCormick, came out on the sidelines for a report.  Oooh.  We appreciate her reporting, even if we can’t hear a word of it.  She also spoke to Mario at halftime.  On this subject, a couple of very hot, fashionable young women sitting near bench would walk up the stairs periodically as a complete distraction.  I don't know what their relationship is to the team.  Directly below me, there was a guy keeping score with a pencil on the program.  Like I said previously, I gave up doing that since there isn’t a scorecard on the program. 

 

Coach Heiar was stalking up and down the bench talking.  He stopped and seemed to be talking to Roy, but he wasn’t listening.  This isn’t exceptional player behavior during a game in any sport.  Issa drained two free throws and made a layup to close the score to 18-22 with 3 minutes left.  After an Aggie player nearly fell over the press table, Anita said he was trying to come in and start calling the game.  Jack offered that she should go in and help with the team’s shooting.  (Anita is the Aggies’ all-time leading scorer.)  There was also a Lorenzo’s Pizza giveaway to the crowd.  A kid below us got one from the Cheerleaders by holding up a sign.

 

CBU Coach Rick Croy was putting on an interpretive dance show on the other side of the court.  He stamped up and down on the court after an empty possession.  With the Aggies, Issa missed the next two shots.  Jack remarked, “Issa’s cooled off, but doesn’t know it yet.”  Xavier Pinson came up with a steal and passed to Quaye Gordon on a fast break for a layup.  The crowd was up and standing at this point and cheering as the score was 20-22 with a minute left.  But CBU came right back with a 3 and a layup to end the half up 20-27.

 

Part2