FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (November 6, 2026) – Northern Arizona men's basketball will play its second consecutive Mountain West conference foe to start the 2026-27 season on Saturday, traveling to The Pit – Powered by Nusenda to take on New Mexico at 4 p.m. MST.
The first meeting between the Lumberjacks and Lobos since 2009 will be streamed on
MW+ (subscription required). Anthony DeFazio will be on the call for radio listeners starting with the pregame show at 3:30 p.m. MST. Due to the Northern Arizona football game at Cal Poly playing concurrently, the men's basketball game from Albuquerque, N.M. will only be available
online and the Varsity Network App.
In their 89-77 loss to UNLV on Tuesday to open the season, NAU displayed a number of positives and a number of areas to improve upon heading into the home of the preseason Mountain West favorite. Individually,
Chris Komin was the headliner as he led all Big Sky Conference players in scoring through each team's season openers with 24 points. Komin was extremely efficient, shooting 8-for-12 from the field and 4-of-7 from long distance in tying his second-highest scoring game of his career.
Komin was particularly pivotal in helping NAU build a 12-point first half lead against UNLV, scoring 14 of his points during a 16-6 run that put the Lumberjacks in front, 31-23 with eight minutes left in the first half.
In the end, the Lumberjacks could not overcome foul trouble, turnovers and offensive rebounding as the Runnin' Rebels erased a 12-point deficit and flipping it into a 14-point second half lead. UNLV capitalized on 25 NAU fouls to shoot 23-of-32 at the free throw line, converted 18 turnovers into 20 points and scored 21 second chance points off 18 offensive rebounds. However, when the Lumberjacks had opportunities to score the ball, they did so effectively, shooting 52.1% from the field and 47.8% from behind the arc.
Still, the Lumberjacks received impressive season opening performances by their two leading returners in Komin and
Ryan Abelman (12 points in 22 minutes).
Lucas Toukam also scored in double-figures with 13 points and grabbed five rebounds, earning the start in his collegiate debut, and
Tamiel Green led the team with six boards to go along with eight points and a block off the bench in his first game as a Lumberjack.
New Mexico cruised to a 100-60 season-opening victory over Utah Tech on Monday to record its 24th consecutive season opener. The Lobos outscored the Trailblazers, 62-27, in the second half. The victory was a dominant start to the season for New Mexico, who was voted first in the preseason league poll following a 26-11 record last season and NIT semifinal appearance.
Jake Hall led for Lobos in double-figure scoring with 30 points as New Mexico shot 58.3% as a team from the field. Hall, the preseason Mountain West Player of the Year and only the third freshman in conference history to be named First Team All-Mountain West last season, made the fourth-most 3-pointers ever by a Division I freshman (117) a year ago.
Hall was joined on the preseason All-Mountain West Team by Uriah Tenette. Tenette scored 19 points in the season opener, second-most on the team.
Although this Saturday will mark the 84th all-time meeting between NAU and New Mexico, it will only be the fourth meeting this century with the most recent being a 96-57 New Mexico victory in Albuquerque in 2009. The series dates back 100 years to 1926 and the teams were longtime rivals of the old Border Conference from 1931-53. New Mexico leads the all-time series, 43-40.
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