ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Lobo fans of all ages made up the 15,000 plus people cheering for the UNM men’s basketball team Saturday afternoon. 

“I have been a Lobo basketball fan since Norm Ellenberger was here. That is a long time ago,” said Sandy Gordon, a longtime season ticket holder. 

She says she’s even followed the team to Las Vegas for the Mountain West Tournament over the years.  

“We’d watch the ladies, and then we’d watch the men. And then we go shopping, and then we’d come back and have another basketball game,” said Gordon. “It was a lot of fun. Vegas can be a fun place.”

Gordon and her friend, Marsha Candela, say this year has been something special for Lobo Nation. 

They don’t have plans to visit Sin City this year, but basketball at The Pit is still more than enough for them.

“Oh, it is just so magical. It’s just so exciting just to be a part of it. I’m just so glad,” said Candela. 

Candela says she’s a UNM alum from the 80s, and her time at UNM led her to a teaching career in Los Lunas. 

The longtime Lobo fans say they’ve stuck with the team through thick and thin. 

“Over the last couple of years have been much better. I think we have a great coach now. He’s doing a good job, and we have some fabulous players out there. So everybody’s really excited about it,” Gordon said. 

So far, this season – even with some losses – has them coming back again and again.

“It’s a lot of fun, and The Pit just goes wild. It’s one of the best places to come to a basketball game,” said Gordon. 

The Lobos did lose Saturday against the Air Force Falcons. But there’s still one more home game for the men before the Mountain West Tournament starts. They play Fresno State on March 6. 

The women’s team still have two home games left. They play San Diego State on the Feb. 28, and Nevada on March 2.