ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico is No. 25 this week in the AP rankings. It’s their first time cracking the Top 25 this season.

The Lobos join fellow Mountain West teams No. 18 Utah State and No. 24 Colorado State on the list — New Mexico defeated a then-ranked No. 16 Utah State team last week at The Pit.

“The team is firing on all cylinders right now, led by a really good coach, 13,000 on a Tuesday night at 8:30,” said Carlos Tenorio, the co-head of the Howl Raisers student group. “In Albuquerque, that’s unheard of. You know, it’s one of the most underrated fan bases in the NCAA.”

The Lobos were ranked last year too, and Tenorio said the hype around the basketball team is growing even more this year.

“Being able to look down your watch, and it’s saying hey, you should probably exit because it’s over 90 decibels. You know some readings have gone up to 116 decibels this season. That Pit magic is back and it’s not just in the student section,” he said.

Fellow UNM athletes are also excited, like quarterback Devon Dampier.

“Everybody has kind of been sleeping on us, but now I mean, we’re ranked in the Top 25,” Dampier said. “It’s almost like sports motivation. Like they’re doing so good. And it’s like, everybody calls this place a basketball school.”

The UNM women’s basketball team is also on a roll. They took down the top two teams in the Mountain West Conference last week — Wyoming and UNLV. Their latest win comes from a last-minute three-pointer from Sandia graduate Viané Cumber to beat the then-ranked No. 25 UNLV Rebels — the Rebels did not make it into the AP Top 25 this week after that loss.

The Lobo men’s basketball team is on the road against San Jose State Wednesday night, but then they will take on Steve Alford and Nevada at The Pit Sunday.