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Lobos point guard Jeremiah Francis, left, and forward Bayron Matos, right, defend Rice Owl Chris Mullins (24) during Sunday’s game in Houston. (Photo courtesy Maria Lysaker for UNM Athletics)
Here are a few extra notes, quotes, stats, videos and whatever else I could empty out of the old notebook that didn’t fit into print after the Lobos’ 72-61 road win over Rice on Sunday in Houston:
They actually played!
There are 357 Division I men’s college basketball teams.
If you take away the eight in the Ivy League, which decided as a conference not to play this season due to COVID-19, there were just 26 left that had not played a game entering Sunday.
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The UNM Lobos men’s basketball team, from left, Jeremiah Francis (11), Rod Brown (5), Kurt Wegscheider (30), Emmanuel Kuac (4), Isaiah Marin (32) and Saquan Singleton (5) run during a practice at South Plains College on Friday, Nov. 20, 2020 in Levelland, Texas. UNM opens its season Sunday vs. host Rice in Houston. (UNM Athletics photo)
It’s finally here.
New Mexico men’s basketball, a team with a roster half full of guys who have never played a game in the cherry and silver and a coaching and support staff with four new faces as well, finally tips off the wild 2020-21 college basketball season on Sunday in Houston against the 4-0 Rice Owls.
Courtesy Jamie Bassett
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When Jamie Bassett proposed to Stephanie Smith last year, he knew she would be surprised. They were taking Christmas card photos when Bassett suddenly got on one knee during the photo shoot and pulled out a ring.
“I had a lot of stuff I planned to say but I kind of blacked out at the moment,” Bassett told BuzzFeed News. “I just held the ring out and said, ‘You want to do this forever?’ And she said yes.”
The Smith family decorated their home for Christmas this week, and there is a stocking hanging from their fireplace for every member of the tight-knit family.
One of the stockings is for Stephanie, their 29-year-old daughter who died from COVID-19 complications on Nov. 18 - five days after what would have been her wedding day. Stephanie wouldn t want it any other way, said Oralia, Stephanie s mother. Christmas is going to be different of course, and we re going to feel it, but she wouldn t want everything to stop. She wouldn t want that from us.
The Smith family and Stephanie s fiance, Jamie Bassett, described Stephanie in many ways during Family Dinner Night on Wednesday in Levelland - Caring, fearless, full of love, helpful, hilarious, the life of the party, strong, and passionate, and the list could go on.
Five days after she was supposed to get married, woman dies from COVID-19 today.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from today.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.