Lobos depart for the Big Dance

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Lobo fever is still heating up as the team left for the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament on Tuesday morning.

The players and coaches left the University of New Mexico athletic facilities just before noon for their flight to California.

Like many of the teams' departures and arrivals over the past few weeks, there was a party-like atmosphere outside the Davalos Center.

"I love it, I love the support. They've been here the whole year,” Lobo sophomore guard Will Brown said. “They came out here in the cold during The Pit reconstruction they had to come and use the restrooms outside so I love the fans for everything they do this year."

Several dozen fans showed up to wish team members luck as they left on a bus headed for the airport and a flight to San Jose, California.

“In Vegas we had what five or six thousand people, so we expected there to be more,” Amyna and Loris Hughes said. ”There may be some more people at the airport wishing them well as they leave on the plane."

Darington Hobson said the mood of the team is 'excited.'

On the tarmac, Jamal Fenton said, “We going to go to San Jose we going to win and we going to have a good time. Then we will go to the Sweet 16."

The team plays against Montana Thursday evening in a game that will be broadcast on KRQE-TV. Tipoff is at 7:40 p.m. News 13 also will broadcast a special show on Lobo Madness at 4:30 p.m.