Big crowd, intensity expected for Aggies, Lobos rivalry game in the Pit

The New Mexico State Aggies celebrate after defeating the Lobos on a last second shot in overtime on Dec. 6, 2021, in the Pit. (Roberto E. Rosales/Albuquerque Journal)Greg Heiar admitted this past week that he, most of his staff and most of his roster simply didn’t know what they were getting into last weekend in El Paso.

A hostile, announced Don Haskins Center crowd of 11,315 helped create the type of rivalry environment few, if any, of the New Mexico State Aggies were ready to be in, leading to a 67-64 victory for the UTEP Miners.

“Now I know. And now we know,” Heiar said Wednesday in NMSU’s weekly coaches radio show. “And we understand the rivalry. Not only did we get to play it in Game 2,…