ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team cruised to an 83-43 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday evening in WisePies Arena – The Pit. The Lobos are now 7-4 on the season and 6-0 inside The Pit in non-conference action for the first time since the 2010-11 season.
“It was good to see our guys come out and get several stops in a row,” UNM head coach Craig Neal said. “I thought our guys gave good effort, but we have to continue to try and get better.”
The Lobos were led by senior Tim Williams. He led all scorers with 19 points, shooting 7-for-10 from the field and perfect 5-for-5 from the foul line. Sophomore Dane Kuiper, who made his second start of the season, finished with 14 points. It was his second straight game in double-figures. He was 5-for-9 from the field which included three 3-pointers.
Coach Neal went with a different starting lineup against the Golden Lions. Freshman Jalen Harris, Aher Uguak, Joe Furstinger, Kuiper and Williams were the first five out on the floor. Those five started the game off on 9-0 run into the first media timeout. That group, including a few off the bench, played tough defense as they did not allow Arkansas-Pine Bluff to score until the 8:34 mark.
“We did a lot of defensive and closeout drills in practice this week,” Williams said. “I think we all focused on defense and came out ready to play tonight.”
The Lobos continued to push their lead with stops on defense, but it was key free throw shooting that helped extend the lead. The Lobos made 12 straight from 16:10 to 7:41 to take a 20-5 lead. An 11-6 run finished out the first half, giving the Lobos a 31-11 advantage.
“I think they came in knowing they need to be disciplined,” said Neal. “They seemed really focused on what they were trying to do.”
In the second half, New Mexico continued to play solid defense, allowing only one score for the Golden Lions in the first six minutes of the half. Arkansas-Pine Bluff took advantage of late 3-point shooting but the Lobos went into the 3:50 media timeout on a 9-0 run, giving the Lobos a 77-37 lead. The Golden Lions put together two more threes but that was it, giving the Lobos a 40-point victory.
Sophomore Connor MacDougall came off the bench to add 10 points and six rebounds. Sam Logwood and Xavier Adams both came off the bench and finished with six rebounds. Harris led the Lobos in assists with four and Logwood finished with a team-high four steals.
For the game, the Lobos shot 44.4 (20-for-45) percent from the field, 35.3 (6-for-17) from the 3-point line and a season-high 92.5 percent from the foul line. The Lobos only missed three free throws, making a season-high 37 of 40.
The Lobos outscored the Golden Lions off the bench (38-11), in the paint (28-16) and in points off turnovers (24-12).
New Mexico finished nonconference action on Tuesday at No. 19 ranked Arizona. That game is set for 7 p.m. MST and will be available on the Pac-12 Networks. The Lobos start Mountain West action on Wednesday, Dec. 28 with a home game against Fresno State on ESPN3.