BOISE, Idaho – The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team held off Boise State in the second half to win its second straight road contest, downing the Broncos 81-70 on Tuesday night in Taco Bell Arena.
“They were a special group in the first half,” said head coach Craig Neal. “We got off to a slow start in the second half, but we settled in and got stops. I am proud of these guys. They have been through a lot the last two weeks, but it has made us stronger as a group.”
Tim Williams and Elijah Brown were once again the leaders on the court. Williams finished with a game-high 19 points, while Elijah chipped in 16 and a team-leading seven rebounds. Sam Logwood had a big performance, finishing with 16 points, 12 of those coming in the final three minutes of the first half. Jordan Hunter was the Lobos fourth double-digit scorer.
“I have to give Tim Williams and Elijah Brown a lot of credit for their leadership,” Neal said. “They have been talking to the guys and making sure they are in tune.”
The Lobos opened the game with a 7-0 run and led 10-2, forcing Boise State to take an early timeout with 17 minutes left in the first half. The lead pushed to 13 with under eight minutes to go after a three from Hunter. The Lobos led by as much as 20 in the first half. Logwood finished off the second half for the Lobos, scoring 12 points in the final 2:24.
It was a slow start to the second half for the Lobos. Boise State went on a 13-3 run in the first eight minutes of the half. The Lobos were just 1-of-13 from the field in that stretch.
Boise State would come within five with 3:29 left to play, but it was late free throws that kept the Lobos ahead. They made 12-of-12 in the final eight minutes and 6-of-6 in the final minute of the game.
The Lobos looked better on the defensive side of the ball as they held Boise State to 37.9 percent from the field and just 21.7 percent from the three.
New Mexico shot 50 percent from the field, 50 percent from the three and 95.5 percent from the foul line. The Lobos outscored the Broncos off the bench 31-26 and put together 19 points off of Boise State’s 12 turnovers.
The Lobos will look to make it three straight at home on Saturday as they face Wyoming for the first time this season. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. and will air on CBS Sports Network.