Lobos do it again! UNM executes second-half comeback over SDSU
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — For the second-straight game, The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team executed a near-flawless second half to earn a four-point victory over a tough Mountain West opponent on Saturday night. UNM topped San Diego State at Dreamstyle Arena by a score of 79-75, coming back from a 10-point halftime deficit.
The Lobos (10-11, 5-3 MW) outscored the Aztecs (11-7, 3-4 MW) 41-27 in the second half for the win, despite SDSU leading for 32:28 on the night. With the victory, UNM is now riding a six-game win streak at home, is 4-1 over its last five games dressing just nine players and has moved into third place in the league.
“(This team) defies a lot of logic and I am just really proud to be a part of them right now. We’ve bottled something pretty cool,” head coach Paul Weir said. “I don’t know how long it’s going to keep going, but we are just going to keep grinding and keep working right now. The only bad news from this game is that we are going right back to practice tomorrow morning because that’s how we got here.”
Senior Antino Jackson and junior Anthony Mathis each posted career-high points in the win. Jackson netted 24, surpassing his previous best of 23 which he achieved twice at Akron. Mathis, who entered the game with a career-best 18 points, scored 15 points in the first half and added six more in the second for a new career-high 21.
Jackson went 6-for-10 from behind the arc while Mathis was 4-for-7, contributing a combined 10 of UNM’s 13 3-pointers on the night. Jackson also led the Lobos with six assists and did not commit a single turnover.
“On offense, I’m trying to take advantage of the freedom Coach Weir has given me to make plays, be efficient and to be the best I can be,” Jackson said. “Our defense was kind of questionable in the first half, so our biggest thing coming into the second half was that we had to make shots, play better defense and get rebounds. And I think that’s what we did. We made the adjustments, and that was the biggest thing.”
Senior Joe Furstinger registered his sixth double-double, racking up 12 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Makuach Maluach also turned in a huge effort for UNM, scoring 15 points that included a 6-for-7 stretch at the charity stripe.
Down by 12, 55-43, at the 17:04 mark, the Lobos reduced the SDSU lead to five over a 3:25 stretch, making it 55-50 on a Mathis and a Chris McNeal three as well as a Furstinger free throw.
The Aztecs extended their lead back to seven on layup before a Jackson three reduced it to four, 57-53, with 12:35 remaining.
The game continued in the same fashion, SDSU extending the lead, UNM closing the gap with a clutch three, until the final five minutes.
SDSU led by seven, 73-66, with 5:00 on the clock before UNM executed a 6-0 run on a pair of Jackson free throws, a Mathis three and another free throw from Maluach to cut the deficit to one, 73-72 with 3:42 left.
Just 43 seconds later, that 6-0 run turned into a 9-0 run as Jackson hit yet another three to take the lead for the first time since the 13:39 mark in the first half, 75-73, as the announced crowd of 11,418 roared.
A Pope dunk with 1:51 left tied the game for the second time, 75-75, but with 37 seconds left, Coach Weir took a timeout and with 22 seconds left, Jackson nailed a jumper to reclaim the lead, 77-75. Strong defense on the other end and a Furstinger rebound gave the Lobos the ball back and SDSU was forced to foul.
In remarkably similar fashion to Wednesday’s game at UNLV, Furstinger clinched the victory with a pair of free throws with just one second left for the win.
The Lobos shot 41.4 percent from the floor and 44.8 percent from behind the arc while SDSU shot 44.3 percent overall and 38.1 percent from the floor. UNM was outrebounded 40-34 and outscored in the paint 34-18. UNM, which entered the game ranked 12th in the nation in turnover margin and turnovers forced, forced 12 turnovers on the night and committed a season-low five.
“The players that are playing right now have amazing courage. We’re sticking together and playing our hearts out, every single one of us,” Mathis said. “I know I can speak for myself, I’m exhausted, and like Coach Weir says, after every game, you should be exhausted and dead tired, and that’s what I am now for sure.”
The Lobos are on a bye week, next taking the court on Saturday, January 27 at 7 p.m. MT against Colorado State at home at Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit. The game will air live on ESPN3.