Exciting Lobo Run Ends in Championship Game
BOX SCORE (PDF) | PHOTO GALLERY | POST-GAME NOTES | POST-GAME QUOTES
LAS VEGAS, NEV. — After an exciting season that saw a new squad thrive under a new coaching staff, The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team’s seven-win streak came to a halt on Saturday in the 2018 Mountain West Championship match. The No. 3 seed Lobos fell to No. 5 seed San Diego State in the final six minutes by a score of 82-75 to earn MW runner-up status.
Five Lobos scored in double figures in the matchup, paced by senior Antino Jackson who posted 17. He was followed by junior Anthony Mathis (13), senior Joe Furstinger (12), as well as senior Sam Logwood (11) and junior Troy Simons (11).
Jackson shined on perhaps his final night in a Lobo uniform, racking up his 17 points in addition to four rebounds and seven assists while going a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line.
For their outstanding efforts on the week, Furstinger and Jackson were named to the 2018 Mountain West Championship All-Tournament Team.
On the night, despite keeping it a close matchup throughout the first 33 minutes, the Lobos were outshot 50 percent – 41.3% while both teams shot 33.3 percent from 3-point range. The Lobos were 8-for-24 from behind the arc and the Aztecs went 5-for-15.
Both teams turned the ball over 12 times and snagged six steals in the even matchup that saw the lead change 11 times.
“You have to tip your cap to San Diego State. It’s a great team – They deserve to win the championship and they did,” head coach Paul Weir said. “Unfortunately for me and for us, that means the end of an amazing run with a tremendous group of young men that I’ll never forget. I wish I could give them a different ending because they worked so hard and they gave so much and you always — like your kids, you want to reward them for things like that. Unfortunately I couldn’t reward them tonight.”
The Lobos came out on fire to start their first appearance in the MW Championship contest since 2014, jumping out to a quick eight-point lead at the 16:42 mark after a 10-4 run that included threes from Simons and Logwood as well as two-pointers from Jackson and Furstinger. SDSU came back fast however, going on a 9-0 run of its own to take a one-point lead, 13-12, at the 13:48 mark of the first half.
The teams knotted the contest five more times in the first half, the fifth on a clutch 3-pointer by Simons with 44 seconds left in the first half to make it 37-37. A jumper by SDSU and a Simons free throw made it a one-point game in favor of the Aztecs at the half. Heading into the game, the Lobos were 3-11 on the season when trailing at the half, 15-3 when leading.
The second half continued in similar fashion with neither team getting out to more than a six-point lead. UNM led by six with 7:39 on the clock in a moment that Lobo fans thought their championship dreams were minutes from reality, but SDSU surged back fast cutting the Lobo lead to just one in less than one minute, 63-62 Lobos.
San Diego State did not relinquish the lead from that point on, getting out to as much as a seven-point lead while holding off the Lobos for the 82-75 final.
UNM will wait to see if its season is officially complete. For the most up-to-date information, follow UNMLoboMBB on Twitter or follow GoLobos.com.