Dec 21, 2003
Final Stats?|?
Notes
ALBUUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – Danny Granger and Troy DeVries, playing for the
first time this season, gave an instant lift to struggling New Mexico, leading
the Lobos to a 74-56 win Sunday over Coppin State.
Granger, the former standout at Bradley who transferred to New Mexico last
January, scored 18 points – 14 of them in the second half – and had 9 rebounds.
DeVries, who left Portland State at the end of the 2002 fall semester, scored
11 points and had a career-high 12 assists, the most by a New Mexico player in
12 years.
With Granger and DeVries in the lineup and point guard Javin Tindall adding
18 points, New Mexico (4-3) had no trouble with the Eagles.
The Lobos scored the first 13 points and turned the game into an early rout
as the Eagles (3-8) hit only one field goal in the first 14 minutes. The Eagles
hit just five field goals in the first half, all of them 3-pointers.
Jimmy Boykin led Coppin State with 21 points on 7 3-pointers. Boykin’s
long-range scoring sparked a brief second half run by the Eagles that cut New
Mexico’s lead to 61-42 with 8:45 left.
Moments later, Coppin State coach Ron “Fang” Mitchell got a technical and
Tindall hit two free throws off that call. Granger followed with five points on
two free throws and a 3-pointer and the Lobos’ lead was 69-44 with 6:45
remaining.
New Mexico parlayed the Eagles’ poor first half shooting into a 37-17 lead,
then opened the second half with a 15-4 run.
Before the start of the game, New Mexico head coach Ritchie McKay and the
Lobos presented the family of former Lobo Billy Feeney with Feeney’s jerseys.
Feeney, who transferred here from Portland State last year, committed suicide
in August.
Feeney’s sister Kayla and brother Jimmy accepted the jerseys in the
tear-filled pre-game ceremony.