Dec. 1, 2004
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With the win, New Mexico improves to 6-1 on the year, matching the best start for a Ritchie McKay-coached team…McKay’s 1998-99 Colorado State squad also began 6-1…UNM is off to its best start since the 2000-01 team began 10-1.
UNM also improved its series lead against New Mexico State to 102-91, including 27-13 in The Pit…New Mexico has captured 3 of the past 4 meetings in Albuquerque with an average margin of victory of 18.7 points in the three wins…the two teams combined for 179 points, the most since scoring a combined 185 in the Aggies’ 96-89 victory in Albuquerque on Dec. 17, 1994…New Mexico’s 99 points scored are the second-most vs. NMSU in a regulation game in The Pit…UNM won 106-78 in The Pit on Dec. 21, 1977.
Tonight’s game was the 38th anniversary of The Pit’s opening…on Dec. 1, 1966 the sixth-ranked Lobos made their debut in the building, defeating Abilene Christian 62-53…UNM has won its first six home games for the first time since the 2000-01 season when it took 8 in a row…the Lobos’ have now won 19 of their past 21 in The Pit…New Mexico is averaging 87.2 points per game and shooting 57.9% (180-311) at home this season and have shot no lower than 51% in any home game this year…tonight’s attendance of 15,812 was a season-high.
UNM canned 9 threes on the night (9-18), its second-highest total of the season…New Mexico opened up red-hot from 3-point range, draining its first 7 attempts in the opening 9 minutes of the first half while limiting the Aggies to just 2-7 shooting from beyond the arc…senior guard Troy DeVries hit 4 of his season-high 5 threes during the opening burst.
The Lobos continued their pinpoint shooting, hitting a season-best 64.3% (36-56) of their field goal attempts tonight…the accuracy is the best since making 67.9% (36-53) at Air Force on Feb. 14, 1998…UNM shot 69% (20-29) in the first half and knocked down 12 straight shots after missing its first basket of the game…New Mexico has shot over 60% as a team 3 times in 7 games this season, including two straight…the 2003-04 squad shot better than 60% just once in 28 games, hitting 63.3% (31-49) in the season-opener vs. San Francisco State…UNM has won 22 straight games when shooting better that its opponent and are 57-4 in such situations since 2000-01.
New Mexico scored 58 points in the first half, its highest total in a first half since putting up 61 points vs. Holy Cross on Dec. 29, 1997…the Lobos’ 58-35 halftime lead matched its largest intermission lead this season…UNM also led Santa Clara by 23 points (46-23) en route to a 93-59 victory on Nov. 13…the Lobos have led at halftime in every game this year.
Junior guard Mark Walters set a career-high with 10 assists, including 6 in the first half…it’s his 3rd career double-double, but first with assists and first since his freshman season…Walters had twice notched 5 assists in a game, most recently vs. San Diego last year…he has dished out 13 assists in his last 2 games after averaging 2.2 in the first 5 games of the season…Walters also added a season-high 4 steals
All 5 UNM starters scored in double figures, combining for 87 of the Lobos’ 99 points…New Mexico last accomplished that feat nearly two years ago to the day on Dec. 2, 2002 when starters Ruben Douglas (30), Jamaal Williams (16), Javin Tindall (14), Mark Walters (12) and Jeff Hart (10) combined for 82 points in the Lobos’ 90-88 victory over Northeastern.
After 25 turnovers in their last game against Northern Arizona, the Lobos committed just 11 against NMSU…their first turnover did not come until the 9:12 mark of the first half.