Dec. 3, 2005
New Mexico at New Mexico State
Pan American Center – Las Cruces, N.M.
TEAM NOTES
New Mexico dropped to 0-2 on the road and 4-2 on the season with a 67-61 setback against New Mexico State tonight in Las Cruces.
The loss also snapped a 3-game winning streak for the Lobos in the series, falling to the Aggies for the first time since a 67-48 defeat in Las Cruces on Dec. 3, 2003. UNM fell to 13-25 all-time at the Pan American Center, but still maintain a 103-92 overall lead in the series.
UNM trailed by as much as 13, (32-19) late in the first half. A 8-0 Lobo run to close the opening half left the Aggies with a 32-27 lead at the break. It was the first time the Lobos have trailed at halftime in six games this season.
New Mexico endured one of its worst free throw shooting performance of the early season, hitting just 16-27 (59%) from the charity stripe. UNM entered the night shooting 76.9% from the FT line as a team.
NMSU connected on 30 of its 36 free throws (83%), easily the most attempts and conversions by a Lobo opponent this season. The Aggies had shot just 58.6% from the FT line in their first four games of the year.
The Lobos’ 8 assists were a season-low, while the Aggies’ 8 assists were the lowest by a UNM opponent this year.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Senior Mark Walters had a team-high 18 points tonight and has led the Lobos in scoring in all six games this season. He is averaging a career-best 16.8 points/game this year.
Sophomore Tony Dandridge finished with 12 points and has scored in double-figures in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. Dandridge is averaging 11.8 points in his last four games and 10.2 on the season. He averaged just 3.0 ppg as a true freshman last year.
Senior post David Chiotti failed to score in double figures for just the second time this season, finishing with a season-low 7 points. Chiotti did finish with 9 rebounds, his second-highest total of the year.