Dec. 28, 2006
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – Tony Danridge scored a career-high 24 points and New Mexico beat Alcorn State 91-59 Thursday night in the first round of the Lobo Invitational.
New Mexico (10-3) won for the fifth time in the last six games despite not having leading scorer J.R. Giddens, who sat out the game with an ankle injury. Giddens sprained his left ankle in the Lobos’ 71-68 win over Wichita State last week in Las Vegas, Nev.
The Lobos never trailed against the Indians (1-9), whose only win this season was against Paul Quinn three weeks ago.
Guard Delvin Thompson led the Braves with 17 points and Jarvis Williams scored 14. Thompson also had 8 of the Braves’ 17 turnovers.
The Lobo Invitational, which started in 1965, is the nation’s fifth oldest in-season tournament and New Mexico has enjoyed considerable success in it. The Lobos are 71-12 overall in the tournament and have won it 29 times.
Danridge scored 15 points and hit 7 of 10 shots in the first half. The Lobos led 42-33 at the break, then broke it open early in the second half when the Braves failed to score a field goal in the first four minutes.
Center Aaron Johnson, who did not start, scored 18 points for New Mexico, 13 of them in the second half.