Nov. 19, 2012
New Mexico Basketball Postgame Notes
Monday, Nov. 19, 2012
UNM vs. (21) UConn *** Paradise Jam Championship *** St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
New Mexico (4-0) defeats 21st-ranked UConn (4-1) 66-60 in the championship game of the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
While missing their first 9 shots and shooting a season-low percentage from the floor (39.6%), the Lobos were a perfect 21-21 at the FT line…through 4 games, UNM is shooting 84.6% (99-117) at the stripe
UNM held a 53-44 lead when Kendall Williams knocked down a 3-pointer with 7:11 remaining…UConn then reeled off 11 straight points for a 55-53 advantage with 2:23 to go…Hugh Greenwood gave the Lobos the lead for good at 56-55 with a 3-pointer at the 2:13 mark, ending a UNM scoring drought of 4:58
Greenwood’s 3 started a 9-0 Lobo run as they built their lead back to 62-55 with 38.7 seconds left
The 5-man Lobo bench outscored UConn’s reserves 18-4…UNM’s bench combined for 5-9 FGs, 8-8 FTs, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in 57 minutes
UNM missed its first 9 FGs and shot a season-low 39.6% (19-48) from the floor…the Lobos’ first basket came from reserve Jamal Fenton at the 13:11 mark
New Mexico is now 5-17 against current members of the Big East
UNM has made a 3-point FG in 697 consecutive games…the last game without a 3 was Jan. 3, 1991 at Colorado State (0-for-8)
Head coach Steve Alford
438-229 in his 22nd season as a head coach
130-46 in his 6th year at New Mexico, the most wins by a UNM head coach through the first 6 seasons
2-0 in his head coaching career against UConn…the other win was in his 1st game at Iowa, Nov. 11, 1999…the Hawkeyes beat the top-ranked and defending national champion Huskies 70-68 in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Madison Square Garden
13-6 against ranked teams while at UNM
70-23 in non-conference games at UNM, 11-10 at neutral sites
Junior G Kendall Williams
MVP of the Paradise Jam with 52 points on 18-19 FTs, plus 11 assists, in the 3 wins
Scored 13 of his team-high 15 points in the 2nd half tonight
Missed his first 5 FGs…his 1st basket was a 3-pointer with 16:35 left that gave UNM its biggest lead at 39-29
Junior G Tony Snell
Paradise Jam all-tournament team selection
11 points on 3-10 FGs, 1-5 from 3 and 4-4 FTs
1st basket of the game was a 3-pointer with 28 seconds left in the 1st half
Sophomore G Hugh Greenwood
Season-high 12 points and team-high 7 rebounds
His 3-pointer with 2:13 left gave UNM a 56-55 lead, stopping an 11-0 UConn run…the Lobos never trailed again
2 of 5 from 3-point…he came into tonight’s game 1-8 from 3 the first 3 games
Senior F Chad Adams
6 points, 4 rebounds and 1 steal in 15 minutes
Came into tonight’s game with 0 points and 2 rebounds in 2 games and 16 minutes this season
His lay-in gave UNM a 58-55 lead with 1:21 left and he drew a charge on UConn’s next possession
Sophomore C Alex Kirk
10 points and 4 rebounds in 21 minutes
Made his second 3-pointer of the season
Junior F Cameron Bairstow
8 points and 6 rebounds in 19 minutes
4-4 at the FT line and he is shooting 90% (18-20) for the season
18 points and 11 rebounds in 40 minutes the past 2 games
Senior G Jamal Fenton
Made his first appearance of the season at the 13:54 mark of the 1st half
Scored the Lobos’ first 4 points of the game