LOS ANGELES – The (-/RV) University of New Mexico men’s basketball team (3-1) nearly erased a 21 point lead, but fell short against the Southern California Trojans (3-0), 90-82, Saturday night at the Galen Center.
The Lobos were led by another big night from power forward Tim Williams. He recorded 25 points with 15 rebounds, both highs at UNM. His rebounding total was the most for a Lobo since Alex Kirk pulled down 16 on Feb. 9, 2013. He shot 12-for-21 from the floor, creating multiple opportunities on his nine offensive rebounds.
Obij Aget also had a solid evening, recording 11 points and 11 rebounds with four blocks, all season-highs. The game marked the fifth time in Aget’s career in which he has recorded four blocks. Tim Jacobs was the team’s leading distributor, with eight assists. It was the highest mark for a Lobo this year and one short of his career high.
The first half was a tough one for the Lobos, who could not slow down the home team midway through the period. With the Trojans leading, 14-12, USC ripped off a run of 11-for-12 shooting that put the Lobos in a hole. The run included a stretch of 8-for-8 shooting and five 3-pointers. New Mexico slowed them down at the end of the period, holding the Trojans to 1-for-5 shooting, but could not keep pace offensively. The Lobos trailed at the break, 48-31.
The Lobos shot 13-for-34 in the half, but found their stride late to stop the bleeding. Williams led at halftime, with 12 points on 6-for-8 shooting.
The Lobos fell back by as much as 21 points at 54-33 with 17:54 remaining. Over the rest of the game, New Mexico outscored the home team, 49-36, nearly closing out a huge comeback. A Tim Williams’ transition basket off a steal from Tim Jacobs brought the Lobos within single digits for the first time in the second half at 81-73 with 1:59 remaining.
After a missed USC 3-pointer, the Lobos barreled down the court and picked up a fast-break 3-pointer by Cullen Neal, bringing the Lobos within five points with 1:42 left. With momentum slipping away, USC maintained their lead by finishing the game 9-for-12 at the free throw line. On the other end, the Lobos finished the game shooting 2-for-8, despite four offensive rebounds within the final 1:33.
“I thought we played 10 really good minutes of basketball but we just didn’t shoot it very well,” said head coach Craig Neal. “They made some shots and I think Boatwright helped them get some scoring opportunities. Elijah Stewart hit some big shots early.”
Overall, the Lobos shot 38.8 percent (31-for-80) from the floor, while USC shot 50.9 percent (29-for-57). Despite shooting 0-for-7 from 3-point range in the first half, the Lobos finished the game at 40 percent overall, going 10-for-18 in the second period. The Lobos outrebounded USC, 47-39, thanks to 23 offensive rebounds.
In a homecoming game, Elijah Brown finished with 18 points, 16 in the second half, with five rebounds. Cullen Neal finished with 12 points and four assists. Xavier Adams chipped in five points and three rebounds.
The Lobos return home on Wednesday, Nov. 25 to host Nicholls State at 7 p.m. on ROOT SPORTS.
(11/22/2015) Men’s Basketball at USC
Lobos Comeback Effort Falls Just Shy in Loss at USC
