Box Score | Photo Gallery | Post-Game Notes
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Senior Joe Furstinger led The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team to its second straight victory, a resounding 87-78 final over Prairie View A&M, on Friday night in Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit. Furstinger registered a career-high 20 points and tallied his second straight career double-double on the night.
One game after setting a career-high 17 points against Rice, Furstinger broke it against the Panthers, shooting 50 percent from the field and adding perfect 12-12 from the free throw line while grabbing 10 rebounds. Twelve free throws ties for third in the Mountain West in a single game this season and also elevates his free throw percentage to 90.2% (37-41) good for first in the league as of stats through Dec. 21.
The Lobos (5-8) shot 46.7 percent from the field, including 36.7 percent from behind the arc. For the second straight game, UNM outrebounded its opponent. The Lobos posted a 39-29 edge on the boards, compiling 15 on offense, the second most in a game this season.
Senior Antino Jackson finished the night with 17 points while junior Dane Kuiper tallied 14 as the third Lobo to reach double figures on the night. Also helping to lead the Lobos was junior Jachai Simmons who posted six points and dished four assists, tying his season high.
Simmons put the Lobos on the board with a dunk in the first minute of play, followed by a Panther jumper and a three from Jackson to put New Mexico ahead 5-2 under two minutes into the game. The Lobos took a five-point lead, 11-6, on a pair of Furstinger free throws with 16:31 on the clock and Prairie View went on a 5-0 run to tie the score at 11, the first of five ties on the night. A Logwood layup put the Lobos back up by two,13-11, with 15:19 to play in the half.
The Panthers (2-11) tied the score again at 16 and took their first and only lead of the night,19-18, on a three with 13:35 remaining. The lead lasted just five seconds as Furstinger regained the lead for the Lobos, 24-21, with two free throws, a layup and a dunk within 55 seconds. Within his first seven minutes on the floor, Furstinger had registered 12 points.
Furstinger hit two more free throws to close scoring for the half with the Lobos leading by eight, 49-41, capping his outstanding 16-point first half that included 10-for-10 from the free throw line.
In the opening 30 seconds of the second half, the Lobos extended their lead to 10, 51-41, as Furstinger made yet another pair of free throws to set his new career-high (12).
Prairie View went on a 9-0 run to make it 51-50 before UNM responded with a 16-2 run over the next four minutes, making it 67-52 UNM. During the stretch, the Lobos nailed four 3-pointers off the hands of junior Troy Simons, Jackson and a pair from Kuiper.
Kuiper’s back-to-back threes gave UNM the 15-point lead, the Lobos’ largest of the night to that point, with 11:41 on the clock.
The Lobos allowed Prairie View within seven before another Kuiper three and layup put New Mexico up by its largest margin 20, 84-64, with 4:14 to go.
The Panthers chipped away over the final four minutes, narrowing the Lobo lead to nine at the final buzzer, 87-78.
UNM will finish its five-game home stand Wednesday, Dec. 27 at 7 p.m. with its Mountain West opener against Air Force in Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit.