Mathis Scores 20, Lobos Fall to (RV) North Texas
BOX SCORE (PDF) | PHOTO GALLERY | POST-GAME NOTES | POST-GAME QUOTES
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team dropped a nine-point contest to (RV) North Texas on Tuesday night, 74-65, inside Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit. Senior Anthony Mathis led the Lobos in scoring for the fourth time this season with 20 points, also marking the fourth time this season he has scored 20 or more.
The Mean Green (11-1) is currently receiving votes in the Top 25 USA Today Poll and jumped out to an early lead over the Lobos (5-5), putting UNM at a nine-point disadvantage within the first six minutes. UNM made its first five points off of free throws, but failed to score from the floor until sophomore Makuach Maluach hit a three at the 12:53 mark to make it 12-8 UNT.
Mathis went 4-for-8 from the floor, 1-for-5 from three and went a perfect 11-for-11 from the foul line for a new career-high. Tuesday night marks his fourth game this season shooting perfect from the stripe.
Redshirt-sophomore Keith McGee finished second on the squad with 11 points including a 3-for-5 showing from behind the arc. At the half, he was 3-for-3 in just 12:11 on the court. He was one of three Lobos to score in double figures including redshirt-sophomore Vance Jackson who posted 10 on 4-for-6 from the floor and 2-for-4 from 3-point range.
Defensively, UNM was outrebounded 31-29, led by redshirt-junior Carlton Bragg with seven in his second game of the season. He was followed by junior Corey Manigault (6) and Jackson (5). Bragg also collected three steals on the night en route to UNM’s season-high nine.
“I thought for parts of the game we did really well. Unfortunately, offensively we couldn’t get going in the first half, and we couldn’t get any momentum behind us,” head coach Paul Weir said. “The turnovers really hurt us and gave them a lot of breakout opportunities … (With) a team of that caliber, it’s hard to overcome.”
After North Texas built the early lead, the Lobos surged back to close a nine-point deficit in just 1:13 in the middle of the first half. Mathis was fouled on a three and hit all three from the stripe to make it 17-11 before McGee hit a fast-break three to close it to three points, 17-14.
A Mathis steal led to yet another three from Jackson to tie it 17-17, capping the 9-0 run. North Texas responded with a 10-0 run over 2:51 however, reclaiming the lead 27-17 with 5:41 left in the half. UNM went on a 10-2 run to close it back to a two-point game, 29-27, before UNT took off for a six-point differential at the half, 35-29.
McGee with back-to-back threes in the second half. Lobos trail by just two. #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/h2zqGt3OsX
— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) December 19, 2018
UNM was held shooting at just 28.6 percent from the floor in the first frame but fired 41.7 percent from three and 92.3 percent from the free throw line. North Texas shot 46.7 from the floor in the first half but just 30.0 percent behind the arc and 57.1 percent from the stripe.
In the second half, the Lobo defense held UNT without a bucket for nearly three minutes before allowing the Mean Green to increase a five-point lead to 12 at the 15:37 mark (42-30). The Lobos would get no closer than four the rest of the way as North Texas posted its largest lead of 13 with 5:41 left on the clock.
While UNM posted its second-lowest point total on the season in the contest (65), North Texas’s defensive unit entered Tuesday’s game allowing just 58.7 points per game. UNM finished shooting 36.4 percent from the floor, 30.4 percent from three and 83.9 percent from the free throw line.
UNM was outscored in the paint 44-18 and in second-chance points 16-9. The Lobos forced 17 turnovers but committed 21.
New Mexico returns to action on Saturday night as it faces 2018 NCAA Tournament team Penn, continuing the competitive holiday home stand at Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit at 2 p.m.