ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Despite outshooting its opponent on the night, The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team ultimately suffered a 71-55 loss on the road at Utah State on Wednesday night in a 9 p.m. league clash. Senior Anthony Mathis led the Lobos for the 11th time this season with his seventh 20-point game of 2018-19.
With the loss, UNM falls to 11-15 overall, 5-9 in Mountain West play, while Utah State improves to 21-6, 11-3 MW.
On the night, UNM outshot the Aggies 40.0 – 37.1 percent, marking the first time in conference play this season that the Lobos have lost when outshooting their opponent (5-1). UNM also fired more accurately from 3-point range, going 7-for-23 (30.4 percent) to USU’s 7-for-27 (25.9 percent).
Utah State was led by freshman Neemias Queta who scored a game-high 23 points and registered his eighth double-double of the season with a game-best 10 rebounds.
“I thought we started off the game defensively perfect, exactly how we wanted. We got the shots that we wanted … and I think it led to some good things offensively,” head coach Paul Weir said. “At the end of the day, the issue was our turnovers. We just gave them a lot of easy stuff in transition that we just couldn’t get because they took care of the ball.”
The Lobo defense limited the Aggies to just 35 points in the first half and 36 in the second, but turnovers continued to plague UNM as the Lobos committed eight in the first half before adding 10 in the second, seven within 6:04. UNM’s 55 points marks the least the Lobos have scored all season, following 58 at UNLV on Jan. 22.
UNM came out hot allowing USU to get out to a three-point advantage, 3-0, on a jumper and a free throw from Queta before powering back with a 14-2 run that included a trio of Mathis jumpers, a three from sophomore Makuach Maluach and redshirt-sophomore Vance Jackson, as well as a layup from junior Corey Manigault.
The spree put the Lobos on top by nine, 14-5 and UNM held the lead until the seven-minute mark when USU’s Brock Miller hit a three to get the Aggies back on top by one, 21-20.
UNM held the Aggies for a pair of possessions and forced a foul, sending Mathis to the line to tie it back up at the 5:28 mark, 21-21, and take the lead with the second, 22-21.
Twenty-five seconds later, Mathis hit another three to give the Lobos a four-point cushion, 25-21.
Two more ties ensued, once at the 2:47 mark and another with 24 seconds left when Manigault hit a free throw to make it 32-all.
Standout junior Sam Merrill hit a three with three seconds left on the clock to send the teams to the locker room with the Aggies leading by three, 35-32. The Lobos are now 1-7 in conference play when trailing at the half.
Utah State continued the momentum into the second half as the Aggies got ahead by seven at the 14:57 mark and never looked back. The Lobos would get as close as five but the Aggies continued to pile onto the lead, extending the advantage to double-digits with 9:01 left on a good three by sophomore Abel Porter, 52-41.
UNM cut a 13-point lead down to seven on an 8-2 run that included a Jackson layup, a three from redshirt-sophomore Keith McGee and another triple from Mathis, 56-49 with 4:30 left. A 6-0 run put Utah State back ahead by 13, however and the deficit remained in double figures from there en route to the 16-point final.
The Lobos have a bye week on Saturday and are set to return to action on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at San José State. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. MT on AT&T SportsNet.