Lobos Snap Streak with 30-Point Win Over Wyoming
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team snapped a three-game slide on Saturday afternoon at home with a dominant, 30-point victory over conference foe Wyoming, 83-53. Six Lobos racked up double digits, led by redshirt-junior Carlton Bragg who tied his career-high 16 points, while redshirt-sophomore Vance Jackson posted his fourth double-double of the season, his second in three games.
With the victory, UNM improves to 9-9 overall, 3-3 in Mountain West play, while Wyoming falls to 4-14, 0-5 in the league.
The Lobo offense continued to shine Saturday afternoon, firing at a clip of 48.3 percent from the field. UNM has shot over 40 percent from the field in each of its six conference games this season, but defense has been the inconsistent factor. On Saturday, the Lobos held the Cowboys to just 35.2 percent from the field and outrebounded by an outstanding 17-rebound margin, 43-26.
The Lobos are now 6-0 when outrebounding their opponent.
“I think tonight we defended, and that’s been a tough go for us this year,” head coach Paul Weir said. “We had over 40 deflections, which is something that is important to me, and that was indicative of our energy tonight.”
Bragg’s 16 points led the Lobo squad as he also collected five rebounds, two steals and a trio of blocks. All five of the Lobo starters scored in double figures: Jackson (13), senior Anthony Mathis (12), sophomore Makuach Maluach (11) and senior Dane Kuiper (10). Redshirt-sophomore Keith McGee also netted a season-best 14 points and finished 5-for-7 from the field, 3-for-4 from behind the arc.
McGee makes it happen from deep off the assist from Kuiper. Lobos up by 20 with 15:51 left to play. #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/aO7NHbylOv
— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) January 20, 2019
Jackson posted 13 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, Kuiper added four assists and tied his career-high four steals while Mathis also racked up four assists a career-high eight rebounds.
New Mexico started out fast and never let up. Kuiper put the Lobos on the board with a jumper outside the paint just 22 seconds into the contest on the Lobos’ first possession. It was followed by a Wyoming jumper for the only tie of the game, 2-2, before UNM went on a 6-0 run over 51 seconds on a pair of threes from Mathis and Jackson, 8-2 UNM.
The Lobos converted the 6-0 run into a 12-2 run that put UNM up by 10, 14-2, just over six minutes into the game. After some back-and-forth, Wyoming cut the Lobo lead to eight with 10:22 left in the first half, but UNM unleashed a 14-0 run to get out to a 22-point advantage, 38-16, holding the Cowboys scoreless for 4:07 with 5:45 left in the first frame.
The teams went into halftime with the Lobos up by 17, 42-25. UNM shot 50 percent from the field in the first half (14-28) while holding the Cowboys to 35.7 percent (10-28).
Wyoming came out of the break with a layup to cut the Lobo lead to 15, but that was as close as the Cowboys would get as UNM ran away with the 30-point win. The Lobos’ largest lead of the game, 33 points, came with 1:08 left as freshman Tavian Percy made a pair of free throws.
All dressed Lobo players saw action in the contest, including walk-on and redshirt-freshman Clay Patterson who scored his first career points on a pair of free throws.
Patterson with his first career points as a Lobo. #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/SdfU8x3wxf
— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) January 20, 2019
On the night, the Lobos outscored Wyoming 32-22 in the paint, 29-8 on the fastbreak and 21-11 from the bench.
UNM is set to return to action as it once again hits the road to take on UNLV in Las Vegas on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.