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Lobos Make it Three in a Row; Top GB 93-78

BOX SCORE (PDF) | PHOTO GALLERY | POST GAME NOTES

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — For the third-straight game, The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team outscored its opponent by double figures while racking up at least 90 points on Wednesday night with a 93-78 victory over the visiting Green Bay Phoenix. Redshirt-senior JaQuan Lyle led the Lobos with a career-high 31 points while fellow redshirt-senior Carlton Bragg Jr. posted his first double-double of the season en route to the victory.

The Lobos (3-0) closed the game in style Wednesday night when, despite head coach Paul Weir shouting to his team not to shoot the ball, the crowd was so loud that the squad couldn’t hear the instruction. With 21 seconds left on the clock, the Lobos up by 15 and energy filling The Pit, senior Corey Manigault grabbed a defensive rebound and lobbed the ball to redshirt-junior JJ Caldwell, who drove to the other end and tossed the ball up behind him, where junior Makuach Maluach was waiting. 

Maluach leapt from the ground for the dunk that put New Mexico up 17 (93-76) and the Lobo fans roared.

Green Bay (1-2) responded with a fast-break layup with 11 seconds left for the 15-point final. 

Lyle’s 31 points surpassed his previous career-high of 29, which he achieved as a freshman at Ohio State. The senior went 9-for-16 from the floor including 5-for-9 from behind the arc and a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line. 

Maluach posted 16 points for the second time this season while shooting almost perfect from everywhere on the court. He made all but one (6-7) field goal attempt while going a perfect 2-for-2 from 3-point range and 2-for-2 from the line. 

Bragg’s double-double of 11 points and 16 rebounds marks his first since the end of last season. His career high in rebounds is 20, which he collected on March 9 against Wyoming. Bragg has posted 10+ rebounds nine times in his career at UNM but Wednesday marked his first time this season.

As a team, UNM outrebounded the Phoenix 47-38 while forcing 16 turnovers and racking up 10 steals. 

The Lobos led by an early five points at the 17:47 mark on a Maluach three before Green Bay flipped the script to go up by four when junior PJ Pipes made a fast break layup to put the Pheonix up four. Pipes helped lead Green Bay tying for a team-high 17 points.

Neither team had a significant advantage until the Lobos embarked on an 8-0 run to take a one-point game to a nine-point game (32-23) with 7:31 left to play in the first half. At the 2:58 mark, McNeese had whittled the Lobo lead back down to one, but another 7-0 run capped by a three from sophomore Tavian Percy made it an eight point game with 1:06 left. The Phoenix scored a last-second layup to make it a six-point game at the half, 49-43.

Despite giving up 43 points in the first half, the Lobos allowed just 35 points in the second half to outscore Green Bay by nine in the frame, 44-35.

The Lobos jumped out with five straight points to kick off the second half including a Maluach layup and a Lyle three to give UNM an 11-point lead. The Phoenix cut it to four at the 15:07 mark but the Lobos soon began to run away with the game.

The second half was highlighted by a 9-0 run, the longest of the game, that put UNM up by 18 points with just 4:30 left. McNeese State got no closer than 13 throughout the remainder of the contest.

Wednesday night’s contest was the next-to-last opportunity for fans to see the Lobos before they embark on a long road trip for four road games, not returning to The Pit until Dec. 1. Saturday’s 4 p.m. contest against McNeese State will be the last opportunity – not to mention Lobo fans’ first chance to purchase NM State single-game tickets.