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Make it a Sweep! Lobos Top Aggies 69-62 in The Pit

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

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — For the first time since the 2015-16 season, The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team earned a sweep over in-state rival NM State, capping this season’s series with a 69-62 victory inside Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit on Saturday evening in front of over 14,000 fans. The win marked the fifth straight for the Lobos and UNM extended its home win streak to 7-0.

The Lobos (10-2) earned the first win over the Aggies this season on Nov. 21 in Las Cruces by a score of 78-77 before claiming the sweep on Saturday. With the loss, NM State is now 6-6 overall on the season while the Lobos continue their best start since 2012-13 when UNM went 12-0 to open its campaign.

Redshirt-senior Carlton Bragg Jr., on his birthday, racked up his fourth double-double of the season, his third in the Lobos’ last four games, with 17 points and 17 rebounds. He drew a game-high 10 fouls and went 9-for-10 from the stripe to go along with a 4-for-5 mark from the floor. Bragg also collected four steals, an assist and a block on the evening.

“[Bragg’s] offensive rebounding is at the professional level and it really changes the game for us,” head coach Paul Weir said. “His running of the floor has always been terrific and having JaQuan and the other guys find him in transition resulted in some really amazing finishes. He’s a great player who makes some very athletic, agile plays.”

It was Bragg and classmate JaQuan Lyle who led UNM as Lyle finished with 16 points for his 10th game of the season registering double figures. 

“It felt amazing to actually be a part of the win rather than sitting and watching like I did last year,” Bragg said. “This win was amazing and it was definitely one of the best games I’ve ever played in.”

While the Aggies outshot UNM 43.6 – 42.0 percent and outrebounded 35-33, UNM still persevered. The Aggies slowly built a six-point lead, 12-6, at the 13:35 mark before the Lobos tore away on a 10-1 run to take a three-point lead, 16-13, within four minutes. The run started with a Lyle jumper and a dunk by senior Corey Manigault before redshirt-junior Keith McGee put the Lobos on top with a layup under the basket, 14-13.

The Aggies pulled back ahead by one within 56 seconds, 17-16 before it was McGee again that put the Lobos back on top. NM State had the lead for just another 19 seconds before McGee drained a three to put the Lobos back on top, 19-17 – and the Lobo crowd went wild.
 


NM State’s Jabari Rice, who entered the game second on the Aggies in scoring with 13.0 points per game, hit a pair of threes and a layup intermixed with a few Lobo free throws to put NMSU back up by seven with just 2:10 left in the half, but UNM battled back again with five straight points over the stretch. Junior Makuach Maluach nailed a jumper before Lyle knocked down one a three to make it a two-point game at the break, 33-31 Aggies.

UNM has entered halftime trailing just three times this season, and has now won two of those contests.
 


In the second half, the Lobos heated up and took off as they extended their 5-0 run at the end of the first half to a 10-0 run on a three by redshirt-junior Vance Jackson, 36-33 Lobos.
 


UNM continued the run until it was eventually 17-4 over 6:32. The exciting Lobo run was capped by a pair of back-to-back massive Bragg dunks, forcing NM State head coach Chris Jans to call a timeout, Lobos leading by seven, 42-37.
 


The Aggies tied the game again with 12:46 left on an open three by senior Trevelin Queen, who was coached by current UNM director of operations Ralph Davis at NMMI prior to his arrival at NM State. Queen entered the game leading the Aggies in scoring with 14.9 points on the season and finished with a game-high 19 points on Saturday.

Queen hit another from 3-point range just 45 seconds later to give NM State its last lead of the matchup before the Lobos overtook them again on another McGee three with 10:16 left. UNM never again relinquished the lead and pushed it to as many as nine twice over the final 10 minutes. NM State called all of its timeouts and fouled through the end as UNM posted its last 10 points on free throws.
 


On the evening, UNM outshot the Aggies 82.1 – 40.0 percent from the free throw line, marking the highest percentage from the stripe this season. The Lobos led for 19:42, just edging NMSU’s 16:48.

New Mexico is set to continue its four-game home stand with a quick contest on Tuesday, Dec. 17 when the Lobos host Grand Canyon at 7 p.m. MT.

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