Lobos Advance to MW Quarterfinals
BOX SCORE (PDF) | POST-GAME NOTES | UNM QUOTES | SJSU QUOTES
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team (19-13) used a 21-0 first-half run to overwhelm the San Josè State Spartans (7-24) on Wednesday in the first round of the 2020 Air Force Reserve Mountain West Men’s Basketball Championship. The Lobos claimed a 13-point victory, 79-66, over the Spartans to advance past the first round and into the quarterfinals for the second-straight season.
UNM is set to face No. 2 seed Utah State (23-8) for the second time in just six days on Thursday at 6 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. MT after topping the squad that is receiving votes in the national polls. The Lobos topped the Aggies 66-64 inside Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit on Saturday night. Last season, it was Utah State that took out the Lobos and ended their campaign with a 91-83 victory over UNM in the quarterfinals with a score of 91-83.
With Wednesday’s victory, UNM improves to 20-16 all-time in the Mountain West Tournament, becoming just the third school to reach 20 all-time tournament wins.
The Lobos were led by redshirt-junior Vance Jackson who registered his third double-double of the season with a game-high 26 points and 12 rebounds. Jackson went 9-for-16 from the floor while racking up his fourth 20-point game of the season.
Jackson was one of two Lobos to reach the 20-point mark, followed by junior Makuach Maluach in his 55th straight start, who racked up a season-high 22 points, shooting 8-for-11 from the floor while collecting seven boards. Senior Corey Manigault was the third Lobo to reach double figures, racking up 18 points on the day.
Jackson, Maluach and Manigault combined for 66 of UNM’s 79 points while the Lobos outshot SJSU 47.5 – 40.3 percent from the floor and 30.4 – 22.7 percent from 3-point range. The Lobos also went a perfect 14-for-14 from the free throw line, marking a new program-record free throw percentage in a conference tournament.
The Lobos went down by four in the first two minutes of the contest, 8-4, before embarking on a 21-0 run, holding SJSU scoreless over 8:53, to take a commanding 17-point lead, 25-8, with 9:26 left in the first half. UNM remained on top by double-figures, going into the halftime break up 16, 45-29.
Sixteen points marks the Lobos’ largest halftime lead of the season after UNM led by 11 points at the break twice previously.
San José State cut the deficit to nine two minutes into the second half, opening the frame on a 7-0 run, but the Lobos responded with an 11-2 run to get back out to an 18-point lead with 13:38 left. Jackson scored 14 straight Lobo points after SJSU’s opening run that followed five to end the first half for a total string of 19 straight Lobo points for Jackson.
The Lobos held onto the double-digit lead throughout the remainder of the contest for the 79-66 win.
New Mexico returns to action for the Mountain West Championship Quarterfinals on Thursday, March 5 at 6 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. MT.