Lobos Eliminated in Quarterfinals by Utah State
BOX SCORE (PDF) | POST-GAME NOTES | UNM POST-GAME QUOTES | USU POST-GAME QUOTES
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team battled back from a 13-point first-half deficit on Thursday night, but ultimately fell to No. 2 seed (RV) Utah State by just five points in the final seconds of the 2020 Air Force Reserve MW Men’s Basketball Championship Quarterfinal. This marks the second straight season that the Aggies have knocked the Lobos out of the tournament in the quarterfinal round.
The Lobos (19-14) were led by redshirt-senior JaQuan Lyle who racked up 20 points for his eighth 20-point game of the season. Lyle scored 11 straight Lobo points during UNM’s first-half comeback run that included back-to-back threes forcing Utah State to call a timeout as the Lobos came within four points.
The Aggies (24-8) pulled out the narrow win after UNM topped them by two just six days ago inside Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit. The squad was led by senior Sam Merrill, the 2019 Air Force Reserve MW Men’s Basketball Championship MVP and 2019 Mountain West Player of the Year. Merrill collected 29 points on 10-of-15 shooting with 18 of his 29 points coming in the second half.
Merrill came in clutch over the final minutes with four free throws and a three during Utah State’s comeback to win.
The Aggies jumped out on top quickly in the first half, getting ahead by nine on a 9-0 run to make it an 11-2 game just three minutes into the contest. At the first media timeout of the first half, Utah State was shooting 85.5 percent (6-7) from the field compared to just 28.6 percent for UNM (2-7) while outrebounding the Lobos 5-1. Merrill had seven points.
After the timeout, Utah State built the lead up to 13 and held it until the 10:24 mark, 22-9, when the Lobos began to chip away. UNM went on a 13-4 run that included 11 points from Lyle on a trio of threes and a layup to go along with a pair of free throws from senior Corey Manigault to make it a four point game, 26-22, Utah State at the 7:46 mark. Manigault added 18 points on the night for his third straight game scoring 15 or more.
That’s 11 straight points for Lyle including a trio of THREES! Lobos trail by just four, 31-27 with 3:22 left in the first half. #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/v06323UttU
— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) March 6, 2020
With the Aggies still leading by four, 31-27, and 3:58 on the clock, redshirt-junior Vance Jackson hit a layup followed by a pair of Manigault free throws to tie the game at 31-31.
The teams went into the half tied 33-33.
Utah State stretched the lead in the second half back to six but the Lobos went on a 7-0 run capped by a fast-break layup from Jackson after a steal by redshirt-junior Zane Martin to take their first lead of the game, 43-42 with 14:05 left to play.
This STEAL and a basket from Jackson gives the Lobos their first lead of the game! #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/A5c6kGRRMc
— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) March 6, 2020
The Lobos proceeded to extend the lead to 11 after a 14-3 run followed over the next 4:17 to make it 57-46 Lobos, but the Aggies tied it back up with 3:50 left, outscoring UNM 17-6 over the next 5:48, 63-63.
The squads battled but the Lobos could not keep the advantage as, with the score tied again at 70-70, Utah State’s Diogo Brito hit a three with 1:08 left to make it 73-70 in favor of the Aggies. Coach Weir called a timeout with 47 seconds left, but Utah State’s Justin Bean, who posted a double-double on the night with 10 points and 15 rebounds, made a layup with 19 seconds left to put the game out of reach.
On the night, Utah State fired at a clip of 50.9 percent from the floor (27-53) compared to just 35.3 percent for the Lobos (22-62) while the Aggies outrebounded UNM 43-33. The Lobos forced 17 turnovers and capitalized on them for 17 points while USU earned just eight points off of seven Lobo turnovers.
The Lobos are officially eliminated from the 2020 Mountain West Championships but will await final postseason tournament selections to determine if the 2019-20 season is officially complete.