Lobos Suffer 4th Loss of the Season on CSU Threes
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — In a record-breaking night for the Colorado State Rams (12-7, 3-3 MW), The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team (15-4, 4-2 MW) fell by a score of 105-72 on the road on Wednesday night, breaking the Lobos’ two-win streak in just their fourth loss of the season. UNM is now 10-2 over its last 12 games.
Colorado State broke a program record with 19 3-pointers on the night going an outstanding 67.9 percent from the field (19-28). The Rams were led by six scorers in double figures including freshman Isaiah Stevens who went 5-for-6 from 3-point range and 7-for-10 from the floor to total 19 points.
New Mexico was led by redshirt-junior Zane Martin who fired off 17 points going 7-for-11 from the floor including 2-for-3 from behind the arc and 1-for-2 from the stripe. Martin finished just two points shy of his 1,000th career point after totaling 815 at Towson. Martin has scored 183 points so far as a Lobo putting him at 998 career points heading into Saturday’s game at UNLV.
Wednesday’s 33-point loss marked UNM’s largest defeat margin of the season after falling by 25 points to now-No. 4 Auburn. That week, the Lobos began receiving votes for the first time and suffered their largest loss of the season. Wednesday’s outcome is similar as UNM received votes again for the first time since on the week before falling. The Lobos have however, shown a resiliency after losses, bouncing back after each loss of the season. UNM is 3-0 in 2019-20 after a loss.
Nineteen threes marks the most allowed by the Lobos this season after Boise State netted 14 on Dec. 4. The Lobo record for most threes made by an opponent is 20, which occurred just once in 2004.
Colorado State got out to a quick nine-point lead just three minutes into the contest, going a perfect 4-for-4 from behind the arc in the span. The Rams increased the lead to 12, 19-7, at the 15:10 mark with another three and kept piling on the points.
It was just midway through the first half that the game was out of hand with CSU leading by 20, 37-17.
At halftime, Colorado State was leading by 23, 56-33, with the largest lead a team has had at the break over UNM this season. The Rams were outshooting 56.8 percent from the floor compared to 45.5 percent for the Lobos and 68.8 percent from three (11-16) compared to 23.1 percent (3-13) for UNM.
The Lobos, who entered the game leading the nation in both free throws made and free throws attempted, did not have a single attempt in the first half while CSU had just three attempts as the teams combined for just nine called fouls in the first frame. On the night, both teams combined for just 22 free throw attempts on 28 total fouls.
UNM attempted a second-half comeback but with Colorado State rarely missing, the Lobos got no closer than 20 the rest of the way.
The end of the contest marked a great opportunity for the Lobo bench to work on development as redshirt-senior JaQuan Lyle exited the game with 11:46 left to play. Redshirt-junior Vance Jackson also departed early, leaving the game with 5:43 left in the first half with an injury while senior Corey Manigault saw limited minutes due to early foul trouble.
Standouts from the bench included freshman Emmanuel Kuac who pleasantly surprised fans with a 3-for-4 performance from the floor in his 11:46 on the court. He made the most of his time, exhibiting contagious energy and going a perfect 2-for-2 from 3-point range while collecting three rebounds and a steal. He registered his first career points on the night, totaling eight.
The Lobos will get not quite three days of rest before taking on UNLV in Las Vegas on Saturday at 4 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.