Maluach Hits 1,000; Lobos Break Program Rebound Record

HOUSTON, Texas — The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team outrebounded the LeTourneau YellowJackets 79-32 on Thursday, setting a new program record for rebounds in a game and improving to 3-0 on the season. UNM claimed a 90-58 final with senior Makuach Maluach and redshirt-freshman Bayron Matos leading the Lobos with double-doubles on the day.

The 79 rebounds breaks the UNM program-record 78 that was set against Cal State-Los Angeles on Dec. 15, 1962.

Maluach scored his 1,000th career point with the first bucket of the game at the 19:40 mark. He went on to register his fourth career double-double with 15 points and a team-high 12 rebounds. The double-double marks his second of the season, as well as his third straight double-figure scoring game.

Matos led the Lobos with 16 points and contributed 10 rebounds for his first career double-double. Junior Rod Brown helped pace UNM with 13 points and eight boards.

Another look at twitter less Makuach’s milestone! #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/BelRy6RlKR

— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) December 17, 2020

The Lobos won the tip and came out of the gate strong, holding LeTourneau scoreless over the first four minutes and jumping out to a 9-0 lead over the first 3:10. Despite several early Lobo turnovers, UNM pressed on and went up by 13, 34-21, with 2:34 left in the first half.

The Lobos closed the first half on a 6-0 run for a 40-21 score at halftime, the largest lead of the first half (19).

At the break, UNM was outrebounding 42-15 and outshooting 42.9-24.3 percent from the floor. Brown racked up 10 of his eventual 13 points to lead UNM through the first half.

The YellowJackets racked up eight team fouls in the first three and a half minutes of the second half, putting the Lobos in the bonus for 16:30. UNM shot 13 free throws in the second half, making eight, including 3-for-4 from Maluach who struggled from the line on Tuesday.

New Mexico went on its longest run of the game, 10-0, over 2:55 midway through the half that included eight points from Maluach to put UNM up by 23, 59-36. Maluach started the run with a pair of free throws followed by a jumper from sophomore Emmanuel Kuac before Maluach finished it with three straight buckets.

Maluach with the putback and it’s 59-36 here in Houston. His third straight basket! He now has 15 points leading three players in double figures. #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/4cgk4QTXRK

— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) December 17, 2020

UNM increased the lead to 30 at the 5:34 mark on a second-chance layup by sophomore Kurt Wegscheider and pushed it to a 33-point lead, 79-46, on a Padgett jumper. Padgett scored seven points on the day.

As the clock ticked down, redshirt-sophomore Daniel Headdings registered his first points as a Lobo at the 1:38 mark with a layup and an and-one. The Lobos finished outscoring the YellowJackets 9-5 over the final minutes including back-to-back threes from Padgett and freshman Isaiah Marin.

The Lobos will kick off conference play on Monday, Dec. 21 at Boise State at 7:30 p.m. on FS1. UNM will play game two against the Broncos on Dec. 23 on CBS Sports Network.

Postgame Notes

This was the first meeting between the two teams.

TEAM NOTES:

• The Lobos broke the UNM program records for rebounds in a single game with 79, the previous record was 78 against Cal State-Los Angeles on Dec. 15, 1962.
  • Of UNM’s 79 boards, 32 were offensive
• UNM scored 34 second-chance points compared to just seven for LETU
• UNM forced 14 turnovers while committing just six
• The Lobos went 2-for-12 from behind the arc with both threes coming from new Lobos, freshman Isaiah Marin and sophomore Logan Padgett.
  • LeTourneau was 11-for-44 from three
• UNM outshot the YellowJackets 45.8-27.8 percent from the floor
• The Lobos never trailed throughout the contest
• For the second straight game, 16 Lobos were featured in the contest

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

• Senior Makuach Maluach entered the 1,000 point club on Thursday evening scoring his 1,000th and 1,001st point on the first bucket of the game.
  • Maluach is now the 35th member of the UNM 1,000-Point Club
  • After his 15 points on Thursday, he is now at 1,014 career points.
  • Maluach now has 375 rebounds making him 125 away from 500 for his career
    • If he hits 500 boards, he will be just the 18th player in Lobo history to register 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.
  • Maluach’s double-double was the fourth of his career
• Redshirt-freshman Bayron Matos’ double-double was the first of his career
  • His 16 points and 10 rebounds also marked career highs
• Sophomore Logan Padgett netted his first points as a Lobo, one of UNM’s two threes
• Junior Rod Brown and senior Makuach Maluach both registered their third straight game scoring in double figures
• Redshirt-sophomore Daniel Headdings scored his first points as a Lobo in the final 1:38 with a layup and an and-one.