Lobos Split with Broncos After Sunday Road Loss
BOISE, Idaho — Despite 19 points from redshirt-junior Vance Jackson and shooting 46.8 percent from the floor as a team, The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team fell by a final score of 74-61 at Boise State on Sunday afternoon in the Broncos’ Senior Night. The Lobos were as close as six points with 7:34 left to play.
With the loss, UNM falls to 17-12 on the season, 6-10 in Mountain West play, while Boise State improves to 19-10, 11-6 MW.
UNM was led by Jackson who collected a team-high seven rebounds in addition to his 19 points. He was one of two Lobos to score in double figures, going 5-for-9 from the floor, 3-for-5 from 3-point range and 6-for-9 from the free throw line. Redshirt-junior Keith McGee was the other Lobo to rack up double figures, registering 12 points on 5-for-8 from the field, 1-for-2 from behind the arc and 1-for-1 from the stripe.
Boise State was powered by senior RJ Williams who posted a career night on his senior night. Williams registered a double-double that included a career-tying 27 points and a career-high 17 rebounds.
The Lobos hung tough through the first half, staying close through the first nine minutes before Boise State went on a 6-0 run to take a seven-point lead, 17-10, with 11:47 on the clock. UNM executed the comeback to take a one-point lead on an 11-3 run that included a quick five points from Jackson on a jumper and a three to spark the run.
Redshirt-senior JaQuan Lyle collected three of his six points with a deep three from the sideline as the shot clock wound down to four and then hit a free throw to make it a one-point game, 20-19 Boise State.
Four seconds left on the shot clock and Lyle hits a DEEP THREE from the sideline to bring UNM within 2, 20-18. #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/qJHcNX7l2f
— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) February 23, 2020
Junior Makuach Maluach, in his 52nd straight start for UNM, put the Lobos ahead by one, 21-20, with a layup at the 7:10 mark.
It was the third media timeout of the first half at the 6:56 mark that broke the Lobo momentum and the Broncos came out of the brief break on a 10-0 run over just less than two minutes to put Boise State back up by nine, 30-21, with 4:15 left in the first.
The Broncos extended the lead to 11 by halftime, 37-26, closing the first half on a 17-5 run.
Out of the break, Boise State began to pile on the points, getting out to a 16-point lead with 16:09 left. The Lobos, down but not out, powered back on a 19-9 run over 8:35 capped by a pair of Jackson threes to close the gap to six points, 60-54, with 7:34 left.
Again the media timeout broke the Lobo stride and over the next four minutes, the Broncos had again reached a 16-point advantage en route to the 13-point victory.
Freshman Kurt Wegscheider earned his first career start and a career-high 20 minutes as one of several Lobos to get more playing time than usual. Classmate Emmanuel Kuac collected a career-high 18 minutes while a total of five Lobos saw 12 minutes or more off the bench.
On the night, the Lobos outshot the Broncos 46.8 – 44.3 percent from the floor including a narrow 1.0 percent advantage from behind the arc. The Broncos outrebounded UNM 35-27 including 13-5 on the offensive boards. The Lobos had just two more turnovers than the Broncos (18-16) but Boise State capitalized for 29 points compared to just 16 for UNM.
The Lobos are set to return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 26 when they travel to Air Force to finish off the regular-season road slate. Following Wednesday’s contest against the Falcons, the Lobos will host (RV) Utah State on Senior Night on Saturday, Feb. 29 in The Pit.