FRESNO, Calif. — Following a tough, overtime loss against Fresno State on Thursday, The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team dropped the series finale with the Bulldogs on Saturday by a score of 65-55. The Lobos kept it close into the final minutes in the game that had five lead changes.
UNM falls to 5-11 (1-11 MW) while Fresno State improves to 7-6, 5-6 in conference play.
The Lobos were led by three players scoring in double figures including senior Makuach Maluach (11 points) and sophomores Jeremiah Francis III and Kurt Wegscheider who collected 10 points apiece. Saturday marks the second straight double-figure scoring game for Francis and Wegscheider’s first of his career.
The Lobos got out to an early six-point lead that included a Francis three, but Fresno State responded with a pair of early threes from sophomore Deon Stroud and junior Junior Ballard with in the first five minutes to erase the Lobo advantage and tie the game.
Fresno State eventually hit seven from behind the arc on the night, four of which came from Ballard.
New Mexico’s Francis went 2-for-4 in the first half from 3-point range to lead UNM with six points, along with Maluach and junior Rod Brown who also registered six points apiece. Fresno State’s Ballard went 3-for-5 from deep through the first 20 minutes to lead all players on the floor with nine points.
Through the first half, Maluach posted six points, four rebounds and three assists.
For the second straight game, the teams were tied at the half, this time with 28 points.
The Lobos scored four straight to open the second half on junior Valdir Manuel’s first points of the game before Fresno State went on a 6-0 run over 1:10, forcing UNM head coach Paul Weir to call a timeout to regroup.
Fresno State extended the run to eight on a pair of free throws out of the timeout to take a four-point lead, 36-32.
UNM scored four straight on a jumper by Francis and a layup from Wegscheider to tie it up for the final time 36-36.
The Bulldogs quickly responded with a five-point lead and they never trailed again.
Another Wegscheider three with 2:36 to go made it a one-possession game, 57-54, but the Bulldogs visited the foul line and went 8-for-8 over the last two minutes for the 10-point final.
Fresno State outshot UNM 46.5 – 35.4 percent while the Lobos outrebounded the Bulldogs 40-30 including 19-5 in offensive boards. Fresno State also made 18 free throws to just four for the Lobos.
New Mexico is set to return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 3 against San Diego State in Lubbock, Texas. The game will be televised on FS1 at 9 p.m. MT.