Lobos Suffer 71-63 Loss to Boise State
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The New Mexico men’s basketball team suffered a 71-63 loss to Boise State Saturday afternoon at The Pit. The Broncos (12-4, 3-0) held off the Lobos (7-10, 0-4) in the second half to win their ninth straight game.
Jaelen House had 21 points and seven assists to lead New Mexico. KJ Jenkins scored 15 points off the bench, while Jay Allen-Tovar and Jamal Mashburn, Jr. added 11 and 10 points, respectively. Sebastian Forsling had a career-high eight rebounds to lead UNM on the boards.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams got off to a slow start offensively, with the game tied 4-4 at the first media timeout. The game remained close with a 3-pointer from Allen-Tovar giving the Lobos a 14-13 lead just after the midpoint of the half. The Broncos used a late 12-0 run to take a 32-19 lead with 1:30 to play in the half before taking a 32-22 lead into the break. Allen-Tovar scored eight first-half points to lead the Lobos.
In the second half, teams again got off to a slow start, with the Broncos leading 34-25 at the first media timeout. A 7-0 Bronco run extended the lead to 44-29 with 12:10 to play as Boise State held a 48-34 lead at the midway point of the half. The Lobos would get within eight in the final minute before Boise State closed out the 71-63 victory.
LOBO NOTES
• Mashburn scored in double figures for the 16th time in 17 games this season
• House had his fifth 20-point game of the season
• House scored in double figures for the 10th time this season
• Jenkins scored in double figures for the eighth time this season
• Allen-Tovar scored in double figures for the third time this season
• Birima Seck scored his second career basket
• The Lobos made 10 3-pointers for the fourth time this season
• New Mexico’s 22 first-half points were a season-low for a half
• Head Coach Richard Pitino returned to the bench after missing the last two games due to COVID protocols
QUOTABLE
“It was pretty obvious why we came up on the losing end. They are bigger, they are stronger, they are older for sure, but we have to be scrappier, dirtier and meaner, especially when you are as undermanned as we are. Defensively, we did some good things, but that is a big, tough, strong team. We have to learn from it and get bigger, stronger and tougher.” – Head Coach Richard Pitino
UP NEXT
The Lobos will play a pair of road game next week. New Mexico visits Colorado State on Wednesday night (8:00 pm MT) and Wyoming on Saturday evening (5:30 pm MT). Both games will air on CBS Sports Network and the Lobo Radio Network.