Donovan Dent Named Mountain West Player of the Week

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – New Mexico’s Donovan Dent was named Mountain West Player of the Week, the conference announced Monday. Dent was honored after leading the Lobos to a victory over VCU last week to conclude non-conference play.

Dent’s honor is the second Mountain West Player of the Week accolade of his career, having also received the award once last season. It is the second player of the week recognition for the Lobos this season, as Nelly Junior Joseph took the honor during the first week of the season.

In the Lobos’ lone game of the week, a 78-71 home victory over preseason Atlantic 10 favorite VCU, Dent lifted UNM to its second win of the season over an opponent ranked in the top 50 by KenPom. Dent scored a career-high 40 points, the most by a Mountain West player in three seasons, going 14-26 from the floor, 2-4 from behind the arc, and 10-11 from the line. He also had five rebounds and four assists in the win. He had 25 of his 40 points in the second half as New Mexico held off the Rams in the non-conference finale.

New Mexico (9-3, 1-0 MW) returns to Mountain West play with a pair of road games to close out December, visiting Colorado State on Dec. 28 and Fresno State on Dec. 31. The Lobos return home on Jan. 3 to host Nevada in the 1,000th game in The Pit.