Lobos Rally Late for 71-67 Victory Over Wyoming
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The New Mexico men’s basketball team delivered a second-half rally to down Wyoming 71-67 on Wednesday night at The Pit. The Lobos (21-4, 13-1 MW) erased a 10-point halftime deficit to record their second come-from-behind win of the season over the Cowboys (11-14, 4-10 MW).
Jovan Milicevic’s go-ahead three with 30 seconds left gave UNM the lead for good as the freshman had 10 points, including a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the arc. Donovan Dent had 20 points and seven assists to lead New Mexico, while Tru Washington added 15 points and CJ Noland scored 12 off the bench. Nelly Junior Joseph saw his five-game double-double streak snapped as he had 11 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Cowboys got off to a quick start, leading 9-2 after three minutes of play. Wyoming pushed its advantage to 16-7 with 12:00 left and led 18-12 at the midway point of the half. A 6-0 Cowboy run gave them a 24-13 lead with 8:00 left as they held their largest lead, 37-24, with 1:20 to play. The Lobos trimmed the margin to 10 at the break, 39-29, as Dent had 10 first-half points to lead UNM.
In the second half, the Lobos used a 10-0 run over the first two-and-a-half minutes to tie the game at 39-39. The Cowboys held a 51-48 lead with 11:45 left and took a 56-51 lead with 7:30 to play. UNM took its first lead, 59-58, on a Milicevic triple with 4:55 to play, but five straight by the Cowboys gave them a 63-59 lead with 3:50 to play. Four straight points by the Lobos tied the game, 63-63, with 2:00 to play. Wyoming took a 65-63 lead with 1:40 left before Joseph tied the game, 65-65, with a jumper with 1:25 left. After a defensive stop, Milicevic’s triple with 30 seconds left gave UNM a 68-65 lead. Joseph’s block on Wyoming’s next possession allowed Dent to be fouled off the rebound and make a pair at the line to seal the victory.
LOBO NOTES
• The Lobos are 13-1 in conference play for the first time since finishing 13-1 in the WAC in 1977-78
• UNM led only 1:07 during tonight’s win, combined with the 4:42 the Lobos led in the Jan. 7 win in Laramie, the Lobos swept the season series with the Cowboys by leading for only 5:59 of 80:00
• It is believed to be the first time in school history the Lobos have swept the season series vs. an opponent when trailing by double digits at the half in both games (UNM trailed 32-18 in the win at Wyoming)
• UNM had its 10th game with double-digit steals
• The Lobos’ seven-game win streak is their longest in Mountain West play since a seven game streak from the end of the 2018 season (last five) and start of the 2019 season (first two)
QUOTABLE
“We went into halftime and said, San Diego State last night was down 17 at the half and it was a tie game at the first media timeout. Let’s go make a run and we came out of the locker room and went on a 10-0 run. We kept trying to make a big shot to get the building going and couldn’t make one until Jovan with 30 seconds to go. A freshman in that moment: tie game, 30 seconds to go, to make that three, I am very proud of him. You could feel that pressure of let’s not lose a Quad 3 or Quad 4 game. It’s that time of year and you have to deal with that. It is great to be playing meaningful games, whether that’s for the league title or NCAA seeding, and we found a way to get the win in the end.” – Richard Pitino
UP NEXT
The Lobos will host Utah State on Sunday in a matchup of the Mountain West’s top two teams to conclude the homestand. Game time is 2:00 pm and the game will air on CBS Sports Network. The game is sold out, but tickets are on sale for UNM’s other two remaining home games against Air Force (Mar. 1) and UNLV (Mar. 7) at GoLobos.com/tickets.