ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The New Mexico men’s basketball team completed a sweep of a season-opening three-game homestand with an 82-68 victory over UC Riverside on Tuesday night at The Pit. The Lobos (3-0) had six double-figure scorers as they downed the Highlanders (2-1).
Chris Howell led UNM with 15 points, tying his career high. Jake Hall and Antonio Chol also set career highs with 14 points each. Tajavis Miller added 13 points off the bench, while Luke Haupt and Tomislav Buljan each added 11 points. Buljan also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds to record his first career double-double.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The game was close early, with the Highlanders holding a 5-4 lead after the opening four minutes of play. A 10-2 Lobo run gave them an 18-10 lead with 10:30 remaining as they held a 21-12 lead at the halfway point. The Highlanders used a 13-1 run to retake the lead, 30-27, with 3:40 to play. The Lobos answered with a 9-0 run to lead 36-30 in the final minute before taking a 36-32 lead into the break. Chol led UNM with 10 first-half points.
In the second half, the Highlanders tied the game, 45-45, with 15:30 left and took a 50-49 lead with 12:40 left in the game. The Lobos retook the lead, 58-53, at the midway point of the half and continued the run to 14-0 to lead 67-53 with 6:30 to play. The lead grew to 71-56 with 4:40 left to play and 78-62 with 2:50 left. The Lobos would close out the 14-point win over the final minutes.
LOBO NOTES
• The Lobos had six players score in double figures for the first time since Jan. 16, 2024 vs. Utah State
• New Mexico shot 62.5% in the second half, their first half of shooting over 60% since shooting 62.5 in the second half at Utah State last season (Feb. 1, 2025)
• UNM had five turnovers, their fewest in a game since having four turnovers vs. San Diego State in the 2024 Mountain West Tournament final
• The Lobos were +42 in points in the paint (52-10), the largest margin for UNM against a Division I team since 2013-14 when specialty stats started being tracked (second highest overall: +48 (68-20) vs. LeTourneau in 2020-21)
• UC Riverside scored 32 first-half points, one shy of the total of the Lobos’ first two opponents (14 by East Texas A&M and 19 by UT Arlington)
• New Mexico extends its home win streak to 14 games, sixth longest active streak nationally
• Guards Deyton Albury and Uriah Tenette missed the game due to lower body injuries
QUOTABLE
“I thought we played really well, especially in the second half. We made some plays, got some stops and got out in transition. I thought the crowd really helped us in the second half. I thought it was a good experience for us to have UC Riverside play well and push us like that. This is a group that we are confident will continue to grow. Each time out, we are facing different challenges and finding different solutions on both sides of the ball. All of that will help us moving forward.” – Eric Olen
UP NEXT
The Lobos’ will open its road schedule Saturday with a trip to Las Cruces for this year’s edition of the Rio Grande Rivalry with New Mexico State. Game time is 7 p.m. and the game will air on ESPN+.