ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The New Mexico men’s basketball team recorded its second win in as many games with a 74-56 victory over UT Arlington on Saturday afternoon at The Pit. The Lobos (2-0) have posted back-to-back double-digit wins to open the season, while handing the Mavericks (1-1) their first loss.
Tomislav Buljan led the Lobos with 17 points, 13 coming in the second half. Deyton Albury added 15 points for his first double-figure game of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The game remained close early, with the Mavericks holding a 7-6 lead after five minutes of action. UNM held UTA scoreless for over five minutes, taking a 10-7 lead at the midway point of the half. The Lobos used an 8-0 run to extend their lead to 18-8 with 6:50 left in the half before holding a 26-13 lead with 4:00 left. The Lobos took a 31-19 lead into the break, as Albury had 10 first-half points to lead UNM.
In the second half, the Lobos used an early 7-0 run to extend the lead to 44-25 with 15:00 left. An 8-0 Lobo run made the score 55-32 with 10:45 left before holding a 55-36 advantage at the midway point. The lead grew to 27 at 67-40 with 7:00 to play. The Mavericks used an 8-0 run to cut the margin to 67-48 with 4:40 left before the Lobos closed out the 18-point win.
LOBO NOTES
• New Mexico held UT Arlington to 19 first-half points, after allowing 14 first-half points to East Texas A&M in the opener, marking the first time since 2005-06 that UNM allowed less than 20 first-half points in consecutive games (18 by Dartmouth, 17 by UT Arlington on Dec. 28-29, 2005)
• The Lobos have allowed 110 points over the first two games of the season, the fewest they have allowed over the first two games of a year since 2011-12 (102, 40 vs. New Orleans, 62 vs. New Mexico State)
• UNM has opened the year with two 18-plus wins for the first time since 2019-20
• The Lobos have 25 steals this season, their most over the first two games of a year since 2017-18 (33 steals)
QUOTABLE
“I thought today was a good performance, especially defensively again. We got off to a good start and set the tone. Some of that defensive activity led to offense and that got us some separation. I certainly feel like we made some progress today.” – Eric Olen
UP NEXT
The Lobos’ three-game season-opening homestand will conclude on Tuesday when they host UC Riverside (2-0). Game time is 7 p.m. and the tickets are on sale now at GoLobos.com/tickets.
Lobos Down UT Arlington 74-56 for Second Win of the Season
