ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The New Mexico men’s basketball team opened the 2026-27 season with a 100-60 victory over Utah Tech on Monday night at The Pit – Powered by Nusenda. The Lobos (1-0) outscored the Trailblazers 62-27 in the second half to record their 24th straight season-opening victory.
Preseason Mountain West Player of the Year Jake Hall led the way for the Lobos with 30 points, his second career 30-point game, becoming just the eighth Lobo to ever score 30 in a season opener. Uriah Tenette added 19 points, one off his career high, while Tunde Vahlberg Fasasi and Hudson Mayes scored 17 points and 14 points, respectively, in their Lobo debuts.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lobos jumped out to a 7-0 lead over the game’s opening two minutes. Five straight by the Trailblazers cut the margin to 14-12 with 12:00 to play before UNM held a 21-17 lead at the midway point of the half. The Lobos led by as many as eight, at 26-18, before Utah Tech tied the game at 31-31 with 3:00 left. UNM scored the final five points of the half to take a 38-33 lead at the break. Jake Hall led the Lobos with 19 first-half points.
In the second half, the Lobos scored the first five points, making it a 10-0 run over the two halves, to lead 43-33 with 19:00 left. The lead would grow to 47-35 after two minutes of play and 57-40 with 14:30 left. A 13-0 Lobo run made it a 70-44 lead with 11:30 to play before holding a 72-46 lead at the midway point. The run continued to 23-2 as UNM led 80-46 with 8:10 to play. The Lobos used a late 8-0 run to push the final margin to 100-60.
LOBO NOTES
• The Lobos won their 24th straight season opener
• The 40-point margin of victory was UNM’s largest in a season opener since 2017-18 (a 147-76 win over Northern New Mexico) and the largest over a Division I opponent in a season opener since 2011-12 (a 92-40 win over New Orleans)
• UNM’s 62 second-half points were its most in a half against a Division I opponent since scoring 64 second-half points at Wyoming in a 119-114 victory in 2018
• Hall became the eighth Lobo to score 30 points in a season opener (first since Jaelen House vs. Florida Atlantic in 2021-22)
• Jake Hall’s 19 first-half points were the most by a Lobo before the half since Donovan Dent had 20 first-half points at Nevada (Mar. 4, 2025)
• Jake and Dax Hall became just the second pair of brothers to play in a game for New Mexico, joining Darrell and Andre McGee in 1989-90
• Six Lobos (Vahlberg Fasasi, Mayes, Federico Grani, Dax Hall, Benjamin Schuch and Fynn Lastring) all made their UNM debuts
QUOTABLE
“We were better in the second half than the first. I appreciate everyone who came out on a Monday night for the opener. We have some flashes of some things that make us a good team, but we have a lot of work still to do.” – Eric Olen
UP NEXT
The Lobos will continue their three-game season-opening homestand on Saturday by hosting Northern Arizona. Game time is 4 p.m. and the game will air on MW+ and the Lobo Radio Network. Tickets are available online at GoLobos.com/tickets.
Second Half Surge Lifts UNM to 100-60 Season-Opening Win
