The Lobos snapped a three-game losing streak in their last
New Mexico (10-8, 3-3 MW) will hit the road to take on Boise State (11-5, 4-1 MW). The Broncos are in a tie for first place in the Mountain West with Nevada, but the Wolf Pack have a better overall record at 15-3 on the season.
Boise State had been undefeated in league
New Mexico got back in the win column by taking down Colorado State, 84-71, also on Saturday.
The teams have faced each other 11 times with the Lobos holding an 8-3 head-to-head advantage. UNM has a winning record in Bronco territory, where it is 3-2.
During the 2015-2016 season, the Lobos claimed wins in both matches against BSU. The first one was an 88-83 victory in Idaho in January, followed by an 80-78 triumph at WisePies Arena the following month.
But this season’s Broncos look much different. Prior to the Fresno State loss, Boise State was on a seven-game winning streak.
The team has been hot from beyond the arc lately, making at least 10 three-pointers in the last two games.
That could pose a problem for New Mexico. It is no secret that the Lobos have struggled mightily, both making and defending shots from the 3-point line.
In fact, the team is dead last in the conference, allowing opponents to shoot
The UNM offense has been there and appear to be generating enough scoring to win games. The team is second in free throw percentage, 74.8, and field goal percentage, 47.5.
Tim Williams and Elijah Brown both represent New Mexico in the top five of the conference in points per game. Williams is the conference No. 2 leading scorer with an average of 18.3, while Brown settled in three spots below with 17.5 per game.
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The game will feature another top scoring threat. Bronco junior guard Chandler Hutchison sits in fourth place, averaging 18.0 points per contest.
Boise State has two other players who have posted double-digit scoring averages. Paris Austin has put up 11. 4 points, while Nick Duncan has contributed 10.5 points per game.
The Broncos appear to be balanced on both sides of the ball, as they lead the conference in scoring differential at a +7.9. The team is also proficient at rebounding, averaged 3.8 more boards than its opponents.
The match is scheduled for 9 p.m. and will be televised on ESPNU.
Isabel Gonzalez is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. She mainly covers men’s soccer and basketball. She can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @cisabelg.
