Four and a half minutes into Saturday’s matchup with Utah, it was evident that UNM center Drew Gordon would have an impressive performance.
Noticeably pumped up to face Utah’s two seven-foot giants (Jason Washburn and David Foster), Gordon started the game out-rebounding, out-hustling and even out-dunking everyone on the court.
Gordon finished with 17 points and 23 rebounds, his seventh double-double of the season, but the Lobos dropped the contest 62-60.
Gordon’s 23 rebounds are a NCAA season-high, a Mountain West Conference record and most by any player under head coach Steve Alford. But none of that mattered to Gordon, who took the blame for Saturday’s loss.
“It’s all good that I accomplished that, but in the end we lost,” he said. “That’s what hurts the most.”
It was a game that Gordon did almost everything in. He did it on the defensive, too. Gordon, a 6-foot-9-inch forward harassed the 7-foot-3-inch (Foster) and 7-foot (Washburn) centers. Both were held to a combined eight points and three boards.
Gordon was perfect from the free-throw line, had an assist and recorded two blocks and a steal against the Utes. His defensive rebounding led to fast-break opportunities for the Lobos.
Still, Gordon said he could’ve done more.
“As great as all that is, I really feel like I lost the game,” he said.
The Utes were held by the Lobos to 39 percent shooting, but were successful in the pick-and-roll offense, something Gordon struggled defending, especially on a key play at the end of the game.
“It’s what killed us; that’s why I missed a screen,” Gordon said. “That’s what they’d been doing well all game, so it ultimately hurt us a lot.”
Alford said he acknowledged Gordon’s play — both good and bad.
“Drew was really good on the backboard,” Alford said. “Pick-and-roll defense is something else. But the job he did on the backboard was really good.”
Gordon and the Lobos now have to rebound from this crushing loss and finish strong with four MWC games left in the regular season.
Gordon said the Lobos will have to discuss their strategy and game plan before the next game.
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“Something is not quite clicking between us players,” he said. “Something’s not there that we need to gather and bring together in these last four games before the tournament.”
