by David J. Chavez
Daily Lobo
So far this season, no opponent that has entered The Pit has been a problem for the UNM men's basketball team.
The Lobos beat Sacramento State 92-56 on Sunday for their third straight blowout at home. On Friday, UNM handled Abilene Christian 91-54 in the regular season opener.
The Lobos got off to a slow start Sunday, allowing Sacramento State to stay in the game for the first half.
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However, UNM took control and exploded offensively in the
second half.
Head coach Ritchie McKay said the Lobos get so wrapped up in using their shooters that the posts get neglected.
"This is a team that can score in bunches, and when we've got the perimeter weaponry that we have, we can't forget about AJ (Aaron Johnson) and Daniel (Faris), because those guys are capable scorers in the post," McKay said.
The Hornets grabbed an early 6-3 lead. Both teams battled back and forth with neither being ahead by more than four points in the first 12 minutes. UNM then went on a 7-0 run to end the half and take a 14-point lead at 47-33.
Guard J.R. Giddens led the Lobos with 11 first-half points and finished with a game-high 16 points, despite sitting out for the last 11 minutes of the game.
The Hornets' early press slowed the Lobos down at first, but in the end, it helped them get more fast-break points, junior Tony Danridge said.
"We need to be ready to execute from the beginning and get off to a good start," he said. "We need to stay aggressive and make more stops on defense. Making that extra pass always helps us out a lot offensively, so we need to continue to do that."
Sacramento State scored the first two points in the second half, but UNM prevented the Hornets from scoring another field goal for nearly six minutes while putting up 17 points during that stretch.
The Lobos never looked back, as Sacramento State didn't get within 23 points for the rest of the game.
Johnson got the Lobos and the crowd going early in the second half with a strong layup and a foul that sent him to the free-throw line.
Johnson said he's going to take more control offensively as the season goes on.
"It's kind of like a sweet dessert that you can't finish," he said. "Every game, you just take what the defense gives you, and I just needed to be more aggressive this game offensively, and that's what I did."
UNM scored 44 of its 92 points in the paint against the Hornets after shooting 39 3-pointers against Abilene Christian.
Three players scored in double figures for the Lobos on Sunday. Johnson put up 12 points and eight rebounds, and Danridge chipped in 12 points and two steals to go along with Giddens' double-figure performance.
The Hornets outrebounded the Lobos 36-33 but turned the ball over 16 times.
UNM shot 57.6 percent from the field, including a 9-for-21 performance from 3-point range. Roman Martinez, Jeffrey Henfield, Chad Toppert and Kellen Walter hit two 3-pointers each.
McKay said this year's team is well-rounded.
"I think as the season goes on, we'll take what the defense gives us," he said. "But I love having a versatile lineup - a team that can beat you in a variety of ways."
