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It’s difficult to call the fourth game of the season a “must-win situation,” but the UNM men’s basketball team made an early statement against a nationally ranked foe late Monday night.
Junior guard Kendall Williams scored 15 points during the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam championship game, leading the Lobos to a 66-60 victory over No. 21 Connecticut of the Big East Conference. He had 52 points and 11 assists during the tournament’s three games, earning MVP honors in the process.
“I just wanted to carry some leadership with this team. I’m glad it was noticed,” Williams said. “I was able to distribute a little bit really with the turnovers down. An MVP is a personal award that reflects the team.”
UNM has won 12 of its last 13 regular-season contests against teams in the six power conferences — Big East, ACC, Big 10, Big 12, SEC and Pac-12. The Big East is considered one of the best basketball conferences in the nation. The Lobos handed UConn its first loss of the young season.
Steve Alford reached victory No. 130 as UNM’s head coach, becoming the school’s all-time wins leader during his first six years of tenure. He has 438 wins in 22 years as a head coach, and he has a 13-6 record against ranked teams while with the Lobos.
“We told the team today during walkthroughs that our program has done a lot in a very short time,” Alford said on Monday. “One hundred thirty wins to date — we’ve won a lot of games.”
The Lobos (4-0) overcame early struggles and a poor shooting percentage en route to the title. They finished the game with a season-low 39.6 percent from the field, hitting just 19 of 48 shots.
UNM missed its first nine field goal attempts, a skid snapped by guard Jamal Fenton at the 13:11 mark with four points. The senior role player saw his first action of the season in the tournament finale after serving a three-game suspension for an NCAA impermissible benefits violation.
After the sluggish start, UNM held a 30-27 lead at halftime and led by as many as 10 points in the second half. After UNM’s holding a 53-44 lead, UConn (4-1) scored 11 straight points to regain the lead at 55-53. A 3-pointer by sophomore guard Hugh Greenwood kick-started a 9-0 run and gave the Lobos a lead they did not relinquish.
Much like the season opener against Davidson, free-throw shooting came through when needed. UNM did not miss a foul shot against UConn, sinking all 21 attempts. Through four games, the Lobos are shooting 84.6 percent from the line.
Of Williams’ 15 points, 13 came in the second half after missing his first five attempts. Junior guard Tony Snell joined Williams on the all-tournament team after he scored 11 points in the final.
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Greenwood scored a season-high 12 points with seven rebounds, while sophomore center Alex Kirk netted 10 points.
The Lobo bench came up big with 18 points, shooting 5 of 9 from the floor. The bench also pulled down 10 rebounds, provided three assists and made two steals.
“That’s what we hang our hats on: We’re deep. We play together,” Greenwood said. “When one guy is having a rough night, we can count on the other guys to keep that fire up. Everyone contributes.”
UConn had three players reach double figures, led by junior guard Shabazz Napier’s 23 points. Sophomore guard Ryan Boatright added 12 points, and freshman guard Omar Calhoun netted 10 points.
From the field, the Huskies made 23 of 54 (42.6 percent).
UNM reached the tournament championship game with earlier wins over Illinois-Chicago and George Mason. UConn defeated Wake Forest and Quinnipiac in earlier rounds.
The Lobos return to The Pit this week for a four-game home stand, beginning Friday against Idaho. Action resumes Sunday against Portland and Tuesday against Mercer.
“I’m really happy for us. It’s a great start to the year to get a tournament under our belt,” Williams said. “Now we get to go home for a couple games at The Pit.”
Men’s basketball vs. Idaho
8:30 p.m.
Friday
vs. Portland
6 p.m.
Sunday
The Pit
