New Mexico men’s basketball put up one of the most efficient halves fans could ask for, and then maintained a double-digit lead most of the night in a 95-79 home win over Houston Baptist.
The Lobos shot a blistering 72 percent in the first half, making 18 of their 25 shots. They didn’t shoot particularly well from three-point range, but were a perfect 12-12 from the free throw line.
Head coach Craig Neal was not pleased with his team’s overall performance, however. He said the team played good defense in the first half, but lacked the same mentality and intensity when playing with a lead.
“It’s my responsibility; it’s on me,” Neal said. “And I’m going to correct it. Guys that don’t do what I ask them to defensively…they won’t play.”
The head coach said he thinks he has the team’s attention now. He said attention to detail is the key to success, not just on the basketball court, but in the classroom and in real life situations as well.
Senior forward Tim Williams exhibited that focus and set the tone for the Lobos by working hard on both ends of the floor. He connected on all six of his shots to score 14 first-half points, and snagged four defensive rebounds to help New Mexico to a 50-31 halftime lead.
“Tim Williams had an outstanding night — probably one of the best nights he’s had,” Neal said. “I thought he was terrific.”
Williams only missed one shot in the game, scoring a career-high 31 points in just 33 minutes. He also posted his second straight double-double with 11 rebounds and seemed to make his presence felt anytime the Huskies tried to make a run.
The forward said his coach and guards put the “bigs” in great position to score the ball all night long, and gave them a lot of credit.
Houston Baptist didn’t shoot well from beyond the arc in the first half, but it didn’t stop the team from continuing to heave them up. The Huskies went 3-15 in the first half from three-point land, despite several open looks.
But the persistence paid off for the Huskies as the team made 10-15 from deep in the second frame, on their way to a 48-point second half.
New Mexico struggled offensively after the break, at least in the early going. It took the Lobos nearly five minutes to score from the field, while Houston Baptist scored the first seven points of the half to slice into the lead, 50-38.
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Although the three-ball allowed Houston Baptist to stay within striking distance, it was never able to cut the deficit to single digits. New Mexico had an answer any time the Huskies threatened to apply too much pressure.
Five Huskies ended up in double figures with forward Colter Lasher putting on a shooting clinic in the second half. He had a team-high 19 points, making five treys in 12 attempts.
Neal said the Lobos also picked up some quality minutes from guards Jalen Harris and Xavier Adams. Both players were perfect from the floor and hit some timely shots and free throws when the team needed them to step up.
Harris had 13 points in the game, but also had three turnovers, while Adams contributed 11 points.
Elijah Brown did not have a good shooting night, going just 1-of-8 from the floor and missing all five of his three-point attempts. However, he made an impact just moments after checking into the game late.
With two minutes remaining, Houston Baptist created a turnover and had a chance to make the game the closest it’s been since early in the opening frame. But Brown stole the ball right back and drew a foul while driving to the hoop.
He went 4-4 from the charity stripe, with his final two free throws helping to stave off one off the Huskies’ last chance at a comeback bid.
Brown wasn’t the only one to struggle with perimeter shooting. Neal said the team’s two opponents thus far have played a lot of zone defense, exposing the Lobos’ inability to shoot over it, which he called disappointing.
“I thought we’d be a good perimeter shooting team, but we haven’t shown that yet,” the head coach said.
He said he thinks the team is just in a hurry, and hopes it is something they can correct before moving on to face New Mexico State.
The Aggies are 1-1 after dropping a 64-61 game to Colorado State and will play Samford Wednesday before facing the Lobos.
The next chapter of the Rio Grande Rivalry will take place at WisePies Arena on Friday at 7 p.m.
Robert Maler is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers football and men’s and women’s tennis. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @robert_maler.
