Men's Basketball: After suffering first conference loss, UNM faces another tough road test

The Lobos have talked all season about the importance of defense and on Saturday against the Wolfpack, it will be even more important.

New Mexico (9-6, 2-1 Mountain West) is hosting Nevada, a team that is known for its strong offense. The Wolf Pack has averaged 77.8 points per game, propelling the team to a 13-3 overall record and 2-1 in the conference.

It is likely to be a tough challenge, but head coach Craig Neal said he thinks his players are capable of getting the win.

“My philosophy is that we match up good with everybody, if we play like we did San Diego State,” he said.

The Lobos pulled a 68-62 upset at San Diego State on the first day of 2017. But three days later, they took a 79-75 to Utah State, giving the Aggies their first conference win of the season.

Several factors led to this loss, but a big one was the three-point line.

“One of our struggles is that we can’t make threes, we don’t make a lot a game.” Neal said. “We are scoring 73 points a game making less than four threes a game. Our shooting hasn’t come around, not as good as I thought it would be. Hopefully, our guys will start making some shots.”

The problem wasn’t just that the Lobos couldn’t score threes, they also couldn’t defend them, allowing the Aggies to successfully make 10 shots from beyond the arc.

It wasn’t all on the Lobos, however. Utah State had an unusually good night, shooting 45.5 percent from the three-point line, where the team typically shoots around 35 percent.

The Lobos will have to pay attention to the details and close out better on Saturday. The Wolf Pack is a more prolific 3-point shooting team, making them at a rate of 39.0 percent.

But Nevada’s offense goes beyond the arc. The team showcases a very balanced scoring attack that can hurt opponents inside and out.

Marcus Marshall leads the MW with an average of 20.4 points per game. Three other members of the Wolf Pack average in double figures as well: Cameron Oliver with 15.1, Jordan Caroline with 12.7, and D.J. Fenner with 12.5.

New Mexico’s Tim Williams sits in third place in the conference with 18.6 points per game, but leads in field goals made with a 59.2 shooting percentage, which is also good for 27th in the nation.

Elijah Brown is the second highest scorer for UNM and only other Lobo to average in double figures, recording 16.7 points per game.

Neal said he is not pleased that his team only has two consistent scorers and that he is on the search for another one.

“We are averaging 73 points a game, we have two guys getting 45, I think. We've got find a third and fourth scorer,” he said. “They have to step up and make some plays and make some shots.”

The coach said he doesn’t expect every player to be a great shooter, but that he does want to see individuals creating plays and opportunities for the team.

The match is scheduled to start at 9:15 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Injury Report:

Xavier Adams had his season come to an end after suffering an ACL tear Wednesday night in the first half of the loss at Utah State. Neal said papers would be filed to petition the NCAA for a medical redshirt as a result of Adams’ injury.

Jordan Hunter turned his right ankle at San Diego State, which made him miss the Utah State game. He is expected to play this Saturday, but Neal said he is not sure how much time Hunter would be on the court.

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.