As of late, things are looking up for the University of New Mexico men’s basketball team. Winners of four of their last five games, the Lobos now sit at third in the conference behind Nevada and Boise State.
The Lobos can add on to that trail of success, too, as senior guard Antino Jackson was named Mountain West Player of the Week on Monday.
The recognition comes after Jackson had a monstrous week for UNM — in which he scored 17 points, had five assists and four rebounds on the road at UNLV and had a career night against San Diego State at home on Saturday, as he scored a career-high 24 points, alongside six assists; he also went 6-for-10 from beyond the arc.
In the Lobos’ come-from-behind win against the Aztecs Saturday, he was key down the stretch, nailing a 3-pointer with under a minute to go, to tie the game up then, eventually, draining the game winning 3-pointer with 22 seconds left to give his team the 79-75 win.
Jackson, a graduate transfer from Akron and first-year UNM student, also didn’t turn the ball over against San Diego State.
“On offense, I’m trying to take advantage of the freedom coach (Paul) Weir has given me to make plays, be efficient and to be the best I can be,” Jackson said after his team’s win on Saturday.
So far this season, Jackson has averaged 10.4 points per game, 42.9 percent shooting and a smooth 41.6 percent from 3. He’s also tied for first in assists in the conference at 5.5 per game.
The Lobos return to action Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. against Colorado State at home. The game will be streamed live on ESPN3.
Matthew Narvaiz is a senior sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers men’s and women’s basketball and baseball. He can be contacted at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @matt_narvaiz.
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