Head coach Paul Weir last week spoke about how Anthony Mathis and Dane Kuiper are the “rocks” of this season’s team, which includes a plethora of new additions to the roster.
Last night, Mathis went for 14 points and had a clutch three down the stretch.
In a little over 20 minutes on the floor, Kuiper had yet to score. Then, in the last two minutes, he hit a three of his own — which Weir acknowledged was a game changer — and then scored a layup, ultimately elevating the Lobos to a 90-83 win over Iona.
However, Weir admitted last night after the Lobos’ win that it wasn’t necessarily many players contributed to last night's victory.
Instead, it was Corey Manigault and Vance Jackson — two new players to wear the cherry and silver — who led the Lobos on Tuesday night.
“We won because of those two at the end of the day,” Weir said of Manigault and Jackson.
Manigault led UNM with a game-high 20 points and was a key part of game-altering plays, showing his will to win on more than one occasion throughout the night.
Jackson was the early leader for the Lobos, hitting back-to-back threes in the first half to give the Lobos the swag and charisma they needed to carry on throughout the game. He finished with 18 points.
On one play, with the two teams tied at 54 points, Manigault scored a layup on a pass from Jackson -- and was then fouled in the process. He made his free throw, and it gave UNM a 57-54 lead at the time.
It was one of eight fouls that the 6-foot-9 Manigault drew in the game. He was 8-of-11 from the free throw line.
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“We have size advantages,” Weir said. “And we’re trying to get the ball (inside) consistently.”
Later in the second half, with the Lobos down four, Manigault nailed two free throws. On Iona’s ensuing possession, Manigault got a steal and dished it out to Keith McGee, who was fouled on the way up for a shot. The made free throws brought UNM within a point.
To top it off, following the McGee free throws, Manigault stole the ball again and broke away for a wide open dunk. It gave UNM a 73-72 lead and it had the fans in the Pit on their feet screaming in excitement and joy.
“It felt crazy,” Manigault said of the moment. “I love how the fans give me energy — and that is what kept me going.”
Jackson, who hails from UConn, was always expected to be the guy who got things done. As a freshman, he started in 21 games for the Huskies, averaging eight points in 26 minutes per game.
In his first game for UNM at Cal State Northridge, Jackson had seven points and eight rebounds. He also had five turnovers, which was more glaring than any other productive thing he did that night.
On Tuesday evening, Jackson committed three of the Lobos’ 20 turnovers — a decrease from the first regular season game he played in.
At the start of the game, it looked as if it might be another long night for Jackson after he missed a pass down low. It was miscommunication, which is expected of any new team trying to mesh together in the early parts of the season. But those two back-to-back threes to give UNM an early advantage surely made up for it.
Manigault and Jackson’s hand prints were all over the UNM offense. On defense, they did their part too.
Manigault had 10 rebounds and Jackson had 12, giving both players a double-double in the end.
Jackson, when asked what the difference was at the end of the game when the Lobos pulled away, credited practicing hard and conditioning as key components.
“We knew the other team was winded,” Jackson said with a grin on his face. “We are built for this.”
Matthew Narvaiz is a sports beat reporter and senior writer for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers football, however, he also contributes content to other sports. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @matt_narvaiz.
