On Saturday, Feb. 1, the Lobos took the top spot in the Mountain West standings. The game was fueled by a dominant second half against the Utah State Aggies in Logan, Utah, winning 82-63.
While neither team shot especially well in the first half, the Lobos were able to find the bottom of the basket with efficiency in the second half while the Aggies’ percentages steadily declined.
Despite struggling to make 3-pointers in the first half, making only 1-9, their outside shooting was what won the Lobos the game. They finished 7-22 and 6-13 in the second half from behind the arc.
The Aggies only made five 3-pointers on 31 attempts for a low of 7.7%.
While the Lobos saw impressive performances from Donovan Dent and Nelly Junior Joseph, their scoring came from several different sources. Five Lobos finished with double figures: Dent, Junior Joseph, Mustapha Amzil, Tru Washington and CJ Noland.
Amzil led the team in scoring 16 points and made two 3-pointers, despite battling an injury and being referred to as a “game-time decision” by Head Coach Richard Pitino before the game.
The Lobos finished the game without a single fast-break point. The Utah State zone defense was quick in transition while trying to create fast-break opportunities by jumping out in passing lanes.
The unique zone defense rattled the Lobos at the start, causing 15 total turnovers from the Lobos. But the Lobos were able to settle in and quickly started to pick it apart. When the 3-pointers were not falling, they could get inside either through a drive or getting the ball into a post-up opportunity for Junior Joseph.
In the second half, the drives turned into kicks out for easy shots.
“I feel like knocking down those open threes is going to be a big thing for me, and then just bringing the energy on the defensive end,” Lobo forward Jovan Milicevic said before the game.
The Aggies’ zone also led to rebounding opportunities for the Lobos. The Lobos finished with 48 rebounds and 16 second-chance points. Junior Joseph grabbed 13 of those boards, which gave him yet another double-double on the season.
While there were many chances for both teams at the free-throw line with 43 personal fouls being called, both teams were unable to take advantage of the free points. The Lobos shot an adequate 70.4%, while the Aggies shot only 43.5%.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
The Lobos return home to face the Colorado State Rams and hope to continue their reign at the top of the Mountain West on Wednesday, Feb. 5.
Jaden McKelvey-Francis is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
