The Pit saw a sold-out stadium with 15,411 fans on Sunday, Feb. 16, as people came to see the University of New Mexico men’s basketball team in a Mountain West showdown against the Utah State University Aggies. Both teams put on a show and the game was closely fought throughout.
Guard Tru Washington had a huge impact on the game, making his presence known especially in the second half. Washington was one of the major factors that went into the Lobos leaving The Pit with a 82-79 win.
Both teams came out of the gate playing a very intense brand of basketball in the first half; it was clear that whoever made the fewest mistakes was going to win this game. There was a great display of defense from both squads early on, but that did not last as the half went on. Toward the end of the half, the Lobos were turning the ball over uncharacteristically, which led Utah State to take a 42-36 lead going into halftime.
Coming out of the halftime break, each team kept the same intensity they had started with. However, early in the second half, the Lobos found themselves down by 9 points, and they seemed flustered. During a dead ball play, Washington had everybody huddle up and displayed strong leadership skills, inspiring the team.
“When there’s dead balls, we all huddle,” Washington said. “I told everybody to buy in — one guy can’t do it, we have to do it together.”
After that moment, the whole demeanor of the team changed and they started to hold their own against the Aggies. This was where Washington started to go off as well, as it seemed as if he was everywhere on the court.
Washington’s presence was felt when he was on the court whether the ball was in or out of his hands. He finished the game with 25 points on 8-15 shooting with four assists and four steals with 19 of his points coming in the second half. Washington's efforts did not go unnoticed either.
“I’ve always really liked (Washington); his role is increasing,” Head Coach Richard Pitino said.
Washington wasn’t the only one who had himself a game, as guard Donovan Dent showed up once again, dropping 23 points. Even with the team back in full gear, the game was still closely contested and it seemed as if either team still had a chance to win.
Big-time players make big-time plays, and that is exactly what Washington did. He hit a clutch 3-pointer to give the Lobos a 4-point lead with nine seconds to go in the game. While Utah State did make a final push in the last nine seconds, it was all for naught as the Lobos put the game away.
With the win, the Lobos are red-hot sitting atop the Mountain West. They have moved their record to 22-4 on the season. The win also makes it the eighth in a row for the Lobos, and they will look for their ninth on Wednesday, Feb. 19 as they travel to Idaho to take on the Boise State Broncos.
Rodney Prunty is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @rprunty05
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