The University of New Mexico men's basketball season came to an end on Sunday, March 23 after a loss against Michigan State. The Lobos squared off against the Spartans in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Things looked good at first for the Lobos, but as the game went on, things slowly declined. When all was said and done, the Lobos were sent home after falling to the Spartans 71-63.
Unlike in the previous game against Marquette University, the Lobos came out of the gate swinging in the first half. The Lobos found all sorts of ways to get a bucket as the team played a fast-paced style and created momentum in their own favor. Forward Mustapha Amzil was a high point for the Lobos’ offense — he could not be stopped. Amzil scored 12 points shooting perfect, going 5-5 from the field, with two of those shots being 3-pointers.
The one weak spot for the Lobos was their transition defense as Michigan State was able to get easy baskets from the fast break. The amount of transition buckets from Michigan State piled up, which ended up taking away any momentum from the Lobos.
The Lobos had a cold spell offensively to end the half. Despite that, they held on to a 31-29 lead going into break.
Entering the second half, the Lobos still seemed off offensively. Michigan State took advantage of that, continuing to ride their wave of momentum. The Lobos also started finding themselves in foul trouble, especially during this half. The Spartans shot 28 free throws throughout the game and made 19 of them.
Eventually, the Lobos shook off their cold spell and got right back in the game midway through the second half. As time started to wind down, however, it felt like the Spartans had full control of the game.
With the fouls piling up along with underwhelming play down the stretch, things did not look good for the Lobos. By the end of the game, the Spartans had simply done more than the Lobos.
There are a lot of reasons why the Lobos lost this game. Some people may say it was due to the officiating and the team getting into foul trouble, while others may bring up how the team did not play the best down the stretch. Either way, it is undeniable that the Lobos had chances to win the game.
With the season over for UNM, all fans can do is sit and wait to see what happens during the offseason. It is surely going to be an interesting one for the Lobos.
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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