The University of New Mexico Lobos men’s basketball team ended their first homestand of the season with a win over the University of California, Riverside Highlanders.
The Lobos capped off the opening homestand with a win, and move to 3-0 on the season. UNM won 82-68 after a second-half explosion.
The game began in a peculiar way, with UC Riverside forward BJ Kolly committing a foul and turning the opening tip-off into a Lobo inbound. This set the tone for how physical this game would be, as the Highlanders committed 10 fouls in the first half.
The Lobos took advantage of these early fouls as they would get into the double bonus and make seven of 10 free throws. The Highlanders would stay in the game with superior 3-point shooting though, as they were six of 12 from beyond the arc as opposed to the Lobos three of 12.
What this resulted in was a back-and-forth affair between these two unbeaten teams. For the first few minutes, it seemed as if the Lobos and Highlanders would go score for score all night long, but eventually the Lobos would go on a run, building a nine-point lead with a 13 to four run.
However, the Highlanders went on a run of their own in which they outscored the Lobos 15 to three, spearheaded by Highlanders star of the night, guard Andrew Henderson, who led all players with 27 points. He notably gave UCR their first lead of the night, coming up to the end of the first half.
The Lobos did not let the evaporation of their nine-point lead phase them. Lobo forward Antonio Chol ended their scoring drought with a three that tied the game. The Lobos wouldn’t stop there as they would continue to outscore the Highlanders leading to a halftime score of 36-32 Lobos.
The second half began as more of the same. The two teams went back and forth, with Henderson scoring the first nine points for the Highlanders. Meanwhile, the Lobos spread the scoring out as they kept pace.
With the game tied in the second half, the Lobos offense exploded. They went on a 14-0 run that was highlighted by a huge dunk from Chol, and a big three from guard Jake Hall. These plays had The Pit rocking, as the atmosphere was felt by both the players and coaches.
“When the crowd gets going you can feel it as an obvious advantage. It’s almost like a sixth defender out there,” Lobo Head Coach Eric Olen said.
At the beginning of the run, the star that shone the brightest for the Lobos on this night was guard Chris Howell, who led the Lobos in points with 15. During the game, it appeared that Howell injured his ankle. He was seen consulting with the trainers, but he got back in the game after sitting for a couple of minutes.
“I’m fine, it was just a quick little jolt of ankle sprain, I felt it initially, but then the adrenaline kicked in,” Howell said.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
The Lobos never took their foot off the gas in this game, and the Lobos rode that to their third straight win. It was a true team win, as there were six players in double figures. That’s more players in double figures than there were Lobo turnovers. They shot a very efficient 52% from the field and outscored UC Riverside 52-10 in the paint.
The game was also a major showcase of the Lobos depth. Starting point guard Deyton Albury and guard Uriah Tenette missed the game with injuries. In their absence, guard Tajavis Miller stepped up and delivered an efficient 13-point performance off the bench.
Eric Olen commented on the depth the Lobos showed off in the absence of two guards.
“We have a lot of guys who can handle the ball,” Olen said.
The Lobos look ahead to this Saturday as they will hit the road and face off against their rival, the New Mexico State University Aggies, on Saturday, Nov. 15.
“First rivalry game, I’m excited,” Miller said.
Marley Herndon is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @Dailylobo
