Thanksgiving may have been on the mind for the rest of New Mexico, but on the eve of Turkey Day, the University of New Mexico Men’s basketball team had one more thing on its plate as the Lobos faced the Alabama State University Hornets. On Wednesday, Nov. 26, the Lobos overcame the odds and won a 93-87 victory, recovering from a 15-point deficit near the end of the first half.
UNM has faced Alabama State in two previous matchups in The Pit, with the Lobos beating the Hornets on both occasions. The last matchup between the two was in 1999 at the Lobo Invitational, with UNM beating Alabama State 68-47.
The start of the game could be characterized as a turkey coma, with the Lobos starting slower on the defensive front than usual. The Hornets were able to shoot 5-7 in the opening five minutes of the game, drilling three three-pointers. All this while UNM, which struggled to get its offense up to par with its defense, had two three-pointers blocked by Hornets forward Jerquarius Stanback and could barely get a shot to fall as The Pit’s baskets seemed to be working against the home team.
The Hornets were able to get their lead up to 20-11, but relief was able to come for the Lobos with guard Jake Hall sparking an 8-0 run, which gave the Lobos the momentum to get back in the game, down only by one.
But that doesn’t mean the game became a quick comeback for UNM as the Hornets proved to be a tough bug to swat away, taking advantage of the Lobos’ shooting woes. UNM would go stretches without even scoring, Alabama State, on the other hand, was shooting the lights out at 61% from the field and 64% from three.
UNM would improve shooting to 40% from the field in the first half of the game, but much of their problems came from beyond the arc, as the team went 4-12 from three. A good chunk of the Lobos’ points came from free throws, as the Lobos would cash in 12 points from the charity stripe. The Lobos also had a hard time holding onto the ball as the Hornets’ pesky defense forced eight turnovers, from five steals, creating 14 points off turnovers for the Hornets.
The Hornets would outscore and out-tough the Lobos in the first 20 minutes, leaving the score 51-38 Hornets at the halftime break.
The first five minutes after the break would prove to be a back-and-forth battle of trading shots with both the Lobos and Hornets struggling to get stops or any defensive momentum; n those five minutes alone, both teams scored 11 points apiece as Alabama State wouldn’t let the Lobos back in easily.
The Lobos would, however, receive some momentum from freshman Hall, who drilled a three and then took charge on the opposite end of the court to spark energy in a Pit that was feeling the sting of the Hornets.
Hall would lead the Lobos in a defense to offense push that ended up becoming a 17-5 run for the Lobos, tying the game 75-75 with under nine minutes to go. Lobo forward Antonio Chol would then hit the three-pointer heard around The Pit to secure the lead for the Lobos.
UNM didn’t hold on to the lead for long; Alabama State then went on an 8-0 run, forcing the Lobos to go on their own run to regain the lead, with Lobo guard Deyton Albury knocking down two free throws, which led to an 11-0 run. The Lobos would lead the rest of the way, mounting a 15-point comeback against the Hornets. Hall helped jolt the Lobos back to life and tied a freshman record for three pointers with seven, while also being the team's leading scorer with 24 points.
UNM came into the game off of a 1-1 trip to Kansas City, where they played in the Hall of Fame Classic. The Lobos lost their first game in the tournament against Nebraska 84-72, and won the consolation portion of the bracket against Mississippi State 80-78.
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UNM’s freshmen have been key to the program’s success so far this season, as the Lobos are the only team in the country to have three freshmen averaging double figures. Hall is averaging 11.7 points per game, guard Uriah Tenette with 11 ppg, and forward Tomislav Buljan with 12.8 ppg.
The Lobos will be back in action at home on Monday, Dec. 1, against the New Mexico Highlands University Cowboys at 7:00 pm in The Pit.
Wyatt S. Padilla is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @wyattspadilla
