After dropping their previous game in San Diego State, the University of New Mexico Lobos men’s basketball team returned home to face the California State University, Fresno Bulldogs and get back in the win column with an 83-74 victory in front of the fans.
The Lobos got on the board first when guard Jake Hall hit a three, and despite the Bulldogs eventually taking a one-point lead, this sparked an early 14-0 run that the Lobos never looked back from.
The Pit exploded when guard Luke Haupt dunked late in the first half, which felt like the exclamation on a first half that had the Lobos looking truly dominant.
In the first half, the Lobos forced 11 turnovers and held the Bulldogs to a shooting percentage under 30%.
Throughout the game, the Lobos were very good at forcing turnovers, ending the night with 22 takeaways, taking advantage of Fresno State missing their star guard Zaon Collins.
“We pride ourselves on disruption and it was very clear we were able to get that disruption,” Haupt said.
Offensively, the Lobos began the second half pretty sluggishly, starting the period zero for four, as the Bulldogs tried to creep back into the game, but key threes from forward Antonio Chol and guard Uriah Tennette helped reestablish some sense of rhythm and keep Fresno State at arm's length.
This began a 15-5 run which was topped off with Haupt’s layup off a fastbreak, giving the Lobos a 20-point lead — their biggest of the night — which once again got The Pit was rocking.
It was looking like this would be a blowout win for the Lobos;however, things would not be so simple. For every time the building exploded with excitement, it exploded with malice as the crowd became more and more restless when it came to this game's officiating.
In this game, the Lobos racked up 23 personal fouls with 16 in the second half. This gave the Bulldogs new life as they shot 22 free throws in the second half to make this a game, getting as close as within seven points in a game they once trailed by 20.
Fresno State forward DeShawn Gory had the best night of his young career, recording a double-double with 31 points and 14 rebounds, both game-high stats for players of either team.
“I’m a little surprised by how (Gory) shot it but not how he rebounded. He’s a good player and he had a good night," Lobo Head Coach Eric Olen said.
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During all this madness, Olen got his third career technical foul and first since 2018. Apparently, all he told the referee was “I had high expectations for tonight.”
“I’m sure that’s going to disappoint some of the Lobo fans that want me to lose it on the officials, I’m not sure that was warranted but it happened,” said Olen.
Despite everything in this difficult second half, the Lobos still managed to escape with a nine-point win.
“Going to get the win is all that matters, in the standings we don’t see how we won we just see the win,” Hall said.
The Lobos now look ahead to their next game on this homestand against the University of Nevada Wolf Pack on Saturday, Jan. 24. The Lobos and the Wolf Pack are tied in the Mountain West standings — 6-2 in conference play.
“I’m fired up that the fans are going to be engaged, we’re excited to play in that type of environment,” Olen said.
Marley Herndon is a beat reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @Dailylobo
