Wolfpack Head Coach Steve Alford continued to bring more heartbreak to Lobos fans as his University of Nevada, Reno team put a massive hole in the University of New Mexico men's basketball team's bubble and their hopes of making the NCAA Tournament with a win over the Lobos, 67-60.
During the Tuesday, Feb. 24 game, Lobo guard Jake Hall led the Lobos with 17 points and broke the Mountain West Freshman record for most points scored in conference play, with 291; the previous record was 278, set by Brandon McCoy of UNLV in 2017-18.
The first half of the game could be characterized by two words: offensively challenged. The Lobos and the Wolfpack combined for 46 points in the first half, with neither team finding the bottom of the basket easily.
Nevada was able to jump off to an early start as the Wolfpack went on an 8-0 run that saw UNM playing catch-up for the first 16 minutes of the game.
Guard Deyton Albury and Hall carried much of the load in the first half for the Lobos, scoring 7 points apiece. UNM shot just 29% in the first half and went 2 of 11 from beyond the arc.
Nevada closely mirrored UNM when it came to the stat line in the first half, as Wolfpack guards Corey Camper Jr. and Vaughn Weems chipped in 7 points apiece as well, while the Wolfpack shot 27% from the field and went 2 of 9 from three.
The second half saw those offensive woes fade as both teams were finally able to find their footing again, with the Lobos getting the upper hand as they delivered a 10-2 run that was jump-started by forward Tomislav Buljan with a hook shot and capped off by a pair of free throws from Hall. The Lobos would extend their lead to 9 points when Hall hit a jumper to put the Lobos up 40-31, and would give him his final bucket of the night.
The Nevada Wolfpack would slowly deflate the Lobos' offense and chip away at their defense as Elijah Price would score 16 points in the second half; his offensive prowess would be the dagger to the Lobos’ hope of coming out of Reno on top. The Lobos improved their shooting percentage to 48% from the field in the second half and went 4 of 10 from three. The Wolfpack, however, went 54% from the field and went 3 of 8 from three.
The Lobos may have provided the final blow to themselves, missing key free throws in the closing minutes and going 12 of 21 from the free throw line. Antonio Chol and Luke Haupt also combined for 2 points while the Lobos’ starters struggled on the offensive end.
The Wolfpack was able to hold the Lobos to their second-lowest amount of points scored in a game at 60; UNM’s lowest point total came in their loss at Boise State University, where the Lobos scored 53 points.
The Lobos will face the San Diego State University Aztecs on Saturday, Feb. 28, in The Pit for one of the most consequential games in Mountain West play, as the Aztecs are tied for first place in the Mountain West.
Wyatt S. Padilla is a beat reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @wyattspadilla
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