The New Mexico Lobos clashed with the Washington State Cougars on Sunday, Oct. 18 at The Pit for their second exhibition match of the year. The Lobos emerged victorious, defeating the Cougars 92-64 in the contest.
The starting lineup changed today as Fynn Lastring and Chris Howell were implemented alongside Jake Hall, Uriah Tenette and Hudson Mayes.
The Lobos won the initial tip, falling into the hands of Tenette, who started off hot as he scored the first five points for the Lobos.
Hall joined the scoring frenzy early with a three-ball and a converted and-one. The duo were on fire and connected all afternoon as the main anchors on the offensive side of the ball.
“We feel like we have a lot of offensive weapons,” Head Coach Eric Olen said after the game.
There was a high-tempo feeling throughout the first half, with both teams matching the other’s scoring pace.
This pattern ended after the Lobos buckled down on the defensive side of the ball. Dax Hall and Howell both had some nice plays, including transition layups that were created by turnovers.
Aggression and traps on defense led to more turnovers, creating transition corner threes for Tunde Vahlberg Fasasi. The halftime score stood at 51-26, a 25-point lead in favor of the Lobos.
Jake Hall acted as a sharpshooter that simply wouldn’t miss, even when heavily contested. Throughout the game, the Lobos created space for Hall through various off-ball screens. Hall stayed at a level of his own all game, shooting 4-6 from three for a 66% three-point percentage. Tenette completed multiple strong, acrobatic charges at the rim, finishing 5-8 from the field and 2-3 from three-point range.
In the second half, Tenette had a slam dunk assisted by Hall, proving the chemistry Tenette and Hall had on the hardwood.
“We are fortunate to have them back,“ Olen said of the starters who chose to return to UNM after their long NIT run last season.
Jake Hall finished the exhibition with 22 points, but didn’t play as many minutes due to the score factor that felt out of reach for the Cougars. Tenette would go on to finish with 14 points.
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The tandem duo was alive throughout the night and will look to continue to build on their chemistry on Sunday, Oct. 25 when the Lobos match up against the Arizona State Sun Devils in another home game. This will mark the Lobos’ final exhibition game before they start the regular season against Utah Tech on Nov. 2.
Kaedon Petties is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @DailyLobo
