New Mexico Squeaks by No. 22 Colorado State
Albuquerque, NM— A well-rounded effort from Richard Pitino’s exhilarant squad saw them in a battle late with freshly ranked Colorado State, who sat at #22 in America before they went to “The Pit.” In a game where the back-and-forth transition defense was a key to success, it came down to the wire. Within the last two minutes of the game, lead changes were happening every 20 seconds. With the defensive attitude lacking, Donovan Dent then came to be a true hero for the Lobos. Dent, who recorded 16 points on four of 10 shooting, was one of the many men in the New Mexico squad who tallied double digits. The last three points were his most valuable, putting his head down on the way to the basket and withstanding the contact for an “and one” to erupt the arena. This brought New Mexico out to a 68-66 lead, where it would later become final after a missed three-pointer. His sidekicks Jaelen House and Jamal Mashburn each added 14 and 16 points respectively, tagging on a few boards each in the winning effort.
The Mountain West is one of the most intriguing conferences in all of the land, due to the number of teams trying to make a run to “the dance.” With this victory, New Mexico (21-6) moves into sole possession of third place in the conference at (9-5). While defending home court very well throughout the year, this win could uplift New Mexico in the AP Top 25, while potentially gaining an NCAA Tournament berth. For the visiting Rams (20-7), this loss will linger as it drops them down to 7th in the Mountain West at (8-6). With little room for error in this particular conference, every game matters for standings and NET purposes. With this win, New Mexico avenges the early January loss on the road against the same Colorado State team, 76-68.
Despite most likely being knocked out of the AP Top 25 poll, Colorado State should lift their heads high after this clash. Guard Isaiah Stevens tacked on 20 points, five rebounds, and nine assists in his efforts. Joel Scott went along for the ride as well, contributing 18 points with 13 rebounds. While still outshooting the Lobos 41% to 38%, it was an identical game down to the last minute. The Rams now continue their season heading to the University of Las Vegas this Saturday in a conference cage fight. Coach Niko Medved will want to have a short-term memory loss before Saturday night as this will be the final game of the Rams’ road trip.
As for the Lobos, they will be back at “The Pit” in Albuquerque this weekend against the Air Force Academy. Another win for the team can signify that they will be either receiving votes or a ranking by Monday afternoon. As we get into the heart of conference tournament time and the field is announced, the Lobos have all the ingredients to make a deep run in the tournament. Nelly Junior Joseph, Jaelen House, Jamal Mashburn, Donovan Dent, there are just too many names that come with experience that makes the Lobos so hard to guard. While gaining chemistry within a team can go a long way as we see it year after year, do not be shocked if the Lobos can head to the dance, potentially crashing the Sweet 16.
