Lobos get a Dent buzzer beater to beat UT Arlington, 82-80

Game Recap: New Mexico 82, UT Arlington 80 Lobos go to 2-1 with buzzer beater over Mavericks. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Donovan Dent gives fans a coast-to-coast buzzer beater in 82-80 win over Arlington. ALBUQUERQUE, NM-The Lobos …

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 Game Recap: New Mexico 82, UT Arlington 80


Lobos go to 2-1 with buzzer beater over Mavericks.


Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Donovan Dent gives fans a coast-to-coast buzzer beater in 82-80 win over Arlington.

ALBUQUERQUE, NM–The Lobos returned home to the Pit Thursday night to regain their winning ways after falling top Saint Mary’s on the road last week in Moraga, CA. The test, an underrated and undefeated UT Arlington Mavericks team. Who boasted length and shooting ability coming to Albuquerque on Thursday night.

Both squads had plenty of rust to shake off from long breaks, as the Lobos went 2-8 from the field in the first five minutes of play. They took their first lead of the game with two Jemarl Baker Jr. free throws, but it was a dog fight the rest of the way. With little success from beyond the arc (3-10) and plenty of fouls (11 UTA fouls, 7 UNM fouls), they had to battle it out.

Offensive creativity was still a problem for the Lobos in the first half, as they headed into the locker rooms with just 5 assists. But these types of things can be overlooked when your protecting the ball at an elite level with just 1 turnover in the first twenty minutes of play.

Also of note was the complete takeover of the game by UNM’s backcourt, as Jamal Mashburn Jr. (22 points) and Donovan Dent (16 points) combined for 38 of the Lobos first 48 first half points. The freshman was able to take a frustrating first ten minutes or so of tough contested drives with no foul calls  and turn it into an offensive display in the final ten minutes. Mashburn Jr. made his money from all over the floor, mid-range jumpers, three points & free throw opportunities.

The Mavericks came out swinging in the second-half, shrinking the Lobos double-digit lead to as little as five points in the first five minutes out of half-time. Similar to the first-half the Lobos were taking highly contested shots and creating contact with no benefits to prove for it.

A run of scoring that gave the Lobos their double-digit lead back under the 10-minute mark was consistently chopped at by UT Arlington. As the Mavericks made it a one point game with under 30 seconds to play inside to nearly silence fans inside the Pit. But a clutch defensive effort by Baker on former SEC guard DeJuan Gordon with 15 seconds to play gave the Lobos back possession and a double bonus free throw opportunity.

The sigh of relief was short lived, as a clutch corner three-pointer from UTA freshman Makaih Williams tied things up at 80-80 to send it into overtime.

Things seemed destined for overtime but the Lobos’ superb sophomore guard Donovan Dent had his eyes on the prize.

When asked about how he felt regarding the opponent’s three point shot to tie things up in the closing seconds. He responded with “Pretty mad because it was over me, he hit a tough one but they gave the ball and I just ran with it.”

Indeed he ran with it, ran right to the basket for the game winner.

After the game he had this to say had this to say, cool calm and collected.

“You dream of it as a kid, hitting game winners in college.”

As Dent said, it’s something every kid dreams of, Lobo fans too. And with that buzzer beater, New Mexico has all of the winning momentum needed for their three-game road trip next week.

Player Spotlights

New Mexico G-Donovan Dent

Stat line: 25 points, 5 assists, 22 steals on 11-18 from the floor in 34 minutes

The super sophomore just keeps adding to his legend in Albuquerque with not only a great offensive performance but the winning buzzer beater to give his team the W.

UT Arlington: F-Shemar Wilson

Stat line: 29 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks on 11-13 from the floor & 7-9 from the FT line in 34 minutes

Wilson played big down low for the Mavericks Thursday night. As his fellow UTA stars were relatively quiet until the second-half. He also owned the glass when it came to offensive rebounds and second chance tip ins as a big reason his team stayed in this one in order to take it down to the wire.

Five Takeaways

  • This team really needed a win helped by improved team chemistry. The Lobos have looked out of sync in their first two games of the season and even though the assist totals weren’t there, the lack of turnovers and obvious offensive rhythm found in the first half was a sight for sore eyes.
  • Donovan Dent continues to embrace his new role as Mashburn Jr.’s scoring No. 2 and Pitino’s new floor general. His confidence is showing but his go to move of driving to the lane, drawing contact and heading to the charity stripe only yielded three FT attempts all game. He needs to learn to finish most of those opportunities to truly elevate his game to all-conference status.
  • Mashburn Jr. separated himself as the best player on the court with a beautiful 22-point performance in just the first half. Scoring from all three levels, giving his team the offensive scoring power it needed to head into half time with a double-digit lead they never gave up.
  • The Lobo freshman continue to impress and contribute, mainly JT Toppin in this one. As the 6-9 forward was responsible for numerous house awakening dunks in the first half, to give him 15 points and 11 boards to end the night. Tru Washington also came off of the bench to provide a small offensive spark when needed and defensive stops.
  • New Mexico’s interior defense and defensive rebounding needs work. The Lobos gave up over 20 points to UTA’s Shemar Wilson. Who made his 30 piece by way of second chance points & tip ins around the basket. Going into conference play there are some interior heavy hitters in the Mountain West, they need to address this before it costs them seeding in March.

Next Up:

The Lobos will take their winning momentum on the road next week as they make a trip to Henderson, NV to take part in this year’s Ball Dawg Classic. Their first game of that multi-team event will be against MAC title contenders Toledo on Tuesday November 21st.

New Mexico’s matchup against the Rockets is set to tip-off at 9:15 PM MT. If you wish do so, you can view the stream behind a paywall at FloHoops here ($).

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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New Mexico vs. UT Arlington: Preview, How To Stream, Odds & More

After a road loss to top-25 ranked Saint Mary’s, Richard Pitino’s Lobos return to the Pit and host undefeated UT Arlington.

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New Mexico vs. UT Arlington: Preview


The Lobos look to bounce back at home against the Mavericks.


Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Richard Pitino’s Lobos return to the Pit and host undefeated UT Arlington.

WHO: New Mexico (1-1, 0-0 in the MWC) vs. UT Arlington (2-0, 0-0 in the SWAC)

WHEN: Thursday, November 16th, 7:00 PM MT, 8:00 PM CT

WHERE: University Arena aka “The Pit”, Albuquerque, NM

STREAM: Mountain West Network

Line: KenPom, The Lobos are favored by 16 Points

College basketball is both beautiful and heartbreaking, take the starts of the last two seasons New Mexico has had for example. Flashback just one year ago and the Lobos were about to embark on a 16-game winning streak as the nation’s last remaining undefeated team.

One year later and the Lobos fell on the road to one of the best mid-major teams in the entire country in the second game of the season. A game likely to be their biggest game of the non-conference season. Tis the nature of college basketball, or sports in general really. They make you feel great when it’s great and crumby when it’s crumby.

But a bad week, game or skid never means all hope is lost. Especially not in the second week in November. So cheer up folks, the story isn’t over, there is still plenty of college basketball to watch in Albuquerque. With the next chapter taking place Thursday the 16th inside the Pit against the UT Arlington Mavericks.

Losing to a top-25 ranked St. Mary’s team hurts the resume no doubt. But it appeared as though New Mexico just wasn’t prepared to take on a team of this caliber or consistency.

The Gaels have been coached by the same coach (Randy Bennett) for over twenty-years and haven’t experienced a sub .500 season since they hired Bennett. The program is an outlier in all levels of college basketball and that consistency/winning cultured showed.

New Mexico on the other hand looked like a team with five returning players who saw action last season, including two starters. Sometimes putting a near entirely new roster together, no matter how talented can be tricky. Throw in unexpected injuries to key players like Jaelen House and Isaac Mushila and your non-conference slate may come with growing pains.

Thursday night the Lobos are hoping to put some of those growing pains in their rear view. When they host undefeated UT Arlington and their first year head coach with an impressive resume as a longtime Assistant Coach in the industry.

UT Arlington Breakdown

The Mavericks are on a path of resurgence with first year Head Coach KT Turner at the helm in Arlington. Turner comes from several of college basketball royalties coaching trees. Having spent time on the staffs of Larry Brown, Shaka Smart, Porter Moser & John Calipari, Turner has picked up a thing or two over the past decade or so.

His hiring by UT Arlington this offseason seemed like a home run for a Mavericks program who hasn’t been to an NCAA Tournament or had a 20-win season since the departure of Scott Cross back in 2018. Turner amassed an impressive recruiting class to go along with several returning contributors from last season.

His gem of that class though Phillip Russell, a high scoring point guard who led his SEMO team to their first big dance since 2000 has been ruled ineligible for the entire season. With his move to UT Arlington being his third as an undergrad.

The Mavericks are instead led by former New Mexico State Aggie DaJuan Gordon and NAIA transfer Akili Vining. With plenty of role players ready to step up if either of those players are having a tough night offensively.

Players to Watch:

G Donovan Dent-New Mexico

After glimpses of talent as a freshman behind one of the best backcourt duos in the nation last year, offseason praise was high for Dent in year two. Lobo fans knew they were looking at their point guard of the future, most would have never guessed the future was week one of his sophomore year.

To his credit he has adapted, averaging team highs in points (13.5 PPG), assists (5.5 APG) & steals (2.0 SPG) as coach Pitino’s point guard. UT Arlington is another perfect test for the young floor general, a chance for him to develop his scoring and playmaking skills. Both will be needed this season if Jaelen House’s injury becomes an issue.

G DaJuan Gordon-UT Arlington

Gordon would have been a familiar face for Lobo fans as he was apart of the New Mexico State men’s basketball team last season. Folks never got to see the former SEC transfer grace the hardwood of the Pit last season, due to an off the court incident that saw the state’s most hyped hoops rivalry canceled and nearly suspended indefinitely.

Now, fans inside the Pit will get their chance to watch the 6-5 195 graduate transfer who is leading his team in nearly all categories, 19.0 PPG, 12.5 RPG & 3.0 SPG in two contests.

A breakout game for Gordon could propel UT Arlington to the upset, coach Pitino needs to find the right defensive matchup to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Keys to the Game

For New Mexico: Halt 3-point shooting, Maximize their own 3-point shooting & Own the glass

One thing New Mexico has to do on Thursday night is crash the boards. The Mavericks boast a long and athletic starting five, one that is averaging 51.5 RPG (9th nationally). Yes it’s early in the season to be looking at averages, but the statistic on a box score is impressive nonetheless.

UT Arlington may have a great rebounding core but in the first two games of their season they’ve made plenty of their money from beyond the arc. The Lobos will have to defend the perimeter while knocking down their own shots on the other end help create separation from a quality Mavericks squad.

Prediction: New Mexico 85, UT Arlington 72

If the Lobos can receive a variety of scoring from their still gelling roster, winning should be a breeze. Yes, there will be high major length and athleticism on the opposing squad but the Lobos deep roster should be the prevailing factor for a double-digit win.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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Sooners hire former Loyola Chicago star as assistant coach

The Oklahoma Sooners have found Emmanuel Dildy’s replacement and it’s someone very familiar with Porter Moser and his scheme.

Fresh off a below .500 season, the pressure is on for [autotag]Porter Moser[/autotag] as he heads into year three. With that pressure also comes a last-minute shift in his coaching staff.

In July, [autotag]Emmanuel Dildy[/autotag] left Oklahoma to join the [autotag]Duke Blue Devils[/autotag]’ staff. That had become almost a trend for Moser at Oklahoma. He lost [autotag]KT Turner[/autotag] and [autotag]David Patrick[/autotag], who were both assistants on Moser’s first staff.

Reports started to surface Monday, first by [autotag]CBS Sports[/autotag]’ Jon Rothstein, the Sooners had found their newest assistant. [autotag]Clayton Cluster[/autotag] is someone very familiar to Moser. He was the starting point guard when [autotag]Loyola-Chicago Ramblers[/autotag]went to the Final Four in 2018.

He also worked on his staff at Oklahoma before returning to Loyola Chicago as an assistant there. There has been no official announcement of his hiring as of this article.

Custer should prove to be vital to the young players and point guards on the roster. There are not many people out there who know Moser’s system better than Custer after running it for three seasons.

The hope is Custer can come in and help [autotag]Milos Uzan[/autotag] take his game to another level by being the leader and point guard for Moser’s team. With that, he will hopefully also take the Sooners to the [autotag]NCAA Tournament[/autotag] for the first time in the Moser era.

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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Locked On Longhorns Podcast: ‘Surprising depth chart updates’

On Thursday’s episode, Patrick and Cami dissect the two-deep depth chart that Chip Brown of Horns247 recently provided.

On Thursday’s episode, Patrick and Cami dissect the two-deep depth chart that Chip Brown of Horns247 recently provided. The chart is based on the rumblings of multiple team sources.

There were a few surprises at running back, wide receiver and quarterback. This must be taken with a grain of salt due to the likelihood of injuries playing a role as well as the timeframe of still being two weeks out from the start of the season. However, it’s certainly telling in terms of which players are performing well.

Sophomore Roschon Johnson appears to have climbed up the depth chart and is currently sitting as the starter. Keaontay Ingram has battled injuries throughout fall camp, while true freshman Bijan Robinson continues to impress.

Could freshman Hudson Card compete for the backup quarterback position behind Sam Ehlinger? Why isn’t wide receiver Brennan Eagles listed as a starter?

To close out the show, we take a look at Texas men’s basketball head coach Shaka Smart’s hiring of SMU assistant K.T. Turner.

Texas Basketball: Shaka Smart expected to hire SMU assistant coach

According to Horns247, Texas men’s basketball head coach Shaka Smart is expected to hire SMU assistant K.T. Turner.

After two leading candidates were considered, it appears that Texas men’s basketball head coach Shaka Smart has made a decision on which assistant coach to add to his staff. Continue reading “Texas Basketball: Shaka Smart expected to hire SMU assistant coach”