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Game Recap: New Mexico 84, UC Santa Barbara 61
Lobos looked well balanced and stayed the course for a very solid mid-week win.
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Donovan Dent and Tru Washington lead second-half charge against a talented UC Santa Barbara squad.
ALBUQUERQUE, NM–The public eye may have been on the New Mexico football team’s Head football Coach announcement Wednesday afternoon. But the 7-1 Lobos Men’s Basketball team is riding a six-game winning streak and are coming off of one the largest wins over in-state rival New Mexico State.
The hype for that Rio Grande Rivalry clash surrounded the controversy caused sabbatical both programs took from the rivalry last season. The Aggies came to Albuquerque in rebuilding mode under first year Head Coach Jason Hooten. And Saturday’s 106-62 point Lobo victory was a testament to just where each program is at the moment.
It also sent Richard Pitino’s squad into the week with winning momentum for a very underrated test against UC Santa Barbara on Wednesday night. Former Arizona Associate Head Coach has built the Gauchos into a mid-major power on the west coast. UCSB is led by NBA Draft prospect Ajay Mitchell and several other experienced guards.
The game was closer than Lobo fans would have liked through the first-half. The Gauchos size, experience and leadership was very apparent from the opening tip. Spearheaded early by SEC transfer Yohan Traore who did most of UCSB’s scoring as Mitchell adjusted to the Lobos defense.
The former Auburn Tiger was the only Gaucho to break the double-digit mark with 12 points in the first-half. While Mitchell made his impact with 8 points & 4 assists, but was kept to just 30% shooting on 3-10 field goals.
New Mexico only trailed UC Santa Barbara in the first minute of action. And while their lead was shrank to as few as two points multiple times, they never lost it. Mostly due in part to freshman big JT Toppin who had 11 points on a perfect 5-5 shooting from the floor with several key defensive stops in transition.
Star guard Jaelen House was all over the floor defensively with 2 steals to go along with 2 assists but was held scoreless. No worries though, as sophomore Donovan Dent had (what is becoming a regularity) solid first-half with 15 points & 5 assists to go along with 2 blocks.
The second-half was where the Lobos needed to break away, they began to do so five minutes or so into the half. Inspired by a 6-0 run & capitalized by a monster slam by Donovan Dent.
He didn’t slow down, barreling down the lane time after time to gives his squad the 16-point advantage as they approached the ten minute mark.
Aided by current Mountain West Freshman of the Week Tru Washington, who scored all of his 17 points in the second half after finding himself in foul trouble early. With solid point guard play coupled with great bench production the Lobos began to create their safety net.
A pair of technical fouls on the Lobos nearly derailed their momentum at times but they responded well. With their perimeter defense being the highlight of the night. Posting 12 steals to go along with 23 fast break points to end the night.
They made nothing easy on pro prospect Ajay Mitchell, making him earn every single point since the opening tip. While also finding an answer for Traore in the second-half, holding him to just 4 points after a very strong performance before half time.
It was a well balanced performance for Coach Pitino’s group. Posting a 23-point win over what will likely be an NCAA Tournament team out of the Big West to extend the Lobos’ win streak to seven. As they have a quick turnaround before Saturday’s trip back to Henderson, NV this weekend.
Player Spotlights
New Mexico G-Donovan Dent & Tru Washington
Stat line Dent: 23 points, 8 assists, 2 blocks & 2 steals on 9-15 shooting 35 minutes on the floor.
Dent had one of his more quite double-doubles of the season against New Mexico State over the weekend. Wednesday night Dent added to his legacy at New Mexico, with a dazzling display driving the lane. Staying composed and driven to keep his team in the lead throughout. The sophomore sensation drove with calmness and purpose while also keeping his teammates in mind.
Stat line Washington: 17 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists & 2 steals in 22 minutes on the floor
Washington simply forced my hand at giving my first co-play spotlights of the season. The surging freshman was neutralized early with 2 quick fouls and kept scoreless on the bench. As New Mexico received no offensive support from their bench in the first-half, Washington exploded for 17 points in the second and proved to be the difference maker on the scoresheet.
UCSB F-Yohan Traore
Stat line: 18 points, 5 rebounds on 8-12 shooting in just 26 minutes on the floor
With plenty of the focus on his floor general teammate, Traore thrived in the paint. The 6’11 big man definitely cooled off in the second-half, but was the only factor keeping his team competitive in the first.
It would have been easy to give the spotlight to Ajay Mitchell, who scored 14 of his points in the second-half off of 12-12 shooting from the charity stripe. But Traore dominated early on, it made the Lobo coaching staff make adjustments at half-time and shift their defensive focus.
Three Takeaways
- This Lobo team was tested early and kept composure through a tight first-half. Staying team focused while playing efficient basketball on both sides. Star guard Jaelen House didn’t score his first points until well into the second-half, but it didn’t matter New Mexico was winning.
- Dent has been simply astounding all year. Playing well above his years with poise and skill while proving he can lead a team and score in droves. I wasn’t exactly sure how year two would look in Albuquerque for Dent, but he’s made the Lobos’ future look very bright for years to come.
- I can’t praise this freshman class enough. JT Toppin’s early season success was inspiring to see. Even tonight, logging 18 points, 3 blocks & 2 steals in just 20 minutes on the floor. While Washington’s emergence of late is just what the Lobos needed heading into December. Providing a closing scoring option down the stretch when opposing defenses begin to figure out how to slow down New Mexico’s backcourt. They’ve given this team balance, which should only get better.
Next Up:
The Lobos will take their winning streak with them back to Henderson, NV on Saturday. This time to the Jack Jones Classic to face Santa Clara for a mid-day clash.
New Mexico’s matchup against the Broncos is set to tip-off December 9th at 3:00 PM MT. If you wish do so, you can view the stream behind a paywall on Baller TV ($).
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.