courtesy of UNM Athletics
The Pit Remains a Fortress as Lobos Pull Away from GCU 87-64
Mountain West Connection – Roger A. Holien
Albuquerque, N.M. — For the second time this week, New Mexico showed why The
Pit is one of the toughest places to play in college hoops, breaking open in the second half to beat Grand Canyon, 87-64, Tuesday night.
This win made UNM’s home court winning streak 21 and gave the Lobos a fourth straight win.
Tuesday night’s game was evenly matched through the first 20 minutes; New Mexico had a slight edge at the break, 38-33.
However, it didn’t take long for the Lobos to get rolling and pull ahead decisively in the second half.
Following a quick two-minute stretch where Grand Canyon tied the score, UNM went on several big runs that took the game out of reach from there.
For the rest of the game, the Lobos dominated both sides of the court, outscoring the Lopes 47-24.
Jake Hall continued to make waves in his first year at UNM, with a 22-point outing and becoming the first UNM freshman to hit 20 points or better 6 times in a single season.
Uriah Tenette added 14 points for UNM, including a three-pointer at the end of the first half that swung momentum in UNM’s favor.
JT Rock had his best collegiate outing with 13 points and 4 blocks. Deyton Albury and Luke Haupt each scored 11 points apiece for the Lobos, showing that UNM is a well-rounded scoring team.
UNM started strong on the scoreboard thanks to Hall, who accounted for 7 of UNM’s first 10 points.
Although both teams were cold-shooting at various points in the first half, UNM held onto the lead for good.
UNM really separated itself from the Lopes midway through the second half with two consecutive 10-point runs that pushed the lead into double-digits. UNM ended the game with a 10-0 run that sealed the win.
UNM shot 58.3% from the field in the second half and has shown a great deal of efficiency on offense lately, which has been the reason for the Lobos’ recent success.
“It was a good performance for us. I thought the crowd was awesome and we talked about at halftime how this place wears people down. We just wanted to keep playing our game. They shot the ball well in the first half to stay within striking distance and made a little run to start the second half. I thought we played really well the last 16 to 17 minutes of the game to get the win.” – Eric Olen (courtesy of UNM Athletics)
Tuesday night’s game was the first time this season that UNM never trailed in the game.
Grand Canyon was led by Jaden Henley, a senior guard, who finished with 17 points and 6 rebounds.
Besides the scoring and rebounding numbers, Henley was very active on both ends of the court, providing 2 assists, a steal, and a block in 34 minutes of playing time.
However, the Lopes did not have a very efficient offense, shooting just 34% from the field.
Henley has been one of the few consistent scorers in the Mountain West Conference this season, averaging over 17 points per game.
In all but one game this season, Henley has scored double figures. The loss dropped Grand Canyon to 10-6 overall and 3-2 in the Mountain West Conference, ending the Lopes’ momentum gained from recent blowout victories over Boise State and San Jose State.
Mountain West Divisional Standings Take Shape
With the win, New Mexico improved to 5-1 in the Mountain West and solidified its position in the upper echelon of teams competing for the Mountain West regular-season title.
As the conference schedule continues to heat up, New Mexico is part of a congested group of teams that includes San Diego State, Utah State, Colorado State, Boise State, and Nevada.
Several head-to-head matchups remain between these teams and will be key in determining the final standings.
Besides protecting its home court and winning consecutively, New Mexico has positioned itself as a legitimate contender for the regular-season title, with the outcome of several road contests being crucial in determining the final standings.
New Mexico moves to 14-3 overall and builds momentum as the conference divisional standings begin to take shape.
Next Up:
The Lobos head to San Diego State this weekend for a season-defining road showdown against one of the Mountain West’s co-leaders, and this one has all the ingredients of a must-watch clash.
It’s a collision between two of the league’s heavyweights — Brian Dutcher’s battle-tested Aztecs and Eric Olen’s surging Lobos — in an atmosphere that always delivers drama.
Expect physical play, momentum swings, and high-level basketball from start to finish.
Grab the popcorn, because this matchup has the feel of a game that could shape the conference race.
Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. MT, with national coverage on CBS Sports Network — you won’t want to miss this one.
