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The Lobos fell to 1-1 on Saturday, losing 87-76 to the Colorado Buffaloes in Boulder.
New Mexico kept the game close throughout, Colorado’s biggest lead was 27-19 in the first half before the Lobos went on a 12-4 run to tie it at 31-31. Colorado stretched out to 42-36 at halftime.
In the second half, the Lobos once again were able to keep it close, as Jaelen House and Jamal Mashburn Jr. would come up with several key baskets.
With 2:06 left to play, Mashburn converted an old-fashion three-point play to close the Lobos within 77-74. From there Colorado took over and couldn’t be stopped on the offensive end and pulled away to the 87-76 win.
Takeaways:
The Lobos kept it close throughout, which some did think would happen. House and Mashburn brought the energy, scoring 22 and 20 points respectively. Both showed that they can play off one another so well, which will be huge going forward.
One missing piece of the puzzle for the Lobos was Jay Allen-Tovar. Allen-Tovar scored 18 points in the season opening win against Florida Atlantic, but struggled on Saturday against Colorado, scoring just three points in the loss. The Lobos will need Allen-Tovar to pitch in a lot more, especially on the road where the Lobos will need to generate their own energy.
Another area of concern for the Lobos is rebounding. Against Florida Atlantic the Lobos were outrebounded 42 to 25. In the game against Colorado, UNM was outrebounded 47 to 27, including 15-to-8 on offensive rebounds. With huge gaps in the rebounding area, the Lobos will struggle, especially if they’re unable to get second chance buckets. That will be something to keep an eye on moving forward.
Up Next:
The Lobos will be back in The Pit on Monday night, taking on the Grambling State Tigers. The Tigers sit at 0-2 on the season following losses to Grand Canyon and Texas Tech.
Tip off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Mountain Time. The game will be streamed online on the Mountain West Network, and the Lobo Sports Radio Network will carry the game over the radio.