Can the New Mexico Lobos Bounce Back After a Narrow Defeat at Thomas & Mack?

In a closely contested battle at the Thomas & Mack Center, the New Mexico Lobos fell short against the UNLV Runnin' Rebels with a final score of 73-83. The Lobos, unable to secure victory, now hold a record of 0-1 while the Runnin' Rebels advance with a record of 1-0.

The game was marked by intense back-and-forth action, as evidenced by three ties and four lead changes. The New Mexico Lobos started strong in the first half, putting up 38 points against UNLV's 40. However, they couldn't maintain their momentum into the second half where they scored an additional 35 points to UNLV's commanding 43.

The Lobos showcased their offensive capabilities inside the paint with an impressive tally of 42 points in that area. They also demonstrated precision from the free-throw line shooting an outstanding 85 percent. Despite these efforts, their three-point shooting lagged behind at just 18 percent which may have been pivotal in this high-scoring affair.

Defensively, both teams were active around the rim; however, it was UNLV who out-blocked New Mexico with six blocks to one. The home team also managed more steals (eight) than their opponents (five), contributing to their higher number of points off turnovers (26). This defensive pressure by UNLV led to more opportunities on offense and ultimately played a significant role in their win.

New Mexico did manage to out-rebound UNLV with a total rebound count of 34 compared to UNLV's less dominant presence on boards totaling only at 24 rebounds. Of those for New Mexico, eight were offensive rebounds which helped them achieve ten second-chance points.

Despite these efforts and leading in several statistical categories such as assists (16) and two-point field goal percentage (57), turnovers proved costly for New Mexico as they gave up possession sixteen times throughout the game which translated into valuable scoring opportunities for UNLV.

Looking ahead after this tough loss on foreign ground, fans can look forward to seeing how the team will regroup when they return home. The next challenge for the New Mexico Lobos will be against San Diego State Aztecs at The Pit in Albuquerque on January 13th at approximately noon local time. Fans can catch all live-action broadcast nationally on CBS as both teams vie for supremacy on court once again.