Lobos Narrowly Outpaced at The Pit: Falcons Secure a One-Point Victory

The New Mexico Lobos, in a hard-fought contest, fell just short against the visiting Falcons with a final score of 78-77. The Lobos' record now stands at an even balance, while the Falcons improved their standing slightly.

In an intense matchup that saw the lead change nine times and the score tied on eight occasions, it was clear from tip-off that both teams were determined to leave everything on the court. The New Mexico Lobos showcased their aggressive play style in front of a home crowd at The Pit in Albuquerque. Despite trailing by one point after the first half, they managed to match their opponents point-for-point in the second half.

The Lobos dominated inside with 48 points coming from within the paint compared to 38 by their opponents. Their offensive rebounding was particularly impressive; they grabbed 15 offensive boards leading to 22 second-chance points. This tenacity under the rim underscored their physical approach to this conference game.

Defensively, New Mexico outperformed Air Force with seven blocks and three steals but couldn't quite capitalize on these opportunities as much as needed. They also committed fewer personal fouls than Air Force—14 compared to 21—which kept them in bonus situations less frequently throughout the game.

However, shooting accuracy from beyond the arc proved challenging for New Mexico; they made only three out of sixteen attempted three-pointers—a mere nineteen percent success rate—while Air Force hit eleven of twenty-five attempts for forty-four percent accuracy from long range.

One area where New Mexico excelled was fast break points; they scored twenty-two fast break points demonstrating quick transitions and effective counterattacks. But despite these efforts and maintaining an assist-to-turnover ratio of 0.9, turnovers were costly for them as they gave up possession ten times during play.

Looking ahead after this nail-biter finish at The Pit, fans can catch their next game when New Mexico Lobos visit Boise State Broncos at ExtraMile Arena in Boise on March 2nd at 6:00 PM Mountain Time (MT). This upcoming encounter will be broadcasted live on CBS Sports Network for fans unable to make it to Idaho but eager not to miss any action as UNM looks forward toward redemption following this close defeat.