New Mexico vs San Diego State at Thomas & Mack Center: did Albury’s shotmaking keep the Pack close?

New Mexico entered the Mountain West semifinal at 26-9, and San Diego State brought in a 21-9 mark to Las Vegas. The Aztecs edged the Pack 64-62 at the Thomas & Mack Center in a neutral-site game that tipped at 12:28 AM EDT.

First half

New Mexico put up 33 in the first half while San Diego State scored 37, and the margin matched a game that featured 7 ties and 10 lead changes. The Pack created 9 steals and turned them into 13 points off turnovers, while the Aztecs finished the half with 10 steals and 12 points off turnovers. New Mexico reached the line for 28 free throw attempts in the game and made 15, while San Diego State attempted 21 and made 13. Deyton Albury’s previous-game line included 20 points on 70 percent shooting, and that scoring profile fit a night when New Mexico needed efficient half-court offense against the Aztecs’ pressure.

Second half

New Mexico scored 29 after halftime and held San Diego State to 27, but the Pack’s 33 percent field goal rate on 61 attempts left little margin in a 2-point result. The Lobos hit 7 threes on 21 attempts, and the Aztecs answered with 5 makes on 21 tries as both teams generated identical volume from deep. New Mexico won the glass 46-43 with 15 offensive rebounds, and that work produced 9 second-chance points against San Diego State’s 10. San Diego State’s bench contributed 36 points compared with 13 from New Mexico’s reserves, and the Aztecs also logged 17 fast-break points while the Pack had 9.

Final horn

New Mexico Lobos vs San Diego State Aztecs match summary centers on a narrow 64-62 finish with San Diego State’s 51 percent clip on 2-point shots countering New Mexico’s 32 percent mark inside the arc. The New Mexico Lobos vs San Diego State Aztecs key moments included the Pack keeping pace through 22 points in the paint and 12 assists despite 11 total turnovers. The game-changing plays New Mexico Lobos vs San Diego State Aztecs reflected San Diego State converting 14 field goals at the rim on 67 percent, while New Mexico went 7-for-27 at the rim for 26 percent. The New Mexico Lobos match rating in this one starts with effort areas like 9 steals and a plus-3 rebounding edge, even as San Diego State’s 16 assists and 41 percent overall shooting nudged the Aztecs past the Pack.

Catch the next New Mexico broadcast window when it hits the national TV slate, then run it back with a full rewatch of the half-by-half swing. Share this article with other Lobos fans who want the recap details in one place.