PHOTO BY NICOLAS PENA

Albuquerque, NM– The New Mexico Lobos played host to a Fresno State Bulldogs squad that has gathered a little bit of momentum in Mountain West play: The Bulldogs came into Wednesday’s match-up in The Pit on a two-game winning streak, having pulled upset victories over Wyoming and Colorado State in the last week (and winning three of their last four games). Meanwhile, the Lobos entered fresh-off of a narrow and heartbreaking 79-83 loss to San Diego State on the road.

For 35 minutes on Wednesday evening, the Lobos seemed poised to put the Bulldogs away early. After a couple of back-and-forth threes, Fresno State managed an early 7-6 lead; New Mexico responded with a calm, collected, and rhythmic 14-0 run, building a lead of their own to the tune of 20-7. The Lobos were unrelenting, causing a number of turnovers that led to New Mexico scores. In total, Fresno State had twenty-one turnovers, a significantly higher figure compared to New Mexico’s eight turnovers throughout the game. One such turnover – A contemptuously smooth Uriah Tenette steal-and-dunk sequence – sent The Pit crowd into a frenzy, perfectly capturing the Bulldogs’ struggles throughout the first half.

New Mexico went into the break with a 36-23 lead. Talented Fresno State Freshman DeShawn Gory then opened the 2nd-half with a quick run of his own. The young forward had a ridiculously impressive performance, and combined with the always-dependable Jake Heidbreder (former Air Force Falcon) for a total of 48 points. The chemistry between the two was on full display, and the pair continued to keep the Bulldogs within fighting distance – See one such Heidbreder assist to Gory in the post below:

And yet, the Lobos continued to build their lead, ultimately taking a 20-point lead on two distinct occasions – A Luke Haupt lay-up with eight minutes remaining, and a Tajavis Miller three-point bucket with 5:50 left on the clock.

Then, a series of odd events began to unravel: The Lobos experienced an ill-timed fouling-spree (or as several Mountain West fans pointed out, a number of questionable officiating calls), highlighted by a technical foul called on head coach Eric Olen with just over two minutes left to play. The Bulldogs capitalized on a number of free-throw opportunities and Lobo turnovers, piecing together an 11-2 run, and shrinking the New Mexico lead to a mere seven points (77-70). However, Fresno State’s comeback attempt fell just short – The Lobos hit a number of late, crucial free-throws, ultimately sealing the 83-74 victory over the Bulldogs.

New Mexico’s trio of electric Freshman put together another impressive showing: Jake Hall, Tomislav Buljan, and Uriah Tenette combined for a total of 43 points, 20 rebounds, and 9 steals (Sheesh!). Senior point guard Deyton Albury added an additional 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals for the Lobos, including the perfectly-executed reverse-layup seen below.

Fresno State was led in scoring by DeShawn Gory, who had a career performance, posting 31 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists. Jake Heidbreder added 17 for the Bulldogs, while Bastien Rieber contributed an additional 10 points, rounding-out the trio of double-digit scorers for Fresno State. Fresno’s star guard Zaon Collins (who averages nearly 13 points per game) missed Wednesday’s game due to injury.

Couch Potato Sports Player of the Game: Uriah Tenette (Guard, Fr.) – 15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals.

Next Up: The Lobos move to 15-4 (6-2 MWC), and have a huge conference clash, welcoming former New Mexico head coach Steve Alford and his dangerous Nevada Wolf Pack team (14-5, 6-2 MWC) to The Pit on Saturday. Tip-time is scheduled for 6 p.m. (Mountain Time) on FS1.

Meanwhile, Fresno State falls to 9-10 (3-5 MWC), and will host Grand Canyon on Saturday (5:30 p.m., on the Mountain West Network).