PHOTO BY JOE GRIMANDO
Paradise, NV – Thomas & Mack Center –
FINAL: New Mexico 93, San José State 77
It’s March, folks! The season of madness that draws fans from every corner of the sports-verse, be them a die-hard hoops nut, or just a casual viewer that enjoys the chaos of post-season ball.
And chaos we’ve had – #11-seeded San José State got things started early with a massive upset win over #6-seeded Boise State in the Mountain West Tournament’s opening round. This set-up a date between the underdog Spartans and the #3-seeded New Mexico Lobos, with the winner drawing #2-seeded San Diego State in the tournament semifinals.
Fueled by a large, rowdy, and vocal crowd of New Mexico fans that made the annual trek to the “Pit West”, the Lobos opened the game with an electric 8-0 run. UNM big man Tomislav Buljan was first on the board with a quick layup, before do-it-all Mountain West Freshman of the Year Jake Hall drained a pair of smooth and effortless threes.
The New Mexico crowd roared to life. And yet… The upset-minded Spartans refused to waver, quickly responding with a 15-6 run of their own to take a crowd-quieting 15-14 lead over the Lobos. What happened next was a blur of back-and-forth momentum swings and gritty plays. In the remaining 12 minutes and 57 seconds of the first half, fans saw four ties and thirteen lead-changes, before a 10-3 New Mexico run gave the Lobos a 43-36 lead at the break.
The Lobos never quite looked back, using an absolutely dominant effort from Tomislav Buljan (who finished with a career-high 25 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, and a perfect 5/5 from the free-throw line) and a balanced rotation of scorers to seal the win. Three additional Lobos finished in double-figures, with Jake Hall (19 points, 5/6 from three-point range), Luke Haupt (15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists), and Deyton Albury (13 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists) each having solid nights for the Lobos. Notably, New Mexico outscored SJSU in points scored within the paint, 56-24.
Likewise, four Spartans scored in double-digits, led by the explosive Junior guard, Colby Garland (who posted 20 total points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds). Adrian Meyers (19 points, 5 rebounds), Sadraque NgaNga (15 points, 4 rebounds), and Jermaine Washington (11 points) rounded out the group of scorers, combining for eight three-point buckets.
San José State will finish its season with a record of 9-24, while New Mexico will advance to the Mountain West Tournament semifinals. The Lobos will fittingly meet in-conference archrival San Diego State for a late-night showdown, with NCAA Tournament hopes and bragging rights firmly in-play for the two squads.
Couch Potato Sports Player of the Game:
- New Mexico: Tomislav Buljan (Forward, Fr.) – 25 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 5/5 FT
- San José State: Colby Garland (Guard, Jr.) – 20 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds
Next Up:
- New Mexico (23-9) advances to the Mountain West Tournament Semifinal Round, tipping-off against #2-seeded San Diego State on Friday night at 9 p.m. (Pacific Time). The game will stream on the CBS Sports Network.
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