The UNM men's basketball team played perhaps its most well-rounded game of the season in defeating Colorado State University, 82-72, Monday night.
The Lobos had three players score in double figures. Freshman guard Mark Walters led the way scoring 19 points on 8-15 shooting from the field.
"This is one of my best performances," Walte
rs said. "It's a big conference win that we needed and it puts us right back in the race."
Ruben Douglas had 28 points, with many of them coming from the free-throw line in the final moments. Junior point-guard Javin Tindall dropped in 12 points on four-of-seven shooting, including two 3-pointers.
Freshman forward David Chiotti nearly made it four players in double-digits, scoring eight points.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
UNM came out cold in the early going of the game making just one of its first 11 shots from the floor. With the Rams leading 8-2, Douglas quickly took matters into his own hands going on a personal 7-0 run to make the score 9-8 in favor of the Lobos.
With the score tied 17-17, UNM would go on a 13-0 run that would put it ahead for the rest of the contest. During that crucial stretch, the Lobos got scoring from Tindall, Walters, Chiotti, Douglas and Ryan Ashcraft.
At the end of the opening half, UNM led by a score of 37-30. During the opening period, the Lobos committed only three turnovers. The Lobos also made 15 of their last 23 shots after the poor start.
The second half featured a disciplined UNM team that played conservative but managed to hold the lead throughout.
The closest CSU got in the second half was 61-59 after senior forward Brian Greene nailed a three. Chiotti stretched the lead to six, 65-59, scoring inside on consecutive possessions.
The Rams tried desperately to keep the game close but Douglas shut the door by sticking two trey's and making all six of his free throw attempts in the closing minutes.
Defensively, head coach Ritchie McKay was much more satisfied with his team's performance after giving up 103 points in a loss to Wyoming on Saturday.
"The defensive effort our guy's played with was significantly better than Saturday night's game against Wyoming," McKay said. "That was one of the reasons we got a victory."
The win improves the Lobos' record to 9-13, 3-6 MWC, while the Rams drop to 14-10, 3-6 MWC. Next, UNM hits the road for games against UNLV and SDSU on Saturday and Monday.
Notes:
Chiotti tied Douglas for the team lead in rebounds with eight. Chiotti also had an assist and a block. Walters added to his 19 points, dishing out four assists, blocking one shot and coming up with two steals. He also had six rebounds in the game.
