The Lobos proved that anything is possible by defeating the University of Utah 76-69 Saturday at The Pit.
The Utes (21-5, 9-2 MWC) came into the contest riding a red-hot, nine-game winning streak. The Lobos (10-15, 4-8 MWC), on the other hand, were coming off two tough road losses at San Diego State and UNLV. Utah had not lost a Mountain West Conference game since Jan. 22 to SDSU. UNM was down to nine players after sophomore forward Mike McCowan left the team last week. All of these factors, however, proved meaningless.
Senior guard Ruben Douglas once again showed why he deserves the MWC Player of the Year. Although he did not shoot well from the floor, making only five-of-17 field goals, Douglas did the majority of his damage from the free-throw line.
Douglas broke school records in free throws made and attempted, going 26-31 from the line. He came into the game averaging over 28 PPG and improved on that by pouring in 39.
“They’re physical,” Douglas said. “They set screens on the defensive end and when you’re trying to come off of them, they get in you’re way. That’s part of the game. That’s part of being a competitor. You want full contact.”
Douglas’ individual performance was key to the victory but, more importantly, it was the team’s defense that ultimately won the game. The Lobos played an intense switching zone defense that forced Utah to shoot contested 3-point attempts. In fact, the Utes shot a school-record 40 threes in the game while making 12. Utah was unable to take advantage of its taller players while settling for the outside shot.
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“They came with energy, enthusiasm, excitement and commitment to play,” Utah head coach Rick Majerus said. “Their excitement to play far exceeded ours.”
UNM took control in the first half when Douglas went on an 8-0 run to give the Lobos a 13-6 lead. Both teams would battle back and forth but UNM would hold on for a 27-22 halftime lead. The Utes touted point guard, Mark Jackson, who has been mentioned for the MWC Player of the Year, could get nothing going, finishing the half with just five points.
“They were changing up the defense,” Jackson said. “They were more conscious of where I was on the court and that helps a lot.”
Douglas got the Lobos off to a solid second half by hitting a 25-foot 3-pointer to get UNM started. He added four more points from the charity stripe giving the Lobos a comfortable 34-24 second half lead.
Utah desperately tried to get back into the game playing physical defense, but could not get into striking distance. The Pit crowd urged on its team to victory with every second that ticked by.
“This afternoon I got a taste of what the crowd is like for 40 minutes,” head coach Ritchie McKay said. “They were awsome and they certainly had a hand in our victory.”
Junior point guard Javin Tindall had an outstanding game while going for 15 points on four-of-seven shooting. He displayed his quickness in getting to the basket, taking Jackson to the hole on several occasions.
Freshman forward David Chiotti was strong inside pulling down six rebounds and scoring a much needed seven points. He also played excellent defense on the taller Utah big men. Junior guard Ryan Ashcraft finished with four points but contributed mostly on defense with three steals. Sophomore center Chad Bell scored two points and had two blocks. Douglas also finished with a career-high 14 boards to go along with his 39 points. It was the third straight double-double for Douglas.
Next up for the Lobos is the Brigham Young University Cougars, who visit The Pit tonight. The game will mark the last time for UNM fans to watch Douglas play at home on senior night. Senque Carey will also be honored in his last appearance at University Arena. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. and can be heard on 770 AM or seen on channel 13.
