The Lobos were energetic from the jump in their game against Texas Southern University on Sunday, Nov. 24, and it showed. They beat the Tigers 99-68 in their largest margin of victory of the season.
After winning the tipoff and a quick 3-point attempt from Mustapha Amzil, the Lobos stole the outlet pass but were unable to convert.
The next time down, Tru Washington got a steal, leading to a breakaway dunk for the Lobos’ first points.
The Lobo defense in the first half was energetic, resulting in six steals and multiple deflections. The defense created offense for the Lobos to score off of in the first half. They scored 18 of their 38 first-half points off of fast breaks.
Despite the tough defense from the Lobos, the Tigers kept it close, making 44% of their 3-point attempts in the first half.
The defensive effort was showcased during a play halfway through the first. The Lobos got three blocks during one possession, and then moved up the court, and Amzil hit a fast-break 3-pointer to put the Lobos up 19-16.
That was one of the two 3-pointers the Lobos made that half. The Lobos finished the half shooting 2 for 11 from beyond the arc and 8 for 14 from the free-throw line.
Despite their struggles to score, the Lobos were getting open looks.
“I don’t think we struggle in the half-court,” Washington said. “I feel like we’re running our plays right.”
The Lobos found themselves down 31-29 with less than three minutes left in the half. They didn’t let that faze them, however, as they went on a 9-0 run to take the lead, heading into the locker room up 38-31.
After the halftime break, the Lobos came out firing. After the Tigers’ coach was given a technical foul, Amzil missed both free throws but made up for it with a 3-pointer the next possession. The Lobos went on to score 16 unanswered points before the Tigers took a time-out with 18 minutes left in the game.
At the 9:41 mark and up by 21, the Lobos went to the bench.
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Players off the bench were able to extend the lead for the remainder of the game.
The Lobos’ shooting woes ended, with the team shooting 56% from deep in the second half.
“We got to be able to hit the three, So, obviously second half we knock it down,” Head Coach Richard Pitino said.
A key performance off the bench was from Filip Borovicanin, who finished with 11 points from efficient shooting. This performance comes off of Borovicanin’s struggles earlier in the season.
“It’s great to see him taste some success. Nobody works harder,” Pitino said.
Other key performances came from Washington and Amzil. Washington led the team with 19 points and 10 rebounds, and he finished with a double-double.
Amzil finished with 18 points despite subpar efficiency. This pushed his collegiate career points over the prestigious 1,000-point milestone.
The Lobos will go on the road Thursday to face Arizona State University on Nov. 28.
Jaden Mckelvey-Francis is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
