The University of New Mexico men's basketball team faced off against the Grambling State University Tigers on Thursday, Nov. 21. From the start of the game, both teams played intensely, indicating it would be a long night. In the end, the Lobos proved they could be aggressive and outplay their opponents, walking away with an 80-58 win.
When the first half started, Grambling State made it clear that they were not going to make it easy for the Lobos. Grambling State jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead, being physical on both defense and offense. The Lobos, however, were not looking to lose the game, and they immediately matched the energy that Grambling State brought.
Guard Tru Washington shot an efficient 4-8 while having five steals all in the first half. The Lobos showed their dominance, and despite a poor final minute of play, they still led 30-26 at halftime.
Coming out from the half, the Lobos were fierce, going on an 11-0 run to start things off. Even when the run ended, the Lobos still hit their shots, which helped them build a 20-point lead during the second half.
With the big lead, however, Grambling State went on a little run themselves in the middle of the second half. The Lobos did not blink and were able to end the Tigers’ run. The Lobos proceeded to pile on the points again, leading to a victory.
Guard Donovan Dent had a great game and really found his groove in the second half. Dent finished the game with 22 points on 7-13 shooting, with eight assists.
Guard Braden Appelhans saw the court a lot, playing more of the sixth-man role throughout the game. When Grambling State was going on its run halfway through the second, Appelhans did not let it affect him and he focused on the next play.
“Just one play at a time,” Appelhans said. “When they go on a run, it’s time for us to go on our run.”
Head Coach Richard Pitino said he thinks the team did a good job matching the physicality that Grambling State brought to the table.
“I think the second half was significantly better than the first all around,” Pitino said. “We did a good job turning them over 22 times.”
With this game, the Lobos are back in the win column, moving their record to 4-1 on the season.
Rodney Prunty is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @rprunty05
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