Defense was the order of the day. Coming into the game on Saturday, Jan. 11, the San Diego State University Aztecs were ranked sixth nationally in defensive efficiency. Their defense did not disappoint, as they held the Lobos to 35.8% from the field and only 21.4% from beyond the arc.
However, the Lobos’ defense was equally impressive. The Lobos came out with energy bolstered by the sold-out crowd of about 15,500 fans, eventually winning the game 62-48.
The Lobos ended the game with seven steals and nine turnovers, compared to San Diego's 14 turnovers. The 48 points scored by the Aztecs were their lowest of the season so far, according to ESPN.
The Aztecs had similar shooting splits to the Lobos as they shot 35.4% from the field and 31.3% from deep.
The Lobos’ defense was held together by guard Tru Washington and forward Mustapha Amzil.
Amzil, despite a rough performance during the previous game against the University of Wyoming Cowboys, was able to bounce back. He finished the night with a double-double, two assists and two steals. Head Coach Richard Pitino praised him after Saturday’s game.
“Stay confident and put in the work — that's where you get your confidence from, and Mustapha does that,” Pitino said.
Washington provided full-court defense and energy for the Lobos. He also lit an early offensive spark with two quick threes to give New Mexico a lead.
“I just feel like my best games for me come from defense first,” Washington said. “I don’t start on offense.”
Washington finished the game with 13 points, five rebounds and one steal.
Despite the Aztecs trying to limit star guard Donovan Dent, he still led the Lobos in scoring with 16 points. The junior surpassed the prestigious 1,000-point mark early in the second half on a fast break layup. He joins teammates Amzil and Nelly Junior Joseph as active Lobos with over 1,000 career points.
The Aztecs' defensive scheme revolved around switching on all screens to protect the lane and prevent penetration off of the pick-and-roll. This created mismatches down low, where Junior Joseph was being guarded by a smaller player. This created multiple opportunities for the Lobos to grab offensive rebounds over smaller defenders.
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The Lobos dominated on the offensive board, ending with 18 offensive rebounds compared to the Aztecs' three.
“They knew they had to defend and rebound to win the game, ‘cause offense was going to be hard to come by,” Pitino said.
When the Aztecs chose to double-team the post after the entry pass to Junior Joseph, there were open passes to either the strong corner or to the weak side for threes. However, the Lobos struggled to make many open 3-point attempts, going only 6-28.
In the second half, the offensive struggles continued for both teams. The Aztecs were unable to make a field goal. The drought was mostly fueled by players off of the Lobo bench.
Despite their recent success, the Lobos are trying to stay hungry, according to Washington.
“We got the win today but we’re going to treat it like a loss, get back to practice and just keep grinding,” Washington said.
The Lobos will look to continue their win streak on Tuesday, Jan. 14 when they hit the road to visit the San José State University Spartans. This will mark the second time these two teams have matched up this season; the first time, the Lobos secured a rocky win at home 83-77.
Jaden McKelvey-Francis is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
