New Mexico Lobos Advance to Mountain West Semifinals, Set to Face San Diego State
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The New Mexico Lobos men’s basketball team defeated San Jose State 93-77 in the Mountain West Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday night at the Thomas & Mack Center, securing a spot in the semifinals. The Lobos (23-9) will now face San Diego State, with the winner advancing to the tournament final.
Lobos Dominate Second Half
The game began competitively, but New Mexico pulled ahead decisively in the second half. Tomislav Buljan led the Lobos with a career-high 25 points and 14 rebounds, shooting 10-of-11 from the floor. Jake Hall contributed 19 points, including 5-of-6 from three-point range, while Luke Haupt added 15 points and Deyton Albury scored 13.
Key Performances and Strategy
Uriah Tenette, in his first start since December, recorded a career-high nine assists to go along with eight points. New Mexico outscored San Jose State 56-24 in the paint.
“I imply, we knew that we can’t underestimate this team,” said Buljan. “They beat Boise. We prepare well. We play like a team. A little bit slow start, but we caught up. You know, we were sharing the ball, playing good defense when it mattered. Just being as a collective.”
Looking ahead to the matchup against San Diego State, the Lobos emphasized the importance of ball control and physical play.
“First of all, take care of the ball,” said Albury. “Remarkably defensive-oriented team. Get the best shots possible and execute down the stretch, that’s going to be very important.”
Hall added, “SDSU is going to try and punk you out, try and be super physical with you guys. So, you know, we need to bring the physicality to them, kind of like we did in The Pit. They’re a really good team, really good defensive team. And you know, we know they’re super gap oriented and you know, super physical and try to out rebound you. So you know we’ll be ready for them.”
Past Matchups with San Diego State
New Mexico split its regular season games against San Diego State. In their February win, the Lobos excelled in free throws and turnovers, making 25 free throws and committing only six turnovers, while SDSU had seven turnovers and made 13 free throws. However, in January’s loss, New Mexico had 17 turnovers and made 15 free throws, while SDSU had 16 turnovers and made 22 free throws.
Tournament Implications
Both New Mexico and San Diego State are considered to be on the bubble for the NCAA tournament, making this semifinal matchup crucial for both teams’ postseason aspirations. The game is scheduled to tip off at 10 p.m. From the Mountain West Tournament in Las Vegas.