Dent’s Historic Performance Fuels Lobos’ 100-81 Win Over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

Photo Courtesty UNM Athletics

The 2024 UNM Lobos basketball team has picked up right where they left off after last year’s victory in the Las Vegas Mountain West Conference Championship.

This season, they’ve become even stronger, with added height, greater bench depth, and impressive scorers both in the post and on the perimeter.

The New Mexico men’s basketball team continued its undefeated streak with a dominant 100-81 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday night at The Pit.

The Lobos (3-0) hit the 100-point mark for the first time this season, while the Islanders (1-2) took their second loss.

Donovan Dent led the Lobos with a historic performance, becoming the first player in program history to record 25 points and ten assists without a turnover.

His 25/10 game marked only the fifth in UNM history, last achieved by Kendall Williams in 2013.

Photo Courtesty UNM Athletics

Dent also set a new UNM record with his third career game of 10 assists and no turnovers, breaking the previous record held by Marlon Parmer and Darrell McGee.

Kayde Dotson scored a career-high 18 points off the bench, with four other Lobos in double figures.

Tru Washington contributed 15 points, Mustapha Amzil added 12, and Nelly Junior Joseph just missed a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds.

Atiki Ally Atiki also had nine points, five rebounds, and a career-high five blocks.

Game Summary

The game was close early, tied 9-9 at the first media timeout.

New Mexico then went on a 17-2 run, building a 24-11 lead halfway through the first half.

Another 20-3 run put the Lobos up 33-14, and after hitting 10 consecutive field goals, UNM led 39-19.

The Islanders managed to cut the lead to 41-27, but the Lobos entered halftime ahead 49-34, with Dent leading the way with 12 points and five assists.

Photo Courtesty UNM Athletics

In the second half, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi narrowed the margin to 51-42, but a 10-0 Lobos run stretched their lead to 66-45.

The Islanders answered with an 8-0 run, bringing the score within 13 points. However, a 7-0 Lobos surge soon put New Mexico ahead 76-55, allowing them to cruise to a 19-point victory.

Photo Courtesty UNM Athletics

Notable Stats

• The Lobos recorded 15 steals, achieving double-digit steals in each of their first three games for the first time since the 1990-91 season.
• UNM has led by double digits in each of its last 33 wins dating back to the 2022-23 season.
• Dent’s performance is the first 25-point/10-assist game without a turnover by a Mountain West player in nine seasons (since Fresno State’s Marvelle Harris in 2015-16).
• UNM forced 22 turnovers, marking the second consecutive game with 20+ turnovers forced in the Pitino era.

Coach Pitino’s Remarks

“It was a solid win for our team. I thought the guys came in ready to play. It’s easy to lose focus after a big win like UCLA and with another big game against St. John’s coming up. But their mental approach was great. Donovan moved the ball well, and Kayde and Atiki gave us a huge boost off the bench. I loved their focus tonight.” – Richard Pitino