New Mexico Lobos vs Boise State Semi-Finals
Game: New Mexico Lobos vs Boise State Broncos
Date: Friday, March 14th, 2024
Time: 7:30 MST 9:30 EST
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Venue: Thomas & Mack Center
Radio: Lobo Sports Network, Rob Portnoy/Hunter Green
TV: CBS Sports Network
THE SERIES: New Mexico leads 15-13
The No. 1 seed New Mexico Lobos (26-6, 17-3 MWC) and the No. 5 seed Boise State Broncos (23-9, 14-6 MWC) will try to advance in the MWC tournament on Friday. They square off at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Lobos and Broncos Set for Mountain West Tournament Semifinal Showdown
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The New Mexico Lobos secured their spot in the Mountain West Tournament semifinals. They achieved this by getting a victory in their game at Thomas & Mack Center.
They earned this with a hard-fought victory over San Jose State. This victory allowed them to advance to the semi final game against Boise State Friday night in Vegas.
Boise State Broncos secured their place with a tough win. This victory occurred in Thursday’s quarterfinal action at the Thomas & Mack Center over San Diego State 62-52
Richard Pitinos Lobos are 18-3 against MWC opponents and 8-3 in non-conference play. New Mexico averages 81.6 points and has outscored opponents by 10.9 points per game.
New Mexico (26-6) secured a 63-52 win over San Jose State. Donovan Dent delivered a dominant performance. He led the Lobos with 25 points and five assists.
Nelly Junior Joseph was a force on the glass. He grabbed a UNM conference tournament record 18 rebounds and added 14 points.
Tru Washington, celebrating his birthday, contributed 11 points to the victory.
The Lobos built a 32-23 halftime lead after an explosive 13-0 run late in the first half. A Dent three-pointer at the buzzer capped the run.
In the second half, UNM extended its advantage to 40-25 before San Jose State fought back with an 8-0 run.
New Mexico responded with a decisive 7-0 spurt. This burst put the game out of reach. They secured the victory to move on to Friday’s game against Boise State.
Head coach Richard Pitino credited his team’s defensive effort in the second half for the win. “It was a choppy, ugly game, and a lot of that is credit to San Jose State. But we figured out a way to get it done. Now we can rest and get excited for tomorrow,” Pitino said.
Meanwhile, Boise State (23-9) overcame a five-point halftime deficit to stun No. 4 San Diego State 62-52.
The Broncos outscored the Aztecs 34-19 in the second half. They closed the game on a dominant 17-5 run to secure the victory.
This win allows them to move on to Friday’s game against the Lobos. It promises to be as exciting as expected. This is based on their two prior games during the regular season in Boise and Albuquerque.
Alvaro Cardenas led Boise State with 16 points and four assists, while Tyson Degenhart added 14 points and seven rebounds. Andrew Meadow contributed 12 points, seven rebounds, and three steals.
“That game felt like a championship game,” Meadow said. “The physicality, the way we were battling—it really felt like a war.”
Boise State’s defense smothered San Diego State down the stretch. They held the Aztecs without a made field goal for the final 9:11.
The Broncos dominated the glass. They outrebounded SDSU 40-28 and grabbed 13 offensive boards. You can bet this will be the tactic against the Lobos. Rebounds will be huge in this game.
With their quarterfinal wins, the top-seeded Lobos and fifth-seeded Broncos will now clash in the semifinals.
Boise State is on the NCAA Tournament bubble. The team must enhance its resume. This is essential if they hope to make the Big Dance this year.
The Broncos hold a 15-6 record in Mountain West Conference play and rank second in the league with 9.3 offensive rebounds per game, led by Tyson Degenhart’s 2.2 per contest.
New Mexico averages 81.6 points per game, outscoring Boise State’s defensive allowance of 65.9 by 15.7 points. The Broncos are shooting 46.2% from the field this season, 3.4 percentage points higher than the 42.8% New Mexico allows.
This marks the third meeting between the teams this season. Boise State won the last matchup on Feb. 20, 86-78, with Degenhart scoring 32 points. Filip Borovicanin led New Mexico with 18 points.
Top Performers:
Donovan Dent leads the Lobos with 20.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game. Nelly Junior Joseph has been dominant over the last 10 games, averaging 14.4 points, 13.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.7 blocks.
For Boise State, Alvaro Cardenas Torre contributes 12.2 points per game while shooting 33.1% from three and making 1.6 threes per contest. Degenhart has averaged 17.6 points and 6.5 rebounds over the past 10 games
New Mexico aims for its first Mountain West Tournament title since 2014. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. MT on Friday, airing on CBS Sports Network.
LOBO NOTES:
- New Mexico has won five straight Mountain West Tournament games and outscored opponents in all 10 halves of that streak.
- Donovan Dent became the first player in Mountain West history to achieve a record. He recorded five consecutive games with at least 20 points and five assists.
- Nelly Junior Joseph’s 18 rebounds set a UNM Mountain West Tournament record. They tied a school record for a conference tournament game.
QUOTABLE: “We just have to dig deep and leave it all out there. Another day isn’t promised, so we have to fight to keep playing tomorrow.” – Andrew Meadow, Boise State forward
New Mexico vs. Boise State in the Mountain West Tournament semifinals, Friday at 7:30 p.m. MT at the Thomas & Mack Center, airing on CBS Sports Network.
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