Lobos score early and often en route to big win over Boise State

It sure didn't look like a matchup of the preseason's No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the Mountain West conference.

The New Mexico Lobos, the preseason No. 2 in the league's media poll, used an absolutely dominant half of basketball — using scoring runs of 8-0, 9-0 and a 14-0 back-breaker to end the half — en route to an 84-65 blowout of the Boise State Broncos, the preseason league favorites, in a late Friday night game in the Pit.

"Great win. I mean, just the first half was absolutely about as good a basketball as I've seen in my 13 years being a head coach," said UNM coach Richard Pitino. "Guys were ready to go. Team defense, amazing. Effort, phenomenal. Rebounding the basketball was terrific. And then playing such a fun style of basketball to get out on the break was terrific. So, a great win versus a program that we really, really respect."

Donovan Dent and Nelly Junior Joseph each scored 16 points, the Lobos assisted on 22 of their 31 made baskets, seven players hit 3-pointers, all five starters had at least one steal and four of the five blocked at least one shot, he Lobos were a perfect 15-of-15 at the free throw line (third highest total made in a 100% game in program history) and UNM never trailed, allowing an amped up announced Pit crowd of 14,519 to roar early and often.

"Let me just say," Lobo freshman Jovan Milicevic said before answering any reporter questions "the fans here are amazing. I'll do that one thing. The fans here were amazing. We fed off their energy."

UNM improves to 15-4 and 7-1 in the Mountain West conference, sitting alone in first place in the league standings with 6-1 Utah State not playing again until they host Nevada on Wednesday. The Lobos, who bounced back nicely from a 71-70 loss at San Jose State on Tuesday, will actually play again Monday, hosting Fresno State, and could be up two in the win column before the Aggies take the court again.

Boise State falls to 13-6 overall and 5-3 in league play and looked thoroughly rattled in the first half.

UNM's 14-0 run to end the first half gave UNM a 48-21 lead — a 27-point halftime margin that was the Lobos' largest lead at halftime in the 26-year history of the Mountain West.

In the first half alone, UNM led Boise State 22-0 in fast break points, held Boise State to 1-of-12 shooting from 3-point range (8.3%), scored 17 points off nine Boise State turnovers and had already scored 32 points in the paint, all while shooting 61.8% from the floor.

Filip Borovicanin chipped in nine points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four steals. Tru Washington added 13 points, five assists, a steal and a block and UNM shot a blazing 54.4 percent from the field for the game, including 7 of 15 (46.7 percent) from beyond the arc.

Boise State, meanwhile, played a stunningly staid offensive game, hitting just 5 of 23 three-pointers. In the team's previous two games, players hit 27 of 52 (51.9%) triples.

The Broncos (13-6, 5-3) were led by MW Preseason Player of the Year Tyson Degenhart with 14 points and seven rebounds. Javan Buchanan, coming off the bench, also scored 14.

Alvaro Cardenas, who led the conference in assists coming into the game, finished with five points, six assists and seven turnovers for Boise State.

Dent, who leads the conference in scoring and just barely trailed Cardenas in assists per game, had seven helpers against four turnovers.

Boise State's Andrew Meadows hit a basket to cut the Lobos' lead to 25-19 with 7 minutes, 17 seconds to go.

The Lobos scored the next nine points until a couple Buchanan free throws made it 34-21 with 3:24 to go. Then, UNM went on a 14-0 run to end the half.

After that Meadow basket, Boise State went 7 minutes, 56 seconds without a field goal until starting the second half on a modest 6-0 run.

NOTES: Dent was honored at center court before the game with a commemorative basketball recognizing his scoring his 1,000th career point during last weekend's win over San Diego State. He entered Friday's game with 1,027 points.

Friday was Indigenous Heritage Night and the team wore its turquoise jerseys for the first time this season.

UNM men triumph over Boise State: Photos