Dent goes off for 40 points in home win over VCU

Max Shulga was cookin’ in the second half, scoring all 20 of his points in the final 20 minutes.

Donovan Dent just didn’t care.

VCU’s top 10 nationally ranked defense was getting its hands on plenty of Lobo passes and blocking shots with regularity down the stretch.

Didn’t matter to Dent.

As the team picked in the preseason to win the Atlantic 10 conference attempted furious rally after furious rally on Wednesday night in the Pit, the Lobos’ star point guard wasn’t having it.

Dent scored a career-high 40 points to go along with five rebounds, four assists and a steal to lead the Lobos to a 78-71 win over VCU in the non-conference finale for UNM.

“I’m not going to lie, games like this, it starts before (game day),” Dent said. “These last three practices, I’ve been doing really good just playing hard. Coach (Aasron Katsuma) has been working with me every day before and after practice. So, I mean, it starts before and this game right here, just felt good right from the start.”

UNM improves to 9-3 heading into conference play on Dec. 28 in Fort Collins against Colorado State.

VCU, the first Top 50 KenPom ranked team the Lobos had visit the Pit in seven years, falls to 9-3.

“We had to have it,” UNM coach Richard Pitino said of the win. “The effort was really good, rebounded the basketball, the defense was, at times, really good. I thought we just had a high level of just desire to go get the win. Knew we had to have it. You know, knew we needed to take advantage of this opportunity. ...

“We did a lot of good things, and then obviously, put the ball in Donovan’s hands. And, you know, we didn’t have a lot of assists (UNM had just six on 27 made field goals) because Donovan was the primary ball handler and he just made plays. And when he’s like that, he’s really, really hard to stop.”

Dent scored 25 of his 40 in the second half and is the first Lobo to score 40 in a game since Jaelen House did so on Feb. 5, 2022, at Air Force and first in the Pit since Elijah Brown did so in 2016 vs. Fresno State.

The Lobos played without usual starting shooting guard Tru Washington due to a quadriceps injury.

Compounding the challenge his absence presented the Lobos, guards C.J. Noland and Braden Appelhans each picked up their second foul of the game in the first six minutes. Appelhans added his third foul of the first half with 4:19 left in the opening half. Noland got his third with 18:19 on the clock.

While that was happening, the Rams were getting hot from the outside, hitting four 3-pointers in the first 7½ minutes. Their first 2-point shot came 11 minutes, 30 seconds into the game.

But the Lobos’ defense was every bit as good as the top 10 one by the Rams, holding VCU to 42.1% shooting in the game. And for all the Rams’ high pressure, physical play, UNM only turned it over 11 times and drew 21 fouls.

The Lobos were 21-of-30 at the charity stripe, including 10-of-11 by Dent.

Shulga ended up with a team-high 20 points for VCU. UNM out-rebounded the visitors 47-33 and had 16 second-chance points off 16 offensive rebounds.

Nelly Junior Joseph had a 15 point, 11 rebounds double-double for the Lobos and Mustapha Amzil added 15 points and eight rebounds.

ECK-CELLENT INTRO: New Lobo football coach Jason Eck was introduced to fans at the center of Bob King Court on Wednesday night to a loud ovation.

He then proceeded to give a pep talk that had the fans excited.

BOX SCORE: New Mexico 78, VCU 71

UNM men's basketball defeats VCU: Photos