New Mexico hosts SDSU in a battle for supremacy
Credit: NCAA Logo
San Diego Stae Aztecs vs. New Mexico Lobos
University Arena “The Pit” Alburquerque, New Mexico
Wednesday, January 28th, 6:00 pm
CBS Sports Television
The San Diego State men’s basketball team will travel east on Wednesday to New Mexico and face off against the Lobos.
After a pivotal win over UNLV on Sunday, in which the Aztecs beat the Rebels for the 16th time in their last 17 meetings, they head to Albuquerque for their first contest with the 2019-2020 New Mexico Lobos.
New Mexico has not lost at home this season, and SDSU wants to change that fact. San Diego State (21-0,10-0 MW) is the #4 ranked team for the second-straight week, according to the Associated Press’s Top 25 weekly poll.
The 71-67 victory over UNLV at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, set a record for the Aztecs’ longest winning streak and the best start in program history.
UNLV gave SDSU their closest contested game since December 8th, when San Diego took down San Jose 59-57 thanks to a buzzer-beater 3-point shot from Malachi Flynn.
Last Sunday, against UNLV, Flynn led the Aztecs in scoring with 21 points, but the Rebels’ Bryce Hamilton led all scorers with 29 points. SDSU will look to continue their winning streak when they take on New Mexico at “The Pit.”
The New Mexico Lobos (16-6, 5-4 MW) are looking to continue their home winning streak of 13-0 after coming off a tough loss on the road to Nevada 96-74. The Lobos played an underwhelming first half against Nevada and went into the locker room down by 20 points at the mid-point. New Mexico junior Zane Martin led the team with 23 points. He was followed by Vante Hendrix, who put up 19 points and Corey Manigualt, who scored 13 for the Lobos. New Mexico mounted a comeback in the second, hitting ten 3-pointers within the final 18 minutes of the game. That was not enough to catch up to the Wolfpack, though.
The Aztecs look to impose their defensive will on the Lobos and hold them well below the 74 points they scored on Saturday. San Diego is presently limiting their opponents to only 57.1 points per game and is statistically ranked as the fourth-best defense in the nation.
Malachi Flynn is the team’s leader on offense and the focal point of their success. Teams have begun to strategize to limit Flynn’s production when he attacks the basket. Aztecs such as Yanni Wetzell, Matt Mitchell, KJ Feagin, and Trey Pulliam are stepping up to add vital points during games in which Flynn’s scoring potency has been contained. The more defensive attention Flynn is garnering, the more he is drawing fouls. He is averaging five trips to the foul line per game and shooting 83.1 percent from there.
New Mexico versus San Diego State will be aired on CBS Sports Network at 6 pm (Pacific) on Wednesday night. The Aztecs plan to go into New Mexico’s Dreamstyle Arena-“The Pit” and end The Lobos’ 13-game winning streak at home. SDSU hopes to earn their 22nd win and remain undefeated in the 2019-2020 season.
Tony Fantano is a native and current resident San Diegan who is all about pushing the city of San Diego to its full potential nationally and internationally. Tony earned a Bachelor’s in broadcasting and journalism from San Francisco State, where he learned the importance of civic pride. Tony wants to inspire readers everywhere to be their greatest and help each other pursue personal and civic prominence.