Utah State Falls To New Mexico After Lobos Go On 7-1 Run In Final 1:19
Feb 29, 2020, 10:26 PM | Updated: Mar 1, 2020, 6:44 pm
Utah State Aggies guard Sam Merrill (5) passes during a Mountain West Conference Tournament quarterfinal game against the New Mexico Lobos at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Thursday, March 14, 2019. (Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)
(Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Utah State men’s basketball team allowed New Mexico to go on a 7-1 run during the final 1:19 of the second half and fell to the Lobos.
The Lobos beat the Aggies 66-64 in their regular-season finale on Dreamstyle Arena on Saturday, February 29.
Utah State held a 63-59 lead before New Mexico’s Zane Martin made a jump shot to spark a 7-1 run during the final 1:19 of regulation.
After Aggies guard Sam Merrill missed a three-pointer, Lobos forward Corey Manigault connected on a dunk while getting fouled. Manigault hit the and-one free throw to put New Mexico up 64-63 with 44 seconds remaining. It was New Mexico’s first lead since the beginning of the second half.
AND-1! WITH AUTHORITY! Lobos take the lead. pic.twitter.com/hboZFOfpKm
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) March 1, 2020
Manigault stole the ball from USU’s Diogo Brito on the following possession, dribble the ball down the court, and hit a layup to push the Lobos’ advantage to 66-63 with 21 seconds left.
LOBOS BY 3 pic.twitter.com/H8SF2Gbuqk
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) March 1, 2020
Utah State’s Neemias Queta made one free throw with 1.3 seconds remaining to give the Aggies their final point of the game.
During the second half, the Aggies held a 14 point lead.
Queta and Merrill led Utah State with 18 points apiece. Queta shot 8-12 on field goals while Merrill finished the game shooting 6-16 from the field including 4-12 from beyond the arc.
Utah State ended the game shooting 47.2 percent on field goals and 36.8 percent on triples.
HUUUUUGE long ball from the Aggies. @USUBasketball pic.twitter.com/GrHe3VrrLy
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) March 1, 2020
New Mexico shot 44.8 percent for the game and 41.7 percent from downtown.
The Lobos were led by Vance Jackson’s 17 points and Manigault’s 16 points.
With the win, New Mexico improved to 18-13 on the season and 7-11 in Mountain West Conference play.
Utah State fell to 23-8 overall and 12-6 in MWC games.
Final@USUBasketball 64@UNMLoboMBB 66
Queta and Merrill each finish with 18 points.
USU falls to 23-8 (12-6 @MountainWest) on the season.#AggiesAllTheWay
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 1, 2020
The Aggies finished the regular season ranked second in the Mountain West and earned the No. 2 seed in the Mountain West Conference Tournament.
OFFICIAL: Here's your first look at the bracket for the 2020 Air Force Reserve Mountain West Men's Basketball Championship!#MWMadness pic.twitter.com/9Xp1wzrWvG
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) March 1, 2020
Utah State will play its first game of the conference tourney in the quarterfinals on March 5 against the winner of the first-round meeting between San Jose State and New Mexico.
