San Diego State 55, New Mexico 34
SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State took advantage of New Mexico's chilly shooting and earned a 55-34 Mountain West Conference victory over the 15th-ranked Lobos before a sellout crowd of 12,414 at Viejas Arena on Saturday.
The Lobos (17-3, 4-1 in the Mountain West) had their lowest scoring output of the season and allowed the Aztecs (16-4, 4-2) to close to within a half-game of the conference lead.
Poor shooting and the Aztecs' defense contributed to the weak offensive showing.
New Mexico made only 11-of-44 shots from the field (25 percent) overall and only 4-of-22 (18.2 percent) in the second half. The Lobos missed 12-of-15 shots from 3-point range.
San Diego hit 23-of-57 shots (40 percent), but missed 12-of-15 from beyond the arc.
The Aztecs had a 41-26 edge in rebounds.
Forward JJ O'Brien led the Aztecs with 12 points and 10 rebounds, seven of those boards coming on the offensive end. Guard Jamaal Franklin added 10 points and seven rebounds.
Guard Kendall Williams led the Lobos with 14 points and was the only New Mexico player to score in double figures.
The Lobos' shooting and inability to rebound allowed San Diego State to take an early lead it would never relinquish.
New Mexico missed 10 of its first 12 shots and managed only seven baskets in 22 attempts (31.8 percent) as San Diego State took a 33-19 halftime lead.
The Aztecs, who ended the half on an 8-0 run, converted 13 of their 32 shots (40.6 percent) and held New Mexico without a field goal in the final 4:55 of the half.
San Diego State out-rebounded New Mexico by a 22-10 margin and the Lobos committed 10 turnovers, compared to seven for San Diego State.
NOTES: Running back Ronnie Hillman of the Denver Broncos, who played college football at San Diego State, attended the game along with catcher Nick Hundley and first base coach Dave Roberts of the San Diego Padres. ... The Lobos hold a 40-33 edge in the series. ... This was the first meeting between the teams since the Lobos recorded a 68-59 victory over the Aztecs in the conference tournament last year in Las Vegas. ... San Diego State and New Mexico have captured the last six Mountain West championships (regular season and conference tournaments).
