New Mexico Lobos @ Texas Tech Red Raiders Basketball Recap

New Mexico 61, Texas Tech 60

The New Mexico Lobos officially exercised the slow-pace demon that tripped them during their last outing against Northern Iowa.  New Mexico held on to defeat Texas Tech 61-60 in an exciting out-of-conference matchup.  The Red Raiders employed a similar slow-down tactic but failed to capitalize on New Mexico mistakes.  Dairese Gary converted a pair of go-ahead free-throws with 54 seconds remaining in regulation to give Steve Alford's team the road victory.  New Mexico improved to 11-2 on the season and, after a trip to Dayton on Saturday, is well-positioned for another great run in the Mountain West Conference.

It was a game of runs on Wednesday night at the United Spirit Arena on the Texas Tech campus.  The Red Raiders, playing on their home floor, came out firing on all cylinders, amassing a 15-point first-half lead in the process.  New Mexico trimmed the lead to six points at the half and turned the tables on Texas Tech in the second half, gaining an eight-point lead midway through the second half.  The Red Raiders weren't finished, however, as they countered with a run of their own and eventually took a lead with under two minutes remaining.

Texas Tech can only blame itself for this setback; the Red Raiders shot only 51 percent from the free-throw line.  The Red Raiders also had a chance to win the ballgame on the last possession.  The Lobos failed to get off a shot when leading by one, giving Texas Tech a chance to steal the game in the final seconds. Tech guard Mike Singletary, who led all scorers with 18 points, missed a jumper from the elbow that would have given the Red Raiders the victory.

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Texas Tech was playing its first game without point guard John Roberson, who was suspended for violating team rules.  Texas Tech has now dropped six of its last eight games.

The New Mexico offense, which came into the night averaging 76 points per game, struggled against the Red Raiders ’ defense.  During the first 10 minutes of play, the Lobos only managed 10 points.  Thankfully for the folks in Albuquerque, the Lobos were able to answer with a 16-2 run of their own to stay in the ballgame and set the stage for their late and great escape.

New Mexico has been impressive during the preseason portion of its season.  Three of the Lobos ’ victories have come against teams from the Pac-10 and Big 12.  With conference foes San Diego State, BYU, and UNLV all looking tough, these early season wins should bode well for the Lobos come regular-season time in the Mountain West Conference.

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer