Box Score

Postgame Interview with Ron Cottrell (video)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New Mexico came out gunning, shooting 73 percent and hitting five 3-pointers in the first half, as the Lobos downed Houston Baptist, 98-61, for their 11^th-straight win Tuesday night at The Pit.
 
Freshman forward Dustin Hobaugh hit all three of his 3-point attempts and led the Huskies (5-9) with 12 points, while freshman guard Tyler Russell added 11 points and four rebounds. Junior forward Lamar Thomas led HBU with five rebounds, and sophomore guard Jonathan Evans had seven points and four assists.
 
Tony Snell shot 7-for-11, including 3-of-6 from behind the arc, to lead five players in double figures for the Lobos (13-2) with 18 points, four rebounds and four assists. Demetrius Walker had 14 points and Phillip McDonald added 11 points, each coming off the bench. Drew Gordon finished posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Hugh Greenwood had 10 points for New Mexico.
 
New Mexico shot 64 percent from the field and 46 percent (11-of-24) from behind the arc, while HBU shot 34 percent from the floor and 32 percent (6-of-19) from 3-point range. The Lobos outrebounded the Huskies, 38-34, and the two teams combined for only 23 turnovers – 13 for the Huskies and 10 for the Lobos.
 
Russell answered New Mexico's first two baskets with a floater in the lane and a layup, but the Lobo went on a 9-0 run, started by a Greenwood 3-pointer and capped by dunks from T.J. Hardeman and Kendall Williams. After another Greenwood trey put New Mexico up by 10, freshman guard Marcel Smith found junior forward Marcus Davis for an alley-oop slam to make the score 18-10 with 14:10 left in the first half.
 
McDonald nailed a three and Jamal Fenton followed with a layup to put New Mexico ahead, 29-14, with 10:41 remaining in the opening frame. Another trey by Walker and a free throw by Cameron Bairstow gave the Lobos a 33-16 advantage, then a layup by Greenwood pushed the lead to 39-20 at the 6:51 mark. Hobaugh's 3-pointer with 3:20 to go was the Huskies' first make of the game in nine attempts and Bernardi's layup on the next possession got the Huskies back to within 15 at 44-29. However the Lobos scored the last nine points of the half and took a 53-29 lead into the break.
 
New Mexico made 22-of-30 shots from the floor, including 5-of-9 from long range, while HBU shot 39 percent, but only 1-of-9 from behind the arc, in the first half.
 
The Lobos extended their lead to 64-34 on Fenton's layup with 15:26 to go in the game, but Hobaugh answered with a three on the other end. After Snell hit his third three of the half, junior guard Anthony Hill nailed a trey and sophomore guard Jonathan Evans found senior forward Terry Bembry slashing to basket for a layup for the Huskies. Walker hit a 3-pointer, then Evans answered from long range to cut the deficit to 70-45 with 12:23 left.
 
The Huskies would get no closer the rest of the way as they were held to their lowest point total of the season.
 
The Huskies return for back-to-back home games, beginning with Eastern Illinois Saturday at 7:05 p.m. at Sharp Gym.