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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Senior Jalon Gates poured in a career-high 30 points and fell one made three-pointer shy of tying the program record for a single game as the Huskies fell to New Mexico 107-88 on Sunday afternoon inside Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit.
 
Gates, a senior guard, recorded the program's first 30-point game since teammate Ian DuBose scored 33 against Lamar on January 2, 2019 last season. He finished the game 8-of-20 from the floor and also had a pair of steals. Gates was also 7-of-8 from the free throw line and nearly matched the HBU record for most threes in a game, knocking down 7-of-18 from behind the arc.
 
New Mexico (12-2) took an early 5-0 lead, keeping the Huskies (0-10) off the board for just over two minutes until Gates knocked down a three. The Lobos then went up 9-3 but HBU answered back with eight-straight points thanks to a pair of Gates threes and an Ian DuBose layup off a steal to lead 11-9 at the first media timeout.
 
Following a pair of made Lobo free throws by Corey Manigault, Gates knocked down his fourth three in the first five minutes of the game and was single-handedly out-scoring UNM 12-11 while the Huskies led 14-11. Just over three minutes later, however, the Lobos had regained the lead as a Jaquan Lyle trey made it a 23-17 game.
 
A 14-6 run by the Huskies over the next five and a half minutes was capped by a Thomasson layup and a Gates free throw put HBU ahead 31-29 with 6:50 remaining in the half. UNM then scored the next eight points to go ahead 36-31. The Huskies tied it up after scoring the next five before a Lyle and-one put the Huskies down three again. Ty Dalton and Gates responded with the next five points to give HBU a 41-39 advantage with just over four minutes left.
 
In the final two minutes of the half, Makuach Maluach and Manigault connected on back-to-back buckets but a Myles Pierre three evened the score at 44-44 with 1:14 on the clock. Vance Jackson dropped in a layup inside of a minute for the Lobos but Philip McKenzie made a layup to even it up and a fast break layup just before the buzzer by Pierre sent the Huskies into the locker room with a 48-46 lead.
 
HBU came out in the second half and built its lead to 54-48 after a DuBose layup just over a minute into the period. From there, New Mexico went on a 24-4 run to lead 72-48 as the Huskies were called for seven fouls in the first seven minutes of the half before the Lobos were charged with their first foul of the half.
 
The closest the Huskies would get the rest of the way was 13 after Gates knocked down three free throws  following a foul on a three-point attempt with 6:01 to go.
 
DuBose, a junior, ended the game with 16 points, a season-high seven assists, seven rebounds and three steals while McKenzie posted season-bests in points, with 10, and rebounds, with eight, in his first start of the season. Jackson Stent and Pierre added eight and seven points off the bench, respectively, while Dalton dished out five assists.
 
The Huskies finished the day shooting 51.5 percent (34-of-66) from the floor but were cold from deep in the second half, connecting on 1-of-10 from three after knocking down 8-of-14 in the first period. UNM was red-hot in the second half, shooting 73.3 percent (22-of-30) from the field. The Lobos held a 35-31 advantage on the boards and scored 68 of their points inside the paint.
 
HBU will return to Southland Conference play for the remainder of the season beginning Thursday, Jan. 2, with a Sharp Gym matchup with Central Arkansas at 7:00 p.m.