Record:\u00a0New Mexico 9\u20132 | San Jose State 5\u20136
Date:\u00a0Saturday, December 20
Location:\u00a0The Pit, Albuquerque
Conference:\u00a0Mountain West opener<\/p>\n
Mountain West Conference play tips off Saturday night at The Pit as the New Mexico Lobos return home riding momentum and confidence, welcoming a San Jose State team that has been competitive but inconsistent through the non-conference slate.<\/p>\n
Lobos Trending Up Entering Conference Play\u200b<\/p>\n
New Mexico enters league action at 9\u20132 overall and on a six-game winning streak, most recently a controlled 75\u201359 victory over Florida Gulf Coast on Sunday, December 14. That win highlighted the Lobos\u2019 growing depth and balance.<\/p>\n
Junior\u00a0Antonio Chol\u00a0delivered his best all-around performance of the season against FGCU, posting season highs with 14 points and seven rebounds.\u00a0Luke Haupt\u00a0orchestrated the offense efficiently, finishing with a team-high six assists. Haupt is averaging 10.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game on the season and continues to serve as a steady presence at the point.<\/p>\n
The Lobos\u2019 scoring attack has been driven largely by youth. Freshman\u00a0Jake Hall\u00a0has emerged as the team\u2019s leading scorer at 14.2 points per game, while freshman forward\u00a0Tomislav Buljan\u00a0has provided consistent interior production at 10.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest, though his status bears monitoring after missing the FGCU game due to injury.<\/p>\n
Veteran leadership remains critical. Senior guard\u00a0Deyton Albury\u00a0is averaging 12.7 points per game, while freshman\u00a0Uriah Tennette\u00a0has added 10.9 points per outing, giving New Mexico multiple perimeter scoring options entering conference play.<\/p>\n
San Jos\u00e9 State Finding Its Stride Offensively\u200b<\/p>\n
San Jos\u00e9 State arrives at 5\u20136 overall after a competitive 86\u201382 loss to Stanford. Despite the record, the Spartans have shown offensive upside, placing five players in double-figure scoring.<\/p>\n
The offense is anchored by junior guard\u00a0Colby Garland, one of the Mountain West\u2019s most productive scorers at 18.9 points per game. Garland has been particularly hot of late, scoring 27 points against Long Beach State, 20 versus San Diego, and another 20 in the Stanford loss.<\/p>\n
Inside, the Spartans feature senior\u00a0Yaphet Moundi, who is averaging 13.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Moundi was dominant in the Stanford matchup, pouring in 26 points, and has formed an effective inside-outside pairing with Garland over the last several games.<\/p>\n
Series Context and Matchup Outlook\u200b<\/p>\n
The teams split last season\u2019s meetings, with San Jos\u00e9 State edging New Mexico 71\u201370 in San Jos\u00e9 before the Lobos responded with a 63\u201352 home win in March. Both programs, however, feature significant roster turnover, making this matchup more about current form than past results.<\/p>\n
New Mexico\u2019s edge lies in depth, home-court advantage, and defensive consistency. The Lobos have held opponents under 60 points in two of their last three games and have shown improved execution on both ends during their six-game run.<\/p>\n
San Jos\u00e9 State has the scoring to stay competitive, but their defensive lapses-allowing 83 or more points in four losses-could be problematic against a Lobo team that is averaging nearly 85 points per game over its last five contests.<\/p>\n
Grine\u2019s Prediction\u200b<\/p>\n
San Jos\u00e9 State\u2019s Garland-Moundi duo should keep the Spartans within striking distance early, but New Mexico\u2019s balance, depth, and energy at The Pit should take over in the second half.<\/p>\n
Prediction:\u00a0New Mexico wins
Score Prediction:\u00a0New Mexico 78, San Jos\u00e9 State 68<\/p>\n
The Lobos open Mountain West play with a statement home win, extending their streak to seven and setting a strong tone for conference competition.<\/p>\n